The mancityfans.net football forum

Canada and the US. GOALS. Remarkable coincidence, the team being out there and all that

https://www.mancity.com/news/club-news/ ... nouncement

City Football Group announces joint venture with Goals Soccer Centres in US and Canada...
City Football Group (CFG) and Goals Soccer Centres (Goals) have today announced a joint venture which will see the Group team up with one of the world's largest and most popular operators of dedicated, 5-a-side pitches, to create and run leading playing and training facilities across the US and Canada.

The sites will all be jointly City and Goals branded, with the new identity to be launched later this year.

City Football Group is the owner of football-related businesses in major cities around the world, including football clubs, academies, and technical and marketing companies. The Group includes football clubs on five continents; Manchester City, New York City FC in the US, Melbourne City in Australia, Yokohama f Marinos in Japan and CA Torque in Uruguay.

The news comes as Pep Guardiola’s City side visits the US for the Club’s pre-season tour, with games in Houston, Los Angeles and Nashville.

New signing, Danilo, will join Leroy Sane, Yaya Toure and Nicolas Otamendi at one of Goals’ two existing US sites, in Pomona, CA, to launch the new partnership.

Ferran Soriano, Chief Executive of City Football Group, said: “This is a very exciting development for our plans in the US and Canada. Soccer is indisputably the world’s number one sport and growing fast in this region. We have an ambitious vision to help this growth, including our ownership of New York City FC in MLS and many other initiatives like the one we are announcing today.

“The best way for people to fall in love with soccer is by participating. There are a very large number of soccer players in the US and Canada, of all ages, and facilities, like the ones we have and will build, will help tremendously. At CFG we will bring our expertise from the professional game to help Americans play and improve at the sport they love.

“This initiative shows City Football Group’s continuing commitment to soccer in North America. This partnership with an excellent and recognised operator like Goals gives us the best opportunity to succeed.”

Nick Basing, Chairman of Goals said: “I am delighted we have concluded our new partnership with City Football Group which will transform the prospects to expand our North American estate.

“This is a transformational agreement for our Company to grow and strengthen the North American business. We are delighted to be partnered with a global leader in soccer and believe the combination will give us significant competitive advantage at a time when the emerging market is in its infancy.

Meanwhile here's the LA Times' take on our growing brand. Shame about the 2nd tier bit:

http://www.latimes.com/sports/soccer/la ... story.html

When Claudio Reyna played for Manchester City more than a decade ago, it was less a soccer club than a disaster.

Just two years removed from the second-tier Football League when Reyna arrived, City lost 48 times in his three full seasons there, narrowly escaping relegation again in 2006.

So it must have been a surprise for Reyna when he returned six years later, this time as an executive for the fledgling City Football Group, to find that the organization had become more a flourishing multinational corporation than a soccer club. A year after winning its first top-flight English title in 44 seasons, the team’s ownership created CFG and began expanding its brand to four continents.

It’s a model other European soccer clubs are now scrambling to follow because of the wide-ranging impact that goes beyond selling T-shirts and tickets.

“This is an evolution,” said Reyna, the sporting director for New York City FC, the group’s MLS affiliate.

“We’re already thinking ahead. We’re looking at what the football landscape’s going to be like in two or three years — globally, domestically in each of our leagues — and how we can get ahead of the competition.”

It’s part of a multibillion-dollar investment by City’s Abu Dhabi-based owners. And some of what that spending has bought will be on display Wednesday when Manchester City meets Real Madrid, winner of the last two Champions League crowns, in an exhibition at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

A crowd of more than 75,000 is expected for the 8 p.m. kickoff, according to event organizers.

Expanding payrolls and spiraling expenses have long required European teams to make summer barnstorming tours of the U.S. and Asia, where they briefly plant their flag, glad-hand some sponsors and pick up a few oversize checks. But lately even that hasn’t been enough to make ends meet.

So in 2014 German giant Bayern Munich opened a marketing office in New York, then added another in Asia following Bundesliga rival Borussia Dortmund, which had already set up shop in Singapore. FC Barcelona opened offices in Hong Kong and along New York’s Park Avenue, announced plans to fund a team in the National Women’s Soccer League and set up youth academies and clinics across the U.S.

