ESF History

The Educational Sports Forum (ESF), came into existence in December 2005 at an inaugural meeting with the General Federation of Trade Unions at the House of Commons in London. Members include:

• League Managers Association
• Professional Footballers Association
• Professional Rugby Players Association
• Professional Cricketers Association
• Institute of Football Managers and Administrators
• Professional Boxing Association
• Jockeys Education and Training Scheme

ESF evolved to promote the interests of affiliate members, assessing their educational needs and delivering a professional package of education and training to support those working in the sports industry to achieve their full learning potential, both during their playing days and when they leave their respective sports.

The ESF aims to make training and education a key focus for those working in the sports industry and working towards equality in sport by bringing sport back into the community. The ESF have developed and delivered a full range of customised courses and community disseminations events, UK wide. They have built progressive national partnership agreements with further and higher education providers and been successful in negotiating government funded project money to promote Lifelong Learning for people working in the sports industry.

Prime Minister, Tony Blair, has praised the ESF for setting the important goal of expanding educational opportunities for those in professional sport and to use those skills to get back into alternative employment when they leave their respective sports.

He said: "it is vital to help them (sports people) make the most of their full potential and also to prepare them better for life outside sport"

Commenting on the work of the Educational Sports Forum at Oxford Brookes University in November 2006, Alan Irwin, ESF Secretary said:

"It is our stated aim, in setting up the ESF, to support people working in the sports industry, at whatever level, engaged in whatever jobs, with good quality educational advice and guidance. There is a common perception in public view that our national sports people are operating in a world that offers them a celebrity lifestyle and the earnings commensurate with that lifestyle. For many athletes and of course, not forgetting those working in the industry, week in week out, that simply isn't the case. These are ordinary workers getting average earnings and all too often nothing to look forward to when they get injured, retire, get sacked. Those issues need to be addressed and education and training is the obvious vehicle to do that and we are going to do our best to meet that challenge in the years ahead".

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