Recipients of #WhatIf Football Scholarships Announced

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What If scholarship holders

The Management School has announced the successful applicants of its Women in Football scholarships. 

The scholarships were offered as part of Women in Football’s #WhatIf campaign and aim to give female students the opportunity to study the Football Industries MBA. 

The Management School pledged to offer two full fee scholarships in a bid to encourage more women to take up roles in the business side of football.  Due to the strong field of talented candidates, it has extended this offer an additional partial fee scholarship. 

Full fee scholarships have been awarded to;


Jade MorganJade Morgan

Jade is the General Manager of Leicester City Women Football Club. She plays a key role in the professional day-to-day operations and overseeing all aspects of the Women’s team including long term strategy and vision of the Women’s game. Jade has taken the Club from grassroots football, to Semi-Professional status, competing in Tier 2 of English Women’s Football. She is an up and coming female professional actively making positive contributions within the Women’s game.

Jade commented “I am delighted to have been offered the #WhatIf ULMS Women in Football Full Scholarship. The MBA Football Industries is an exciting and dynamic course providing an invaluable opportunity of in-depth learning, key business practices and specific targeted lessons in the football environment.

That prospect, coupled with the trajectory of the Women’s game, the decision to embark on this journey was a no brainer! I can’t wait to get started!” 


Emma ClarkEmma Clark

Emma’s main passion is sport and she is a valued member of the Mersey Rowing club which has had a big impact on her life and helped her on the path she is currently on today.

Emma recently graduated with a first-class degree in Sports Coaching and Development from Staffordshire University. During her studies she developed a strong interest in sports psychology, with a previous lecturer saying about her ambition and drive in this area, “I really think you have found your calling Emma”.

In addition to her studies, Emma co-owns a small women’s clothing business with a friend which she plans to develop in the future.

Emma commented “The next chapter of my life starts with the Football Industries MBA. To gain a place on this course has increased my confidence immensely and shown me that all the time, effort and hard work I previously put in has paid off and will only increase in the future.

My passion for sport has led to a desire to incorporate it in all aspects of my life and being a single mum of three amazing children has been my driving force in everything I achieve.

I cannot wait to get started and see where my new path with the University of Liverpool will take me!”


The additional partial fee scholarship was awarded to:


Charlotte Nyangeri Charlotte Nyangeri

Charlotte is an Advocate of the High Court in Kenya with a passion for sports and dispute resolution. She holds a master’s degree in International Commercial Arbitration Law from Stokholm University. She is also the co-founder of ITB Strategies, an online sports platform curating Africa’s best sports talent that aims to combat poverty, human trafficking and unemployment in Africa by connecting the youth to verified professional opportunities worldwide.

Charlotte said “Football is a massive industry that is impacting millions of lives directly and indirectly. The Liverpool MBA in Football Industries offers me a chance to be at the vanguard of influencing the future shape and strategy of the sport in Africa."


Jane Purdon, CEO of Women in Football, said “The scholarships pledged to the Women in Football #WhatIf campaign by University of Liverpool are truly gamechanging, giving women looking to take their next steps in the industry a chance to receive world-class teaching and learning from this prestigious course.

The University of Liverpool's MBA in Football Industries is a qualification recognised universally and I am sure the scholarship recipients will benefit hugely from their time on the course.”

The Football Industries MBA (FIMBA) is the world’s only football-focused Master of Business Administration programme. It covers a wide range of subject disciplines from strategy and innovation, to sports economics, marketing and governance.

FIMBA benefits from a global network of alumni, with graduates of the programme now working in top football clubs, governing bodies, media and commercial organisations across the world.

Dr Babatunde Buraimo, Director of Studies for the Football Industries MBA, commented, “I am pleased that we have been able to offer a number of scholarships to excellent candidates. Our aim is that these very capable candidates will in the future be able to make significant contributions to the football industry.”

Professor Elizabeth Maitland, Associate Dean MBA, said “We have been impressed and delighted by the response to the Women in Football #WhatIf campaign and our pledge of two full scholarships for our Football Industries MBA.

The calibre of applications has been outstanding. Selecting the successful applicants has been challenging; so challenging that we have decided to increase our pledge to women, who are not only passionate about football, but committed to playing leading roles in the industry.

I congratulate our scholarship holders on their success and look forward to welcoming them to Liverpool. I hope that their participation in FIMBA will be transformational not only for them, but also for their fellow students, their employers and for us.”