The FA Cup semi-final Manchester derby at Wembley will be the biggest, most expensive security operation ever for a domestic game.
More than 35,000 supporters from each club will travel for a game to be played on the weekend of April 16-17.
And there will be an extra headache for police if the game is on the Sunday - which it will be if City reach the Europa League quarter-finals and play the Thursday before - because it will be the same day as the London Marathon and Arsenal's Barclays Premier League clash with Liverpool. The operation will involve Scotland Yard, Greater Manchester Police and British Transport Police.
A Scotland Yard source said: 'From a security point of view, this is a complete nightmare. It will cost millions of pounds.
Farewell ‘Eastlands’: Town hall bosses let City search for sponsors to rename stadium
Manchester City have been given permission by town hall bosses to sell the naming rights to Eastlands.
The Blues are hoping to seal a multi-million pound megadeal by renaming the stadium.
But they needed approval from Manchester council, which owns the former Commonwealth Games stadium.
Despite town hall chiefs remaining tight-lipped, it is understood City have now secured their approval to search for a sponsor for Eastlands – which is still officially called the City of Manchester Stadium.
Such a deal is seen as a way for City to boost revenues in a bid to meet Uefa’s financial fair play rules.
Under the new rules, clubs playing in Europe need to be close to breaking even within three years. Last year the Blues posted a record loss of £121m.
It’s understood the council would also benefit from any deal.
City’s Premier League rivals Arsenal sold the rights to their stadium to the Emirates airline for around £100m in 2006. That deal runs until 2021.
City will not reveal who their likely sponsors would be, and a club source said that no deal had yet been made. But it is likely that City’s shirt sponsors Etihad, a rival airline to Emirates, will be frontrunners. The news comes after the M.E.N. revealed that City had negotiated a new lease on Eastlands last year.
They moved there from Maine Road in 2003 and signed a 250-year agreement which saw a percentage of match-day income paid into the town hall coffers.
Under the new lease, City will pay the council a set rate, regardless of attendances.
Earlier this month, the M.E.N. also revealed that City have entered into a partnership with the council and regeneration firm New East Manchester to transform the area around Eastlands.Work is currently going on at the side of the stadium ahead of the huge redevelopment.
Proposals include a new training complex for City’s players and a host of world-class sports facilities. No official line has emerged on whether the capacity of Eastlands will be increased from its current 47,000.
But it is understood club bosses are looking at increasing it to between 65,000-75,000 which would see the ground rival Old Trafford in size.
How do Manchester City stand with regards to UEFA’s pending ruling
It is likely that in 2013 UEFA will implement a new set of fair play rules. UEFA will stipulate clubs to be more self-sufficient. The result will be that clubs with the largest revenues will be able to spend the most money. This has been seen, in many ways, as a fair system and will prevent rich owners from dramatically changing the face of a domestic football league.
This has been seen in England in the last ten years with the extravagant spending by Chelsea and Manchester City. Roman Abramovich and Sheikh Mansour are among the richest men in the world and have had a dramatic effect on English football.
What I want to look at here is the revenue stream of Manchester City. Why is revenue important? It is that figure that will dictate how much money clubs will be able to spend in the future.
Total Revenue (£m)
2010
1 R. Madrid 438.6
2 Barcelona 398.1
3 Man Utd. 349.8
4 Bayern 323
5 Arsenal 274.1
6 Chelsea 255.9
7 Milan 235.8
8 Liverpool 225.3
9 Inter 224.8
10 Juventus 205
11 Man City 152.8
12 Tottenham 146.3
13 Hamburg 146.2
14 Lyon 146.1
15 Marseille 141.1
Manchester City now sit at 11thin the Deloitte Money League, where as in 2005 they did not feature in the top 20. Manchester City may have spent as a vast amount of money in the last few years but the revenue of the club has grown in this time. One reason for this is their massive increase in commercial revenue.
When comparing the data of commercial revenue from 2005 and 2010, you will notice that Manchester City have overtaken a hugely successful club; Arsenal.
Commercial Revenue 2005 (£m) Commercial Revenue 2010 (£m)
Arsenal 29.7 Man City 46.7
Man City 19.7 Arsenal 44
The commercial revenue of Manchester City has more than doubled in the last year. Firstly, since their take-over, Manchester City have established many new links with businesses in the Middle East. But secondly, like Real Madrid, their profile has also been increased by some serious spending on players. What this shows is that, although Man City may be currently spending much, much more than they make, their revenue is increasing as a result of their increased spending.