Other teams have started similar projects or joined with existing clubs and academies in the U.S.

But Manchester City has been more ambitious. In 2013, it partnered with the New York Yankees on an MLS expansion team, New York City Football Club, and a year later it acquired, then rebranded, one of the two Melbourne teams in Australia’s A-league. That same year CFG joined automaker Nissan in the ownership group of the Yokohama Marinos of Japan’s J-League, and last April it bought second-division Uruguayan side Atletico Torque.

China is the next likely destination.

CFG has also invested heavily in its women’s affiliate, which the group formally took under its wing in 2012, moving the team into its 7,000-seat academy stadium, then this year signing U.S. star Carli Lloyd, a two-time world player of the year.

“If you look at all the top European clubs, most of them would say that they have a global fan base,” said Omar Berrada, CFG’s commercial chief, who puts City’s support at 400 million fans worldwide. “What’s different and unique about the City Football Group is the fact that we are able to have a permanent presence in key strategic markets that allow us to engage with the fans on a year-long basis, even though Manchester City itself is not there.

“This is really a model that hasn’t been implemented before.”

The three first-division teams fully owned by the group share more than just the City name, though. They also share similar crests, blue-and-white team colors, sponsorship opportunities and an attractive, possession-driven playing style. The synergies go beyond that to include marketing, scouting and player development, even architecture: When New York City FC announced plans to build a sprawling base for its academy, it recruited famed Uruguayan architect Rafael Vinoly, who designed CFG’s academies in Manchester and Melbourne.

“This is a long-term investment in soccer in the United States, which undeniably is growing,” said Tom Glick, a former minor league baseball, hockey and NBA executive and a former New York City FC president, who is now chief commercial officer for the City Football Group. “It’s a bet as well on Major League Soccer as a business model. This is a league we believe in.”

Despite everything the teams share, group executives insist the idea wasn’t simply to have minor-league affiliates around the globe feeding money, resources, ideas — maybe even players — to the parent club in England. Each team was to be independent and successful, promoting the sport in emerging markets such as New York, Melbourne and Japan and opening fans’ wallets along the way.

“CFG’s strategy contributes to the growth of the game, although I suspect the company's main goal is to deliver strategic and financial returns to their shareholders,” said Michael Goldman, an assistant professor in the sport management program at the University of San Francisco. “CFG’s approach is to integrate football, marketing, media, commercial, training and medical care across their subsidiaries, in order to provide these returns.”

But there are vast differences in the way the sport is played and administered in the English Premier League and the way it is run in the U.S. and Australia. Consider just the payroll for starters. The MLS has a team salary cap of $3.845 million, $1.2 million more than Australian teams can spend. Manchester City reportedly gave its lowest-paid first-team player the equivalent of the two salary caps combined last season.

“All of this has been a learning process,” Glick said. “We went into it intending to learn and intending to be patient but ultimately knowing that we can bring the skills and the expertise that we have.

“Ultimately we’re playing a game of soccer a couple of times a week. And that’s something that we know how to do.”

Reyna, a former U.S. national team captain, member of four World Cups and now CFG’s top soccer executive in the country, said he swaps ideas with group executives on a monthly conference call and at an annual retreat in England.

“There’s certainly cross-departmental learning that has happened from one club to the other,” he said of CFG, which is split into two divisions, one for soccer and one for marketing. “How do we approach sponsorship locally, globally, in different ways? That makes it really interesting and exciting in trying to find ways to collaborate to help our partners across the ocean.”

That sharing extends beyond the executive suites to the locker rooms. Former Manchester City midfielder Patrick Vieira, who got his first coaching job with the Manchester City reserves, is in his second season as manager for New York City, and three of his five assistants have City pedigrees as well.

“It’s not so much about the brand. It’s more like a family; an association of clubs that share probably a similar vision and similar values,” said Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany. “So you feel an association. You get to see so many different ways of looking at the game that come from different countries.

“But I think each club has its own identity.”

Yet all the spokes on the CFG wheel lead back to Manchester, where CFG has built a vast 80-acre training complex and development academy that will be difficult to replicate elsewhere.

