League Managers Association

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.

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

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

• Professional football association
• Manager development programmes
• Sports leadership education
• Football management training
• Mental wellbeing support

Headquarters

HQ city

Burton Upon Trent

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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

Core 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

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Premier LeaguecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe 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 LiverpoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDelivers 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)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners 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 UKmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerLead 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)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe 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)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe 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 SuicidemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-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 RelocationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational development partner supporting LMA members with relocation services when moving overseas for coaching positions.
• NikemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommercial partner supporting LMA events and initiatives. Nike sponsors the LMA Elite Summit and provides Q&A sessions with football figures.
• Sky BetmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Championship Manager of the Year, League One Manager of the Year, and League Two Manager of the Year awards.
• BarclaysmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor 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.
• GuinnessminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommercial partner of the League Managers Association.
• Sky SportsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommercial partner of the League Managers Association.
• VitalityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommercial partner providing health and wellbeing support to LMA members.
• St. George's ParkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe 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

Direct 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

• Xx.com/LeagueManagers
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@LMAManagerJournal
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/league-managers-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about League Managers Association