Melbourne heart

[Wonderwall]

Apparently city have bought them ??

[Benjay]

Is a centre half?

[dazby]

OMG, this would be absolutely brilliant. I'll write more about this if it turns out to be true.

[Wonderwall]

Waiting for the Aussie contingent to wake up and tell us more

[Wonderwall]

OMG, this would be absolutely brilliant. I'll write more about this if it turns out to be true.

Check out twitter daz it's all over it

[pears12]

The World Game and news international papers are saying that the deal has been done.. hopefully it means a game in Australia for Manchester City

[dazby]

A consortium led by Manchester City Football Club has acquired Melbourne Heart effective immediately, the A-League club confirmed.


The consortium also includes the ownership group of the Melbourne Storm as minority shareholder with a 20 percent stake.

Ferran Soriano, CEO of Manchester City, said: “We are excited about the opportunity to make Melbourne Heart one of the most successful football clubs in Australia and throughout the region.


"We believe the strong sports culture of Melbourne combined with the football and commercial expertise within our consortium will make for a powerful combination both on and off the pitch”.

Bart Campbell, Chairman of the holding company Heart Consortium Group and Chairman of the Melbourne Storm NRL side, said: “Partnering with City to co-invest in Melbourne Heart will further strengthen the sporting landscape in one of the world’s greatest cities and bring a range of new capabilities to AAMI Park.


"We are excited to be a part of this unique project. It is our shared ambition to replicate the model that City created with the New York Yankees around New York City FC and for both organisations to benefit as a result.

“We are grateful to Peter Sidwell and his Board for creating a Club with such obvious strengths and potential.”

Speaking on behalf of the exiting Board of Melbourne Heart FC, Chairman Peter Sidwell said, “The board feels that with the successful establishment and evolution of the Club over the last four years, Melbourne Heart now stands on sound commercial and financial foundations.

"The Board feels that the next phase of the club’s development can be most fully realised with this new investment and the associated benefits that the enthusiasm of the consortium will bring”.

Football Federation Australia Chief Executive, David Gallop, said the acquisition of the Melbourne Heart licence was a huge vote of confidence in the future of the fledgling competition.

“Football has moved into the mainstream of Australian sport and is ideally placed to benefit from the boom in football across Asia,” Gallop said.

“Manchester City and their Australian partners have made a strategic investment and I welcome them to our growing competition. It’s another sign that the world is taking notice of Australian football.

“Manchester City and their partners will bring a high level of expertise in football and sports business matters and that can only strengthen the Melbourne Heart and the Hyundai A-League as a whole.”

Regarding its plans for the club, Ferran Soriano stated: “The first thing we must do is take the time to listen and learn and then to develop our strategy for strengthening the club over time.”

Out of respect for the coaching staff and the players in the middle of the A-League season, the new ownership group will not be making any major announcements until mid-2014.

Manchester City’s investment in Melbourne Heart comes after its establishment of New York City Football Club in May 2013, which will enter Major League Soccer in the United States in the 2015 season, and its establishment of Manchester City Women’s Football Club, that will play in 2014.

In support of this expansion, City has significantly boosted its resources in scouting, coaching, human performance, football tactics and other football capabilities, most notably through its landmark City Football Academy (CFA) in Manchester, UK.

Due to open in 2014, the CFA will transform the organisation’s training and youth development capabilities and help it to attract the world’s most promising footballers both now and in the future.

[Ted Hughes]

http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/mel ... ment/83936

http://www.melbournestorm.com.au/news-d ... -FAQ/89499

[charvet_wonderland]

And a certain "defensive midfielder" is in talks to join them to keep fit. That would be poetic.

[patrickblue]

Shit, we're going for world domination big time, aren't we!

[Hutch's Shoulder]

The difference in vision between our owners and other foreign PL owners is amazing. And great timing when other football events in Manchester are so comical.

[Ted Hughes]

http://www.mcfc.co.uk/News/Club-news/20 ... nuary-2014

[Wonderwall]

Now breaking news on sky sports

[Benjay]

They should sign Mata

[Twobob]

Shit - looking forward to the world tour!! Haha

[Moonchesteri]

And a certain "defensive midfielder" is in talks to join them to keep fit. That would be poetic.

you got to be kidding right? lol.

I have to say I still can't quite get my head around buying/setting up these other clubs.. I mean, there's just one City afterall.

[dazby]

This is so pleasing. I don't actually support a club in the A League but have a real soft spot for the Heart.

Heart have been shit for so long, and there have been issues from the top down. However, the club has a philosophy of playing proper football and developing players. They are Melbourne's second team being established as an expansion club. Melbourne Victory are probably the biggest club in the land and have been successful in the past. It'll be great for them to have some real competition in their market.

They're currently coached by John Van Schip whom I really rate as a manager. He's just taken over from John Aloisi (former Coventry player) who oversaw a terrible run of form. They are currently bottom of the league and last week won their first game in 19 narrowly avoiding the tag of the worst streak ever.

This is a good purchase.

[xavi6]

This is huge for the landscape of the A-League, a real game changer.

We'll rebrand Heart along the lines of NYCFC and immediately push for the salary cap to be increased (which people have been calling for anyway).

Heart are shite, they just tied the longest run of games without winning one (20), and badly need a lift. This will give it to them.

City have obviously identified the opportunity after United and Liverpool had their big friendlies here last year so it makes perfect sense that this would be the next spot for expansion.

Good news for us Oz City fans as we'll get a friendly soon, early rumours are of one in May, so it's hard not to be anything but excited, even though I support my local Perth Glory team.

[CTID Hants]

This is huge for the landscape of the A-League, a real game changer. We'll rebrand Heart along the lines of NYCFC and immediately push for the salary cap to be increased (which people have been calling for anyway). Heart are shite, they just tied the longest run of games without winning one (20), and badly need a lift. This will give it to them. City have obviously identified the opportunity after United and Liverpool had their big friendlies here last year so it makes perfect sense that this would be the next spot for expansion. Good news for us Oz City fans as we'll get a friendly soon, early rumours are of one in May, so it's hard not to be anything but excited, even though I support my local Perth Glory team.

Pleased for our Oz supporters, you Daz & PBL seem quite excited.....

Questions for the uneducated if any of you wouldn't mind? A-league, how long has it been running? How will the fans/supporters take to being rebranded 'ala' Hull and Cardiff ?

NYCFC is a start up as I understand, just wondering about rebranding an existing club will sit?

[dazby]

We'll have to wait and see about that. The A-League has been going for 8 seasons now. The Heart have been going for 4? They wear red and white stripes a la Sunderland but their away strip is a red sash and looks the dogs danglies. Sydney FC already wear sky blue so I don't expect them to be rebranded.