The Etihad Campus, built on the site of an abandoned coal mine that dates to the 17th century, is named for the Emirati airline that is the team’s chief partner. The facility includes 16 ½ soccer fields — the half field for goalkeeper training — three gyms, cryotherapy and ultrasound rooms, locker rooms, six swimming pools and 80 bedrooms for academy prospects and first-team players who want to spend the night after training or before games at the adjacent 55,000-seat Etihad Stadium.

More than 450 players — from 6-year-olds to City’s first team — train there each week.

CFG plans for world domination shines through at the complex, where one large room in the main building boosts a New York decor, a nod to the team’s MLS sister club, and another has an Australian theme. Emblazoned on a well near the entrance is a quote from Sheikh Mansour, the team’s 46-year-old owner and the driving force behind CFG’s ambitious expansion.

“We are building a structure for the future not just a team of all-stars,” it reads.

Glick said, “I’m not aware of another organization that’s doing what we’re doing in terms of the group of clubs and leagues around the world and the investment that we’re making in the women’s game, the global foundation that we’ve created, the infrastructure that we’re doing, the marketing divisions and services.” He had to pause to take a breath before adding:

“We’re focused on this because we think it’s relevant to the future of the sport. This, for us, is a sustainable investment.

Results seem much the same to me

Only consolation is that you earn vast amounts of money in America for sod all in sport

john@staustell wrote:Results seem much the same to me

Only consolation is that you earn vast amounts of money in America for sod all in sport

NYCFC have beaten RedBulls both derby matches this season, which is a pretty big deal, after getting destroyed once last season.

Villa has also been mint, especially in the last game netting a hat trick/late winner last week to Wright-Phillips' brace.

Being good consistently has been good for them, but they need a real football stadium. I haven't been to a match yet due to this.

Fingers crossed Yaya comes after he leaves us

http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/41029739

Man City owners buy stake in Spanish La Liga club Girona

9 minutes ago From the section European Football

Manchester City's parent company and a group owned by Pep Guardiola's brother have each bought an equal majority stake in Spanish La Liga club Girona.

The Catalan club were promoted to the top flight for the first time in their 87-year history last season.

The City Football Group owns clubs in Australia, Japan, the US and Uruguay.

CFG, formed when Sheikh Mansour bought City in 2008, and the Girona Football Group - owned by Pere Guardiola - have bought a 44.3% stake in Girona.

The rest of the shares will be owned by a fans' association.

"The new owners aim to maintain, strengthen and grow Girona to become a consolidated club in the Primera Division," said a Girona statement.

"The operation will allow Girona to benefit from the knowledge and proven experience of the City Football Group, as well as its extensive network of infrastructures, technical teams, attracting talent, developing young players and executive leadership."

Girona had five on-loan Manchester City players in their squad for the 2-2 home draw against Atletico Madrid in their La Liga debut.

CFG owns Major League Soccer outfit New York City, A League side Melbourne City, J League club Yokohama F Marinos and Uruguayan club Atletico Torque.

Now we have Cambodia all sewn up. Partnership with Khmer Beverages. Laos next I expect!

https://www.mancity.com/news/club-news/ ... -beverages

Khmer Beverages’ Cambodia Beer is Manchester City’s new Official Beer Partner in South East Asia.
The first major sports partnership of its kind to take place in Cambodia, the multi-year agreement was launched at an event in Phnom Penh, as City further strengthens its presence in Asia.

Khmer Beverages is a market leader in the country and is committed to producing high-quality products whilst operating in an environmentally and socially responsible way, as well as contributing to the development of football in the region through its community programmes.

With the opportunity to discover a new market, this is a deal which excites City Football Group’s Senior Vice President of Partnerships, Damian Willoughby.

“We are delighted to announce this partnership with Khmer Beverages,” he said.

“Khmer Beverages shares Manchester City’s commitment to empowering the lives of others and driving social change within the communities that we operate.

“This announcement marks the Club’s first commercial partner based in Cambodia and we are excited to explore this market together, utilising Khmer Beverages’ great pedigree for creating dynamic campaigns to help us engage with Manchester City fans in the country.”

As part of the agreement, Khmer Beverages also take on Official Water Partner, Official Soft Drinks Partner and Official Energy Drink Partner status in Cambodia.

