With the World Cup just days away, bosses across the country are bracing themselves for a sudden wave of "sickness" from football-mad staff.

Colleges are also likely to find students thinner on the ground too, with matches scheduled for 2pm, 3pm and 5pm before the end of term.

But tutors on one Midland course won't be worrying about that - in fact they'll be positively encouraging it.

Yesterday saw the start of a year-long study programme at Warwick University's Business School for trainee football managers.

The group of 17 students contains some major figures from the footballing world, including former England players Les Ferdinand, Paul Ince and Steve Hodge.

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson's son Darren is also on the Certificate in Applied Management course.

Part of their studies will involve examining the leadership styles of football managers on the world's biggest soccer stage.

The course, which is backed by the Professional Footballers' Association, the League Managers' Association and the Football Association, aims to give students the skills needed to survive in one of the toughest jobs on the planet. Programme director Dr Sue Bridgewater said: "Since we began working with the LMA, PFA and FA in March 2002, the world of the football manager seems to have become even tougher.

"Finances are tighter than ever. If anything the media spotlight has intensified and the fans still expect success, right now, whatever pressures the club may be under."

With football clubs increasingly resembling bluechip corporations, the need for managers to have top-notch business skills is becoming ever apparent.

Warwick University was appointed because of its business school's worldbeating reputation.

PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor said: "The high profile nature of the industry now requires that players considering a career in football management need high quality management training."

John Barnwell, chief executive of the LMA, added aptitude on the pitch was not enough for players to make the switch to management.

"It is extremely difficult to make this move without formal training," he said. "All future managers should have advanced coaching licences and go through this management course."

The course already has one high-profile graduate in Manchester City boss Stuart Pearce who has been tipped as a future England manager.

But Dr Bridgewater stressed the programme was not attempting to create cloned managers.

"We are not trying to build a 'designer football manager', nor could we if we tried," she said.

"It is crucial in today's environment, though, that football managers can motivate players on the pitch and have a toolkit of management skills to help them with all aspects of the job."

The course, which began this week with a one-week residential, has not been totally without its World Cup disruption though.

A spokesman for the university revealed the induction had to be cut short to ensure students were able to make it home in time for England's first match at 2pm on Saturday.