Best Football Universities- Football has been the most popular sport in the UK since the 1860s. Other sports that are popular in the kingdom are rugby and cricket. Lovers of sports, especially football, have their weekends made up with various games scheduled to be played across the top leagues in the Kingdom like the Premier League, Scottish Premiership, National League, League Two, etc.

Best Football Universities

The presence of football can be felt everywhere in the Kingdom. This is why schools in the UK valued sports development in all aspects. There is some University that is ahead of others in ensuring that their students get involved actively in the footballing business in the UK. They have a football team (both for make and females) with a top-notch pitch or stadium.

It is important to note that British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) is the governing body for the sports field at the university level. Also, there are over 150 men’s and 450 women’s teams taking part in the annual championships that are organized for free by BUCS. The body also hosts trophy competitions where a lot of players show their excellence and techniques in the game.

International students who are nursing the ambition of joining one of these schools to participate in their sporting activities while studying can check out one of the top Football Universities in the UK for international students explored in this article.

1. Cardiff Metropolitan University

Cardiff Metropolitan is one of the Best Football Universities in the United Kingdom, with top-notch sports facilities. The school is spread across three campuses in Wales, with around 12,000 students from 140 different countries currently enrolled. It is famous for sports, business, and arts. It was originally founded in 1865 but became an independent university from the University of Wales in 2011. It is the 79th best school in the 2021 Times University Guide.

UK Football Schools has seven Cardiff-based football teams taking part in BUCS competitions, plus a football team for computing and business studies undergraduates at its London School of Commerce, which plays in BUCS’s London league. Cardiff Metropolitan University first and second teams are highly rated in the BUSC leagues and among other leagues in Wales.

2. Durham University

Among the best football or sports universities in the UK is Durham University. The school was awarded the Times and the Sunday Times Sports University of the Year for 2015. It is one of the oldest universities in the UK and was founded in 1832. It currently houses over 19,000 students across its 17 colleges in England. Durham has five football teams and men’s and women’s futsal (association football played on hardcourt) teams. Both male and female teams have laurel in their cabinets – the male team won Men’s Premier North League in 2015 while the female first team won the Women’s Premier North League in 2016.

3. Hartpury College

This sports specialized school is among the best football universities in the UK. It was established in 1947 and is located in Gloucestershire, England. The school is affiliated with the University of the West of England (UWE) and currently enrolled over 3,000. It is highly specialized in providing degree courses and other qualifications in sports and animal, land, and equine studies.

There are four football teams and teams for futsal at Hartpury College. Their students have been able to play professionally across the countries in the world like America, Russia, Ghana, etc, and have links with clubs like Swindon Town, Forest Green, Bristol City, Exeter City, Newport County, Super-Mare, Gloucester City, and others. Hartpury College was the BUCS National Men’s Premier League titleholder from 2004 to 2007 and their women’s team is also strong as well.

 4.  Leeds Beckett University (LBU)

Leeds Beckett University formerly known as Leeds Metropolitan University is one of the most popular universities in the UK with a history dating back almost 200 years. It is also one of the best sports schools for international students in the UK. It currently enrolled up to 28, 000 students, and some of the courses it offers include arts, design, architecture, business, engineering, psychology, film, law, journalism, nursing, health, sports, hospitality, etc.

Leeds Beckett FC has four men’s football teams and three women’s football teams plus two men’s and two women’s futsal teams. All their teams participate in BUCS competitions. LBU is known for opportunities for students to take football coaching courses in addition to a degree and runs programs on which students can coach local school children.

5. Northumbria University

Northumbria University is one of the UK’s largest and most successful universities, with about 26,000 students enrolled from over 140 countries. Its famous courses are Design, Physics, Nursing Science, etc. Northumbria University is among the best sports universities in the UK and its football club called Team Northumbria was founded in 1999 as Northumbria University FC. It has remained a club to reckon with since inception, especially in the Northern League. It has five football teams and six futsal teams.

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6. University of South Wales (USW)

The University of South Wales is also one of the Best Football Universities, which was formed in 2013 from the merger of the University of Glamorgan and the University of Wales, Newport. It has three campuses in Cardiff, Newport, and Pontypridd. It is among the best football universities in the UK with 30,000 students enrolment of which 5,000 are international students from across 100 countries. It is famous for courses like Business, Engineering, and MBA.

The school’s football team is very strong. The men’s team broke Hartpury College’s eight-year stranglehold on the BUCS Men’s Championship and they have also gone from BUCS second league in 2009/2010 to BUCS Premier South Champions in 2015/2016. USW has two football men’s teams, two women’s teams as well as two men’s futsal teams.

Conclusion

Football is considered the most valuable sports in the UK and the universities and colleges make it a duty to provide facilities that will help support the round leather game. The British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) governs the affairs of football at the university level in the UK. International students who want schools that are well in football can pick from one of the best football universities in the UK explored above. We hope this article will help in deciding on your admission into a college or university in the UK.