THE BUSINESS OF FOOTBALL

Where: The Open University How long: Five hours a week; three weeks Why we like it: Because we’re torn between the notion that footballers are overpaid layabouts and that they are the world’s finest athletes whose massive pay packets are driven by market forces. This course delves into the nitty-gritty of football clubs’ business models, the commercial expansion of the game, and it might even explain why the replica Manchester United kit your 12-year-old wants costs as much as a night at the Burj Al Arab.