President, Leang Pov, is delighted to forge a connection with the Club.

“Through this partnership, Khmer Beverages aims to bring international football experience to the fans in Cambodia and organise exciting and entertaining social events for fans,” he added.

“Khmer Beverages has been a strong supporter of the football sector since our establishment. We support local clubs and the national team and this time we raise the bar higher by bringing Manchester City’s experience and connections to Cambodia.”

john@staustell wrote:Now we have Cambodia all sewn up. Partnership with Khmer Beverages. Laos next I expect!

https://www.mancity.com/news/club-news/ ... -beverages

Khmer Beverages’ Cambodia Beer is Manchester City’s new Official Beer Partner in South East Asia.
The first major sports partnership of its kind to take place in Cambodia, the multi-year agreement was launched at an event in Phnom Penh, as City further strengthens its presence in Asia.

Khmer Beverages is a market leader in the country and is committed to producing high-quality products whilst operating in an environmentally and socially responsible way, as well as contributing to the development of football in the region through its community programmes.

With the opportunity to discover a new market, this is a deal which excites City Football Group’s Senior Vice President of Partnerships, Damian Willoughby.

“We are delighted to announce this partnership with Khmer Beverages,” he said.

“Khmer Beverages shares Manchester City’s commitment to empowering the lives of others and driving social change within the communities that we operate.

“This announcement marks the Club’s first commercial partner based in Cambodia and we are excited to explore this market together, utilising Khmer Beverages’ great pedigree for creating dynamic campaigns to help us engage with Manchester City fans in the country.”

As part of the agreement, Khmer Beverages also take on Official Water Partner, Official Soft Drinks Partner and Official Energy Drink Partner status in Cambodia.

President, Leang Pov, is delighted to forge a connection with the Club.

“Through this partnership, Khmer Beverages aims to bring international football experience to the fans in Cambodia and organise exciting and entertaining social events for fans,” he added.

“Khmer Beverages has been a strong supporter of the football sector since our establishment. We support local clubs and the national team and this time we raise the bar higher by bringing Manchester City’s experience and connections to Cambodia.”

I trust the Khmer Rouge brand will be avoided

I nearly, nearly nearly said that

john@staustell wrote:Now we have Cambodia all sewn up. Partnership with Khmer Beverages. Laos next I expect!

https://www.mancity.com/news/club-news/ ... -beverages

Khmer Beverages’ Cambodia Beer is Manchester City’s new Official Beer Partner in South East Asia.
The first major sports partnership of its kind to take place in Cambodia, the multi-year agreement was launched at an event in Phnom Penh, as City further strengthens its presence in Asia.

Khmer Beverages is a market leader in the country and is committed to producing high-quality products whilst operating in an environmentally and socially responsible way, as well as contributing to the development of football in the region through its community programmes.

With the opportunity to discover a new market, this is a deal which excites City Football Group’s Senior Vice President of Partnerships, Damian Willoughby.

“We are delighted to announce this partnership with Khmer Beverages,” he said.

“Khmer Beverages shares Manchester City’s commitment to empowering the lives of others and driving social change within the communities that we operate.

“This announcement marks the Club’s first commercial partner based in Cambodia and we are excited to explore this market together, utilising Khmer Beverages’ great pedigree for creating dynamic campaigns to help us engage with Manchester City fans in the country.”

As part of the agreement, Khmer Beverages also take on Official Water Partner, Official Soft Drinks Partner and Official Energy Drink Partner status in Cambodia.

President, Leang Pov, is delighted to forge a connection with the Club.

“Through this partnership, Khmer Beverages aims to bring international football experience to the fans in Cambodia and organise exciting and entertaining social events for fans,” he added.

“Khmer Beverages has been a strong supporter of the football sector since our establishment. We support local clubs and the national team and this time we raise the bar higher by bringing Manchester City’s experience and connections to Cambodia.”

these statement are such crocks of shit
a brewer that's committed to empowering the lives of others!? wtf...

Nigels Tackle wrote:
these statement are such crocks of shit
a brewer that's committed to empowering the lives of others!? wtf...

It's all marketing bollox, like trying to associate themselves with success so some of it rubs off on them. As long as they pay us, that's all that counts.

