Patrick Chimimba is an international student and Chevening Scholar from Malawi, who studied MSc Sport Management and the Business of Football at Birkbeck. In this blog he reflects how his studies helped deepen his appreciation of the beautiful game.
From the classroom to industry events to iconic stadium visits, my year studying Sports Management and the Business of Football at Birkbeck, University of London, has been packed with inspiring experiences. I thought I would take a moment to reflect on how each of these experiences have shaped my understanding of football management and offered countless opportunities to grow, learn, and connect.
1. Arsenal in the Community
- Location: Emirates Stadium
- Date: September 2024
- Highlights: As part of the Sports and Society module, we had a lecture at the Arsenal grounds to understand and appreciate how the club supports the surrounding communities through its Arsenal in the Community program. It is a considered program that seeks to help a diverse group of people and make a key difference in the life of many. The lecture made me realise that, beyond what we see on Television, these clubs are doing a lot more than they appear.
2. Africa Sports Unified Connex Summit
- Location: Charles Russell Speechlys, London, England,
- Date: September 2024
- Highlights: Together with my classmates, we volunteered at this summit, and it allowed me to interact with African sports leaders and learn about sports development on the continent. I networked with professionals from APO Group, BBC Sport, and Opta (a renowned data analytics company).
Volunteering at the Summit
3. Carabao Cup
- Location: Tottenham Stadium
- Date: December 2024
- Highlights: Attending a Manchester United live game has been my highlight of the program. Though on this day my favourite team lost 4-3 against Tottenham. The experience was surreal, but electrifying.
4. The Magic of the FA Cup
- Location: Stamford Bridge Stadium
- Date: January 2025
- Highlights: It was the middle of winter, but the stadium was packed, and the atmosphere was special. It was quite something to watch the oldest cup competition in the world.
5. Arsenal Ladies Champions League Comeback
- Location: Emirates Stadium
- Date: March 2025
- Highlights: A firsthand look at how supporters are the twelfth man in the game of football, as evidenced by the 2-0 loss against Real Madrid in the Champions League. Despite the initial setback, the Arsenal supporters created an intimidating atmosphere for the visitors, ultimately overturning the result and winning 3-0. This victory ultimately led to Arsenal’s eventual win over Barcelona in the cup final in Portugal.
6. Busy April
- Location: London, Liverpool, Manchester
- Date: April 2025
- Highlights: Visited Selhurst Park, the home of the eventual FA Cup winners, Crystal Palace, London Stadium (Westham), Anfield (Liverpool), Old Trafford (Manchester United) and Etihad Stadium (Manchester City)
Each of these visits helped me appreciate the history and motivation behind them, as well as how they engage with their various stakeholders. These are lessons that I want to take back to my country’s football industry.
7. Ladies FA Final at Wembley
- Location: Wembley Stadium
- Date: May 2025
- Highlights: Watching the ladies FA finals at Wembley between Chelsea and Manchester United was a fulfilling experience. The lessons obtained were enormous, from how the whole ceremony was conducted to the pre-match fan engagement to the medal ceremony. Each carefully considered element of the event contained lessons.
8. From adversity to opportunity
- Location: Birkbeck Sport Business Centre
- Date: June 2025
- Highlights: Being part of an event hosted by Birkbeck that involved a host of industry experts to mark the publication of a book by Moses Swaibu, Fixed: My Secret Life as a Match Fixer. Moses is a former player who was arrested for match fixing, and the event was highly informative. The lesson was for my home country, Malawi, to consider legislation to tackle this issue, given that we had been contacted by a Singaporean ‘fixer’ before or during a continental tournament. I met someone who is in sports media at this event, and we have had a serious talk about how the Malawian game can be helped.
Conclusion
Before I leave the UK, I still hope to visit Scotland and also to watch at least one Premier League match. These experiences have made me realise how football is deeply interconnected with society, business, and culture. Each event helped me develop practical skills, grow my network, and envision how I can contribute to football’s development, especially back home in Africa.
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