Yesterday at Warwick University under the tutelage of Acting FA Technical Director Les Reed, the third UEFA Pro Licence course kicked off, with the purpose of improving the coaching and managing of elite teams of players in English football.

The 2002 Pro Licence course included England national coaches David Platt, Stuart Baxter, Hope Powell and John McDermott, and they will all graduate from the course on Wednesday 25th June.

The class of 2003 includes Wales Manager Mark Hughes, England national coaches Paul Bracewell and John Peacock, John Carver of Newcastle United and former Everton and Republic of Ireland winger Kevin Sheedy, now at Hartlepool United.

The FA Coaching Diploma also at Warwick University will include Peter Reid, Steve McClaren, Gary McAllister, David O'Leary and Steve Bruce.

The UEFA Pro Licence is now the mandatory qualification in all the major footballing countries, particularly with regard to the proposed requirements for clubs to enter the UEFA Champions League from 2004 onwards.

The FA Premier League has also stipulated that all Head Coaches must be working towards the FA Coaching Diploma or UEFA Pro Licence by 2003/04, and hold the Pro Licence by 2010.

The UEFA Pro Licence is for the cream of the current crop of British coaches, and international coaching icons such as Sir Bobby Robson, Sir Alex Ferguson and Fabio Capello have all passed on their own pearls of wisdom to those on the previous Pro Licence courses organised by The FA.

This year's course will feature workshops on Fitness and Conditioning, Finance and Agents, Time Management and the Importance of Youth Development, and will include keynote presentations by former Arsenal and England Coach Don Howe, Bayern Munich's Director of Youth Development Werner Kern, and Australian Olympic Hockey winning coach Rick Charlesworth.

After this residential stay, all Pro Licence students will continue their education via Distance Learning lectures and undertake an overseas training and coaching visit, before attending a final residential course in the summer of 2004.

Talking about the importance of the UEFA Pro Licence for English football, Les Reed told TheFA.com:

"I am really pleased to be inducting the third group of students onto the UEFA Pro Licence course. The first two courses have been very successful and the feedback from those coaches has been invaluable in refining the course.

"The FA are now close to having an all-qualified staff at FA Premier League level, and significant inroads are being made in having an all-qualified coaching profession in all leagues in this country.

"This development of a strong team of enthusiastic and highly qualified British coaches will go a long way to placing English football at the forefront of the world's game."

Alex Stone 

2003 UEFA Pro Licence Intake:

Mark Bowen (Birmingham City), Paul Bracewell (The FA), John Carver (Newcastle United), Stephen Constantine (India Football Federation), Kevin Dillon (Reading), Iain Dowie (Oldham Athletic), Wally Downes (Brentford), David Geddis (Newcastle United), Joe Jordan, Nicky Law (Bradford City), Brian Laws (Scunthorpe United), Neil McDonald (Bolton Wanderers), Richard Money (AIK Solna), Tony Mowbray (Ipswich Town), Sean O'Driscoll (Bournemouth), John Peacock (The FA), Geoff Pike (PFA), Steve Round (Middlesbrough), Kevin Sheedy (Hartlepool United), Paul Simpson, Steve Walford (Celtic), Mark Hughes (Welsh FA)

2003 FA Coaching Diploma Intake:

Micky Adams (Leicester City), Keith Alexander (Lincoln City), Kevan Broadhurst (Northampton Town), Steve Bruce (Birmingham City), Chris Coleman (Fulham), Andy Hessenthaler (Gillingham), Glynn Hodges (Barnsley), Ian Holloway (QPR), Paul Jewell (Wigan Athletic), Andy King (Swindon Town), Gary McAllister (Coventry City), Steve McClaren (and Pro Licence - Middlesbrough), Gary Megson (WBA), Ronnie Moore (Rotherham), Mike Newell, Rob Newman (Southend United), David O’Leary (Aston Villa), Andrew Preece (Bury), Peter Reid (Leeds United), Michael Tait (Darlington Town)

TheFA.com will bring you more news from Warwick University during the next week.

For feedback from 2002's UEFA Pro Licence students, click here.