Premier Event - Sports Coaching & Performance Conference, Manchester

UCFB Manchester are delighted to announce our annual 'Sports Coaching & Performance Conference', aimed at all students within the 'Practice' disciplines.

The day has been devised in collaboration with the academics within that area, ensuring all sessions will be valuable, informative and relevant for students.

Students are expected to attend and make the most of the learning and networking opportunities the conference offers. Although primarily aimed at 'Practice' students, all UCFB students are welcome to attend. Various coaching companies and academies will also be on hand with jobs/placements available for UCFB students.

The agenda for the 2026 conference is as follows

9:30am - 9:45am                          Student Arrival

9:45am - 10:00am                      Conference welcome 

10:00am - 10:20am                   Industry Panel 

1. Georgie van Dijk is an Academy Coach at Brentford FC and a UEFA A Licence holder whose coaching career has taken her through professional academies, university sport, and talent development programmes across the country. Having worked with clubs including Brentford, Birmingham City, Leicester City and Peterborough United, Georgie brings a wealth of experience and insight into the realities of building a career in coaching. She joins our panel to share her journey, key learning experiences, and advice for aspiring coaches. 

2. TBC

3. TBC

10:30am - 11:30am                     Breakout sessions

Breakout Option 1  - The 52 Team Problem - Jay Poole (Pre Academy Coach at BWFC and Football Club Coordinator at UK Sport)

How do we create consistency across a football club without making every team the same? 

This workshop explores how clubs can raise and maintain coaching quality by creating shared expectations around coaching behaviours, standards and key topics, while still allowing coaches to adapt their approach to the needs, characteristics and development stage of each age group. 

The aim is to build a common coaching language and identity across the club—where players experience continuity as they progress, but coaches retain the freedom to make sessions age-appropriate, engaging and relevant. 

Breakout Option 2 - Sport Session Planner - Magnus Alford (Coaches Voice - Co Founder)

'The evolution of session planning” which will cover off the last 15 years with themes such as the use of animations, how players & coaches digest information and wider influences such as media consumption and AI

Breakout Option 3 - Football Scouting Workshop: From Video to Report - Janae Curtis (BWFC Video Scout)

This practical workshop provides an introduction to the role of a football scout and an insight into the professional scouting process. 

The session will begin with a brief overview from an experienced scout, covering their role, responsibilities and what they look for when assessing players. Participants will then complete a practical task by watching a selected match and identifying key technical, tactical and performance characteristics. 

They will use their observations to produce a scouting report before reviewing their work with the scout. The session will conclude with feedback and discussion 

11:45am - 12:30pm                     Networking Lunch

12:30 - 1:15pm                                 Keynote Guest Speaker - KEVIN NOLAN

Kevin Nolan is a former Premier League captain and highly respected football coach and manager. During a distinguished playing career spanning more than 500 professional appearances, he captained Bolton Wanderers, Newcastle United and West Ham United, earning a reputation for his leadership, professionalism and goal-scoring ability from midfield. Since transitioning into coaching and management, Kevin has held roles with Notts County, West Ham United and Northampton Town, bringing extensive experience in leadership, team development and high-performance environments.

1:30pm                                                    Employer Exhibition 

 A range of sports business' will be in attendance to offer work placement/part time opportunities and advice to our  students.  Confirmed attendees include AFC Fylde, Stockport County Community, Prodigy Sports Group, We Make Footballers, Calculated Performance, Cheadle Town Football Club and many more!

2:30pm                                                   Event Close 

Please note that this agenda and guests is subject to change