hi, i was wondering, what kind of badge/experiences would you need to have to be employed by an pro club academy full time?

I believe you need UEFA C badge to work in academies, and i believe B to work in Centre of Excellences...

uefa c? i thort there was only b and a

oh im guessing thats level 2. anyone else with any advice or is there anyone who does actually work at a pro club? any advice is much appreciated.

Ill try to be brief. Basically you dont need a qualification to be involved at a pro club (surprised). However the truth of the matter is that they are trying to drive up standards so they like you to have at least a level 1 to work with schools of excellence and preferably level 2 and 3(uefa B) with academies and such like. The only time your uefa A(Pro Licence) comes into play is if you manage in the premiership or a top flight team in a european league. You could manage a team outside the top flight without it and no one would bat an eyelid. Infact let me draw your attention to recent cases of Avram Grant (Chelsea), Garreth Southgate (Middlesborough) and Glen Roeder (Newcastle). They didnt have, it however special dispensation was given to allow them to work. Strange really as it takes 2 years to get it and just in case you were wondering the cost to the average man in the street is around £3000. As a final footnote in theory you could attempt to get that far but the reality is that unless you are an ex professional or a part of the coaching set up at a pro club at least at reserve team level then taking the Uefa A licence is 1 thing but passing it is most definitely another. You can draw your own conclusions from that my friend.

fair point, but building contacts and working your way through the acadamy and centre of excellence does not mean it is impossible, but the ponts raised in the last post about the whole ex-pro thing are valid. your chances are fairly slim, but a management career can be done, but it depends on who you know and how much respect you are gaining along the way.

in response to stras's comment, to say you dont need a qualification to work at a pro club is absolute bull***t.

Thats like allowing someone with no teaching qualifications to teach in secondary school. It just doesnt work like that. I am friends with Steve Gritt, Charlton Athletic Academy Manager, and it is common knowledge to those involved in the game, that to work in academies and c.o.e's you need at least the UEFA B badge. Why you think a centre of EXCELLENCE would employ someone with no qualifications is beyond me! If he has no qualifications, then in terms of football, officially the bloke wont even know how to talk to kids properly. He may know how to really, but without that all important level 1, that means nothing.

Frammo, keep at it. Work at your badges, be in it for the long haul, not for the short term gains. Its a long hard process, but well worth it in the end! Do your research, dont just listen to jokers such as the post above! ask lots of opinions from people in the game, and take your time! Also, dont listen to Stras's viewpoint on the fact you have to be ex pro... of course you dont! It helps of course, because you will already have a reputation in the game, but work at your badges, start at the bottm, succeed, and word will get about! Its also a case of who you know, start to build up your contacts list, write to people in the game, ask questions! Explore the world of pro coaching by enquiring to others.

Good Luck

For the attention of simonhillier1.
I suggest that you take time to read and digest my comments a little more accuratelly before throwing around the insults which im sure regardless of my comments were just not necessary.

1. I said you didnt need a qualification to be involved with a pro club and you dont.
I got involved with my local football club (HULL CITY) without a qualification. I started through the community programme in professional football - im sure you been well connected means youve obviously heard of it. Gaining experience and qualifications upto UEFA 'B' and then moving on to set up a small but successful sports coaching business which is involved in the provision of sport and physical education to schools, colleges, teams and individuals from age 5 - adult. Not bad for a joker.

2. At no point did i say qualifications were not important. When i first started i thought id be able to coach because i could play. Not so. I learned quickly that coaching is nothing to do with what you can do but everything to do with what you can get others to do. Thus the experience and knowledge gained through doing my badges was invaluable.

I was answering frammy's post as best i could. I was not telling him that there was no point in doing his badges and i never said you had to be an ex pro. What i implied was that with regard to the 'A' licence unless you are a current professional an ex profesional or someone involved with at least the reserve team at a professional club then your chances of getting that badge are are somewhat less than average.

As a final repost to your rant. A person who does a degree regardless of subject area can embark on a teaching career in a secondary schol on a teaching programme without having a teaching qualification. They just arent allowed to teach un aided ie un supervised as they are actually working towards that all important qualified teacher status (QTS).

simonhillier1- i was not trying to be clever or looking for any kind of 1 upmanship. I responded because i felt your abuse was unecessary. Your point of view is most welcome as is anyones without the insults. It is everyones right to have an oppinion. I have spent most of my life having to prove people wrong and change minds and oppinions and have not let something seemingly impossible stand in my way. As such i would never advocate someone else to give up as its just not me. I hope that i have alleyed some misconceptions that i am defeatist or that i simply dont know what im talking about. And with regard to having a reputation in the game even you must agree that a pro or ex pro could have the worst reputation in the game and he still stands more chance of achieving that 'A' Licence than joe average in the street. Further more we both know that ability as a coach does not follow ability as a player or vice versa. Infact in modern football in this country the evidence currently suggests that the bigger, better, more high profile your playing career was then the less successfull you will be as a manager trying to manage at that same level. There are of course exceptions to every rule.