League Managers Association
The League Managers Association is the professional membership body representing football managers across English football, providing collective representation, education, welfare support, and personal development services to 750+ members from the Premier League, EFL, women's professional game, and overseas leagues.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1992
- HeadquartersBurton Upon Trent, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What League Managers Association does
The League Managers Association (LMA) is the professional membership body representing football managers across the English professional game, with origins dating to 1919 and its modern form established in 1992. It is a not-for-profit association serving 750+ members, including managers in the Premier League, EFL, Women's Super League and other professional tiers, as well as 100+ members working overseas. The LMA operates from St. George's Park, the National Football Centre, and delivers four principal service lines: (1) collective representation and individual support (legal, welfare, mental health, personal development), (2) education and qualifications via the LMA Institute of Leadership and High Performance (including the University of Liverpool-accredited LMA Diploma), (3) member events and recognition (the annual LMA Awards, the annual conference drawing 350+ attendees, and Performance Experiences at elite venues), and (4) charitable activity through In The Game.
The LMA monetises through three streams: individual membership dues, commercial partnerships with a roster of tier-one sponsors (including Nike, Barclays, Sky Bet, Guinness, Sky Sports, Vitality, and HCA Healthcare UK), and fees from educational programmes and events. Its digital offering, the LMA Online Platform, hosts 1000+ articles and 150+ filmed interviews. Recent product extensions include the LMA Coaches Association (LCA), launched in 2023 to serve the wider coaching workforce, and the LMA Awards Addition (LAA). Structural partnerships with the Premier League, EFL, FA and PFA anchor its institutional standing, while a new Technical Exchange Programme with U.S. Soccer marks its first formalised international initiative. No public financials are disclosed and the organisation is governed as a membership association rather than a commercial enterprise.
League Managers Association firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- League Managers Association
- Legal name
- League Managers Association
- Website
- https://leaguemanagers.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1992
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The League Managers Association is the professional membership body representing football managers across English football, providing collective representation, education, welfare support, and personal development services to 750+ members from the Premier League, EFL, women's professional game, and overseas leagues.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
League Managers Association industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Sports Association Services
- NAICS
- Sports Teams and Clubs (711211)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Association Football (Soccer) Leagues (MPAKAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Career, Purpose & Executive Wellbeing Coaching (EDABANAI)
Keywords
Where League Managers Association is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Burton Upon Trent
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
League Managers Association business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Dues: The LMA represents all managers, past and present, from the Premier League, Sky Bet Championship, Sky Bet League One, Sky Bet League Two, Barclays WSL and Barclays WSL 2. The association is supported by commercial partnerships and delivers services funded through membership and commercial relationships.
- Commercial Partnerships: The LMA builds and delivers strong commercial relationships with trusted partners and sponsors, including Premier League, Nike, Sky Sports, HCA Healthcare UK, and other corporate partners.
- Educational Programmes: The LMA Institute delivers vocational education including the LMA Diploma in Football Management (delivered in partnership with University of Liverpool and PFA), postgraduate awards, and short courses. These programmes provide academic credits and professional development.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
League Managers Association product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The League Managers Association is the collective, representative voice of football managers in England's professional leagues (Premier League, Sky Bet Championship, Sky Bet League One, Sky Bet League Two, Barclays WSL and Barclays WSL 2). It provides world-class personal and professional support services including professional representation to governing bodies, mental health and wellbeing programmes, legal services, career development, and an internationally recognised education institute delivering university-accredited qualifications and short courses.
Product overview
The League Managers Association offers a unified platform of professional development services for football managers and coaches through the LMA Institute of Leadership and High Performance. The portfolio comprises a structured educational pathway including the flagship LMA Diploma in Football Management and LMA Postgraduate Award in Strategic Leadership (both university-accredited partnerships with Liverpool and PFA), complemented by a suite of 12-week online programmes: LMA Lead (leadership), LMA Perform (mental health and resilience), LMA & LCA Coach (skill acquisition), and LMA Mentor (mentoring skills). Additional offerings include LCA Care (trauma-informed safeguarding), in-person Masterclasses, Webinars, Performance Experiences visiting elite sports organizations, and the Annual Leadership & Wellbeing Conference. Supporting resources include The Manager Journal (quarterly publication), Personal Development Guides, and the Online Platform containing 1000+ articles and 150+ video interviews.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- LMA Institute of Leadership and High Performance: The LMA's commitment to ongoing personal and professional development of its members, the managers and coaches, in professional football in England. Established in 2012, it provides education, qualifications, and support services.
- In The Game
- League Coaches Association (LCA)
- League Administrators Association (LAA)
Products and services
- LMA Institute of Leadership and High Performance The LMA's umbrella organisation for personal and professional development of football managers and coaches in England, established in 2012 and based at St George's Park. It coordinates the diploma, postgraduate, short courses, masterclasses, webinars, and conferences.
- LMA Diploma in Football Management Flagship university-accredited qualification launched at Warwick Business School in 2002, now delivered in partnership with University of Liverpool and PFA, providing vocationally relevant education for football managers with 277 graduates to date.
- LMA Lead
Companies that use League Managers Association
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
League Managers Association technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
League Managers Association partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Premier LeaguecoreThe Premier League supports the LMA and is a key stakeholder in English football. The LMA represents managers' interests to the Premier League, and the Premier League supports initiatives including the League Coaches Association (LCA) and League Administrators Association (LAA). The Premier League logo appears on LMA awards and materials.
