Stats Perform and Birkbeck University to Deliver Online Football Analytics Course This Spring

For a fourth year running, Stats Perform has teamed up with Birkbeck, University of London, to deliver a dedicated football analytics module as part of the university’s Sport Management and Business of Football postgraduate programme.

Launching at the beginning of the 2022 summer semester, this online module comprises weekly lectures led by industry professionals with first-hand experience of implementing data and analytical processes within the sport.

Ben Mackriell, Stats Perform VP for Data, AI & Pro Products, said: “We are very happy to be continuing our collaboration with Birkbeck, which we first announced back in 2018. The aim of the course is to outline the core fundamentals around football analytics, taking into account the rapidly evolving data landscape for clubs and practitioners. This is being driven by our knowledge of data application and technological advances, facilitated through AI and Machine Learning, which is enabling clubs to leverage new predictive models trained on millions of data points from thousands of matches.”

Over the course of eight weeks, the course will provide an introduction to core analytical approaches and concepts relevant to the professional football industry, with a particular focus on the application of these concepts in day-to-day tasks and in long-term strategic planning.

Over the course of the term, students will be introduced to different analytical technologies, the value of both qualitative and quantitative data, data visualisation, and best practice for applying data in a range of football performance and football business scenarios.

“By delivering this course remotely, we can provide Birkbeck’s MSc students and industry practitioners, based around the world, with an ideal opportunity to obtain new insights into understanding analytical concepts which can be of benefit to their future careers,” Mackriell said.

Dr. Giambattista Rossi, Lecturer, Department of Management at Birkbeck, University of London, noted: “This module has proved increasingly popular with our students year-on-year, so I am very pleased that we will be partnering again with Stats Perform for a fourth consecutive summer.

“By involving different experts during each lecture, our enrolled MSc students will get the opportunity to develop a detailed understanding of the core fundamentals of applied football analytics. Our online portal can also provide the perfect teaching and studying environment for data analysts who are looking to further develop their skills via remote learning.”