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Manchester City seek United States tour to promote their brand
• They want to tap into the lucrative American market
• And compete with Mancherster United for global popularity


Manchester City have held talks about a summer tour of the United States as part of their next step towards establishing a global brand and gaining ground on Manchester United's worldwide popularity.

Despite the greater financial rewards on offer in the far east and the club's links to Abu Dhabi, City are keen to tap into the American market and have not been discouraged by the relative failure of United and Chelsea to "break" the country on recent tours.

Talks are only at a preliminary stage but the club's chief executive, Garry Cook, is keen to explore possible ways of increasing City's American fan base in a World Cup year when the US national team have been drawn to play England in the opening group. Cook previously worked as a marketing executive at Nike headquarters in Portland, Oregon, and there have been talks about staging one of the games in the city. New York and Philadelphia are also under consideration.

City chose to tour South Africa last summer and played the United Arab Emirates national team during a training camp in Abu Dhabi, the home of their owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in November. When Cook addressed fans during that trip to the Middle East he spoke of City being "not just a Manchester club but a worldwide club" and he wants to act on that by promoting them in areas of the world where they may not be widely known.

United had only limited success when they made a concerted effort to win over the US with summer tours in 2003 and 2004, and have since reverted to pre-season matches in the Far East to safeguard their enormous popularity in that part of the world. Chelsea have also struggled to have a sustained impact among American sports fans but it is a country that is taking an increased interest in the Premier League and City's immense wealth has given them a new profile worldwide. The club's marketing department were delighted, for instance, to find that the infamous Welcome to Manchester billboard they erected in the city centre after Carlos Tevez's signing, with the intention of antagonising United, attracted publicity as far afield as the US, Australia and China.

City have offered Martin Petrov a new contract and are encouraged by the way the negotiations have gone with the Bulgaria international. The deadline-day signing of Adam Johnson and Craig Bellamy's impressive form have increased the competition on the left side of attack but Robinho has made it clear he does not want to return to Manchester after his six-month loan spell with Santos and the manager, Roberto Mancini, is keen to keep the 31-year-old Petrov, who is out of contract at the end of the season and eligible to speak to potential buyers.

dtduffy wrote:Please come to the US. Baltimore or DC would be great, if they could play at the new stadium in Philly or at the Linc it would be awesome too. Basically the closest they come to DC is the game that I will come to.

Fish111 wrote:I would have thought the Asian market is the one to crack rather than the USA, they are football mad over there but in the states football will never compete with the established sports and anyone who thinks otherwise is deluding themselves. It'll be a nice holiday for the lads though and enables the ex-pat blues to see the boys in action.

Renato_CTID wrote:Sorry with all dear Mancunian fans living in USA but I really don't believe this long trip could take advantage to City squad!
First we'd have to prepare a very hard and long season in Europe, may be in Champions League with a too early delicate game.
Last but not least USA most popular squad sports will be baseball, basket, football or hockey for a long long time again!
My own opinion is Garry Cook knows very well this potential market but Man City needs much more to expand his brand to some European countries.
How many European fans of football usually think there's only a squad in Manchester and it's not ours?

ryanmjo wrote:I concede I'm quite biased as I live in the States, but I don't think them touring here would be so bad. Look at the squad they could put out (of non World Cup players)
Given
Richards- Onouha - Boyata- Garrido
Johnson - Ireland - Kompany- Weiss
Adebayor- Bellamy

Bit of a different set up, but still, that's hardly a reserve squad.

And again, they wouldn't be playing against American squads most likely, they would find 3 other teams from Europe to tour with.

Ted Hughes wrote:Then the rags will turn up with a full strength team the year after & blow us out of the water with Rooney & co playing to full houses.

ant london wrote:

ryanmjo wrote:I concede I'm quite biased as I live in the States, but I don't think them touring here would be so bad. Look at the squad they could put out (of non World Cup players)
Given
Richards- Onouha - Boyata- Garrido
Johnson - Ireland - Kompany- Weiss
Adebayor- Bellamy

Bit of a different set up, but still, that's hardly a reserve squad.

And again, they wouldn't be playing against American squads most likely, they would find 3 other teams from Europe to tour with.

You are biased but you do have a good point

I actually agree....with the exception of Vlad Weiss who will definitely be going to the World Cup with his dad (the Slovakian coach!)....that's the whole reason he's on loan to Bolton. You could have people like Mak, Ibrahim and Etuhu featuring in midfield though.

That's still a team that could see off most Premiership opposition so should be enough to turn an MLS team over I'd say