Nigels Tackle wrote:these statement are such crocks of shit
a brewer that's committed to empowering the lives of others!? wtf...

Their road safety advert is a stormer.

Nigels Tackle wrote:

john@staustell wrote:Now we have Cambodia all sewn up. Partnership with Khmer Beverages. Laos next I expect!

https://www.mancity.com/news/club-news/ ... -beverages

Khmer Beverages’ Cambodia Beer is Manchester City’s new Official Beer Partner in South East Asia.
The first major sports partnership of its kind to take place in Cambodia, the multi-year agreement was launched at an event in Phnom Penh, as City further strengthens its presence in Asia.

Khmer Beverages is a market leader in the country and is committed to producing high-quality products whilst operating in an environmentally and socially responsible way, as well as contributing to the development of football in the region through its community programmes.

With the opportunity to discover a new market, this is a deal which excites City Football Group’s Senior Vice President of Partnerships, Damian Willoughby.

“We are delighted to announce this partnership with Khmer Beverages,” he said.

“Khmer Beverages shares Manchester City’s commitment to empowering the lives of others and driving social change within the communities that we operate.

“This announcement marks the Club’s first commercial partner based in Cambodia and we are excited to explore this market together, utilising Khmer Beverages’ great pedigree for creating dynamic campaigns to help us engage with Manchester City fans in the country.”

As part of the agreement, Khmer Beverages also take on Official Water Partner, Official Soft Drinks Partner and Official Energy Drink Partner status in Cambodia.

President, Leang Pov, is delighted to forge a connection with the Club.

“Through this partnership, Khmer Beverages aims to bring international football experience to the fans in Cambodia and organise exciting and entertaining social events for fans,” he added.

“Khmer Beverages has been a strong supporter of the football sector since our establishment. We support local clubs and the national team and this time we raise the bar higher by bringing Manchester City’s experience and connections to Cambodia.”

these statement are such crocks of shit
a brewer that's committed to empowering the lives of others!? wtf...

I'll have you know a lot of brewers have had me feeling very empowered over the years

Sir Howard Bernstein has been given a job as a strategic development advisor to support the next phase of community, commercial and development initiatives in and around the Etihad Campus.

https://www.insidermedia.com/insider/no ... sir-howard

johnny crossan wrote:

Howard Bernstein has been given a job as a strategic development advisor to support the next phase of community, commercial and development initiatives in and around the Etihad Campus.

https://www.insidermedia.com/insider/no ... sir-howard

That hairdo gives me the heebie jeebies, very Swales like.

Foreverinbluedreams wrote:

johnny crossan wrote:

Howard Bernstein has been given a job as a strategic development advisor to support the next phase of community, commercial and development initiatives in and around the Etihad Campus.

https://www.insidermedia.com/insider/no ... sir-howard

That hairdo gives me the heebie jeebies, very Swales like.

Looks like a gust of wind and anyone on his left will get a tickle.

I'll make myself bald before getting there... in not distant future
Edit: hairdo resemblance with the original has been already put on the table (anti- crypto alert)

Justified logic wrote:

Foreverinbluedreams wrote:

johnny crossan wrote:

Howard Bernstein has been given a job as a strategic development advisor to support the next phase of community, commercial and development initiatives in and around the Etihad Campus.

https://www.insidermedia.com/insider/no ... sir-howard

That hairdo gives me the heebie jeebies, very Swales like.

Looks like a gust of wind and anyone on his left will get a tickle.

All tonsorial aspects aside, what will the next round of developments be composed of ??

Will it be hotels, restaurants, shops or even a casino, or will it also include any housing ??

Genuine question.

johnny crossan wrote:

Sir Howard Bernstein has been given a job as a strategic development advisor to support the next phase of community, commercial and development initiatives in and around the Etihad Campus.

https://www.insidermedia.com/insider/no ... sir-howard

looks like a groper

Nigels Tackle wrote:

johnny crossan wrote:

Sir Howard Bernstein has been given a job as a strategic development advisor to support the next phase of community, commercial and development initiatives in and around the Etihad Campus.

https://www.insidermedia.com/insider/no ... sir-howard

looks like a groper

[comment deleted upon gentle request]