- University of LiverpoolcoreDelivers the LMA Diploma in Football Management and the LMA Postgraduate Award in Strategic Leadership in partnership with the University of Liverpool. The programmes provide Level 6 Higher Education credits and masters-level academic accreditation.
- Professional Footballers' Association (PFA)corePartners with the LMA in delivering the Diploma in Football Management programme. The LMA Diploma was launched at Warwick Business School in 2002 and is now delivered in partnership with University of Liverpool and PFA.
- HCA Healthcare UKmajorLead event partner for the LMA Annual Leadership & Wellbeing Conference. Supports the exploration of themes of performance, wellbeing and leadership in the annual conference.
- League Coaches Association (LCA)coreThe LCA represents individuals working in coaching, scouting, analysis and strategic roles within professional football. Launched in 2023 and supported by the Premier League. The LMA and LCA share educational programmes including LMA & LCA Coach and LCA Care.
- League Administrators Association (LAA)coreThe LAA provides personal and professional support to football administrators. Supported by the LMA and the Premier League, based at St George's Park.
- NHS Greater Manchester - Shining a Light on SuicidemajorLong-term partnership (started 2021) with Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham and NHS Greater Manchester's suicide prevention campaign. The partnership involves LMA members promoting suicide prevention training, with 50+ managers participating in awareness campaigns.
- Premier RelocationminorInternational development partner supporting LMA members with relocation services when moving overseas for coaching positions.
- NikemajorCommercial partner supporting LMA events and initiatives. Nike sponsors the LMA Elite Summit and provides Q&A sessions with football figures.
- Sky BetmajorSponsor of Championship Manager of the Year, League One Manager of the Year, and League Two Manager of the Year awards.
- BarclaysmajorSponsor of Premier League Manager of the Year, Women's Super League Manager of the Year, and Women's Super League 2 Manager of the Year awards.
- GuinnessminorCommercial partner of the League Managers Association.
- Sky SportsminorCommercial partner of the League Managers Association.
- VitalityminorCommercial partner providing health and wellbeing support to LMA members.
- St. George's ParkcoreThe National Football Centre, home to all 23 of England's national football teams. The LMA moved its headquarters here in 2012 and uses the facility for events, masterclasses, and educational programmes.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights5 records
League Managers Association competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- FIFPro: Global footballers' union representing 65+ national player associations; functional equivalent of the LMA at international level for players. Comparable in its membership/collective-bargaining model, education initiatives, and commercial sponsorship strategy, and a useful benchmark for what an international LMA franchise could look like.
- Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP): Global membership organisation for professional men's tennis players that combines governance, events, awards, education and commercial partnerships. Strong structural analogue to the LMA as a sport-specific member association running an awards calendar, commercial sponsor portfolio and player-development programmes.
- League Coaches Association (LCA): Spin-off of the LMA launched in 2023 with Premier League support, representing coaches, scouts, analysts and strategists in English professional football. Operates in the same association/membership-services model, shares educational programmes, and is the closest operational peer.
- NHL Coaches Association: US-based coaches' association for NHL head and assistant coaches. Functions as a trade body providing member services, advocacy and professional development — directly comparable to the LMA's role for football managers in England.
- National Basketball Coaches Association (NBCA): US-based association for NBA, WNBA, G League and college basketball coaches; delivers education, awards, advocacy and member services. Closest international parallel to the LMA's coach-specific association model with comparable awards, education products and membership-services structure.
- Professional Footballers' Association (PFA): The UK players' union representing professional footballers; the most direct functional analogue to the LMA for managers, operating the same model of mandatory membership, commercial partnerships, education programmes, and collective representation to The FA, Premier League and EFL. Already an LMA partner (joint delivery of the Diploma in Football Management).
Others
- World Players Association: Umbrella body representing player associations globally across multiple sports; adjacent rather than directly competing, but relevant as a potential partner or benchmark for the LMA's international expansion ambitions.
Broad incumbents
- The Football Association (FA): The English football governing body that the LMA engages with on behalf of members. Not a peer by product, but a key counterparty and ecosystem anchor whose policies and decisions materially shape the LMA's operating context.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
League Managers Association social profiles
Digital presenceLeague Managers Association financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
League Managers Association leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
League Managers Association funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
League Managers Association M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about League Managers Association
What does League Managers Association do?
The League Managers Association is the collective, representative voice of football managers in England's professional leagues (Premier League, Sky Bet Championship, Sky Bet League One, Sky Bet League Two, Barclays WSL and Barclays WSL 2). It provides world-class personal and professional support services including professional representation to governing bodies, mental health and wellbeing programmes, legal services, career development, and an internationally recognised education institute delivering university-accredited qualifications and short courses.
Is League Managers Association a public or private company?
League Managers Association is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was League Managers Association founded?
League Managers Association was founded in 1992. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is League Managers Association based?
League Managers Association is headquartered in Burton Upon Trent, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does League Managers Association make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Membership Dues are the primary driver. The others are commercial Partnerships and educational Programmes.
Who are League Managers Association's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are FIFPro, Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), League Coaches Association (LCA), NHL Coaches Association, National Basketball Coaches Association (NBCA) and Professional Footballers' Association (PFA). World Players Association is listed as an others. The Football Association (FA) is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does League Managers Association have an API?
No public API is recorded for League Managers Association.
What industry is League Managers Association in?
League Managers Association's product category is Professional Sports Association Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAKAAAA, Association Football (Soccer) Leagues, with a secondary code of EDABANAI, Career, Purpose & Executive Wellbeing Coaching. Its NAICS code is 711211 and its SIC code is 8600.