This growth in revenue is not restricted to commercial deals alone. Manchester City’s match-day revenue has also flourished in the last year. The average home attendance in 2010 was 6% larger than it was in 2009. This is no doubt, in part, due to big name signings. Emmanuel Adebayor, Yaya Toure, James Milner, David Silva, Carlos Tevez, Joleon Lescott, Mario Ballotelli and Edin Dzeko have all played for Manchester city in 2010, and cost over £20m.
Manchester City have increased their total revenue by 50% in the last year, despite playing in the second tiered European competition. Champions League football would see Manchester City increase their revenue on match-days (there would be more home games and more sell-out games) as well as give them a huge boost in broadcasting rights and commercial deals.
Furthermore, in Eastlands, they have a more recently developed stadium .This could play a huge role in Manchester City attaining self-sufficiency.
This task would be large, but not and while it might not be foreseeable within the next five years, it could be realised eventually. This may hinge, most importantly, on Champions League qualification as well as success in other competitions over the next five seasons.
The biggest worry for a club like Manchester City will be that the FIFA rules will require a club to become ‘self-sufficient’. This will mean that Manchester City will either have to dramatically increase their current revenue or reduce their current costs. But until the new sanctions take place Manchester City’s spending will spending will create an increase in the club’s total revenue.
WAG OF THE DAY
Keeping in line with our recent Italian theme this week we present to you Ilary Blasi.
The 30 year old won’t have a problem with us gawking at her as she is probably use to it by now given that she has been in the spotlight more or less all of her life.
A show girl, model and TV presenter Blasi was also a child star on Italian screens as early as 3 years of age.
The Rome born stunner married Francesco Totti in 2005 so give it up lads but maybe the lovely lady we bring you next week will give us more of a chance!
OTHER BOLLOX
Manchester United plan to sign 20-year-old Atletico Madrid keeper David de Gea as a £15m replacement for Edwin van der Sar, who intends to retire at the end of the season. Daily Mail
Tottenham are weighing up Bolton's 25-year-old centre-back Gary Cahill, who was a transfer target for Arsenal in January. Metro
Chelsea are considering a swoop for AC Milan's veteran midfielder Massimo Ambrosini. The 33-year-old Italian's contract is coming to an end in the summer. insidefutbol.com
Newcastle United midfielder Danny Guthrie is wanted by Nottingham Forest, with the Championship side keen to sign the 23-year-old on loan. Daily Mirror
Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand, currently injured, has been told he will carry on as England skipper, despite reports at the weekend that Chelsea's John Terry would be returning to the role. An England source revealed: "Rio had a conversation with [England assistant boss] Franco Baldini and was reassured he would continue as captain once he is fit." the Sun
Former Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit is concerned about the mental state of manager Arsene Wenger's players. The 40-year-old Frenchman said: "There seems to be a curse around the club at the moment. Arsenal's key players seem to be cracking up." the Sun
Another former Gunners star Perry Groves has urged Wenger to fire up his second-placed team to win the Premier League title following crushing defeats in the Carling Cup final, Champions League and FA Cup. Groves said: "Wenger has to pull them into a meeting on Monday morning and try to create a siege mentality and say no-one thinks we can do it." talksport.co.uk
Argentina's 1978 World Cup-winning coach Cesar Luis Menotti is in hospital with a lung infection. Several ex-players have sent messages of support to the 72-year-old, who is known as El Flaco (the Slim One). Daily Mail
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson watched his youth team overcome Liverpool 3-2 in the FA Youth Cup quarter-final on Sunday as two players from each team were sent off. the Sun
Aston Villa chief scout Jeff Vetere, credited for helping to secure Darren Bent's transfer from Sunderland, is quitting his job after only three months in the job. Daily Mirror
Manchester United's 40-year-old goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar is flattered by fans' calls for him to continue at the club for another year but the Dutch star will retire at the end of the season because he wants to go out at the top. the Guardian
Crystal Palace manager Dougie Freedman has introduced twice-weekly yoga sessions to the club in a bid to help players mentally and physically. "We don't do it because Ryan Giggs does it," he insists. Daily Mirror
more bollox later ...
