City Football Group (CFG) [Owner of Melbourne City]

[M13]

I can't see that being true, doesn't make much sense. It must be affiliated with NYCFC in some capacity.

He wouldn't even get a visa if he isn't working for someone. It would be pretty easy with an employer sponsoring him, there would be some sort of special skills visa that fould easily be argued for in his case. But when it comes to going there to start a business, I think it's like $5m you need to be investing in a business if you want to get a visa on those grounds and while it's not unlikely Gombau may have that sort of money, I doubt he has it in liquid assets he is willing to risk.

Someone else must be behind this, and NYCFC makes the most sense.

There are entities that operate within CFG but independently from the local teams itself... Like CiTC for instance. or http://www.city-soccer.org/

 

[belaguttman]

what I'm saying that he's a waste of a marquee. CFG have got this massively wrong and is costing us on field success.

I know, his on field performance with a torn calf would be pretty much unchanged

[NewConvert]

I can't see that being true, doesn't make much sense. It must be affiliated with NYCFC in some capacity.

He wouldn't even get a visa if he isn't working for someone. It would be pretty easy with an employer sponsoring him, there would be some sort of special skills visa that fould easily be argued for in his case. But when it comes to going there to start a business, I think it's like $5m you need to be investing in a business if you want to get a visa on those grounds and while it's not unlikely Gombau may have that sort of money, I doubt he has it in liquid assets he is willing to risk.

Someone else must be behind this, and NYCFC makes the most sense.

Well why not take it at face value? For starters he has always said that his family remains in Spain and I would presume that he is coaching in Asia/Australia because he has been unable to get a gig in the second division (he is good by our standards but may be he is not that good in a Spanish context). So a flight from NYC to Madrid is about 7.5 hours and a cost of about $1400 (quick search and I am sure that there would be cheaper flights) compared to Melbourne which at best is about 23 hours but more than likely well over 1 day. Price is about the same. So basically if he is earning enough he can visit the family once a month and flying overnight where as a trip from Australia will cost him about three days. So if his family is tiring of him being so far away then this move would make it easier for him.

I suspect that in due course we will find out more about this move to NYC.

[Tesla]

There are entities that operate within CFG but independently from the local teams itself... Like CiTC for instance. or http://www.city-soccer.org/

 

Yeah it wouldn't surprise me if it's something like that. 

[AzureKingfisher]

While I'm wary of speaking too soon, I'm wondering if so far we've done much better than virtually every other team in this off season. In terms of the direction of the club, CFG deserve some credit for bringing in the likes of Franjic, Zullo, Hughes etc. with more signings likely. Getting rid of Ramsay, mate, Hoffman, wielhardt and others who are synonymous with the aloisi days is just as big a step forward. In comparison, for the other clubs:

Adeliade - have just lost Gombau and promoted an unproven assistant > stationary at best

Brisbane - have appointed Aloisi and have substantial financial problems > backwards

Central Coast - no longer the force they once were, with little sign of an improved season ahead > stationary but average

Melbourne Victory - have fared reasonably well, but having lost Milligan are basically standing still > stationary, still strong

Newcastle - largely full of unproven young players and rejects from other clubs, and very likely to struggle again > backwards

Perth - leaking players everywhere, the fallout of last season > backwards

Sydney - have lost heaps of players, though to be fair new signings look quality and I back Arnold to assemble a good squad. > stationary, possibly progress if recruitment is strong 

Western Sydney - losing the likes of Bulut, Spira and bunch of foundation players while bringing in Redmayne doesn't look great. > backwards

Wellington - have lost Burns and seems difficult to argue they have strengthened so far > stationary at best

Its hard to argue anyone else has really strengthened, whereas we definitely have, even if we've got some way to go to challenge at the top...

 

 

[pattyd89]

Melbourne Victory - have fared reasonably well, but having lost Milligan are basically standing still > stationary, still strong

 

 I don't think the Tards are losing anyone (outside of Milligan) that's a key player and hence are happy to take their time to get it right.

[Jovan]

 I don't think the Tards are losing anyone (outside of Milligan) that's a key player and hence are happy to take their time to get it right.

picked up Vukovic which IMO has made them better than last season albeit without Milligan. So for me barring injury they are slightly better.

[Shahanga]

Not counting my chickens here.

anyway just a comment on the Jets. I can't see how the jets could of got worse. Last year they had a bankrupt owner and all the turmoil that went with it. Not to mention that their squad and coach were more suited to the NPL. They can improve out of sight and still get no where near the finals, but I can't see how they can get worse.

[jw1739]

Let's not get carried away when we still have six signings to make and a list of seven injured players...The problem we have had since Day 1 is getting what looks like a fairly strong team on paper to actually perform on the pitch. Even at this stage I'll nominate Victory and Sydney to be the teams to beat - Victory because they have a proven quick-fire style of play and they are going to stick with it, and Sydney because Arnold gets the best out of whoever he has - and Adelaide and Brisbane to be top-four contenders despite doubts over their coaches. Of the rest, we have a mental block when it comes to beating teams such as Central Coast and Wellington and I see our campaign depending largely on the mental side of the game rather than the ability side.

[Andrew Edmonds]

Not counting my chickens here.

anyway just a comment on the Jets. I can't see how the jets could of got worse. Last year they had a bankrupt owner and all the turmoil that went with it. Not to mention that their squad and coach were more suited to the NPL. They can improve out of sight and still get no where near the finals, but I can't see how they can get worse.

actually is getting worse... played a state side and were down 4-0 at half time...

[Tonyboozeadams]

I don't think would have ever labeled ccm as a 'powerhouse' . Just a team that defended really well for one season

[Murfy1]

Manchester City buy out wealthy Melbourne City investors

 

Aug 2 2015 at 12:01 PM 

John Stensholt

 

English Premier League giant Manchester City has paid $2.25 million to a group of prominent Australian investors to take full ownership of A-League club Melbourne City.

According to documents lodged with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission last week, Manchester City now owns 100 per cent of its Melbourne club, having bought out minority owners Gerry Ryan, a BRW Rich List member and owner of caravan group Jayco, Crownbet chief executive Matthew Tripp, sports entrepreneur Bart Campbell and New Zealand businessman Michael Witt.

The quartet previously owned 20 per cent of Melbourne City under the terms of the deal struck in January 2013 as part of Manchester City's push to own several teams around the world.

Campbell and his consortium, which own NRL club Melbourne Storm, had led negotiations for the $11.25 million purchase of the club formerly known as Melbourne Heart.

Manchester City has effectively bought the quartet out for as much as they put into the original deal, having had an option to buy the 20 per cent shareholding at that valuation since the purchase.

The Premier League club, which begins its season in England later in August, also owns a majority share of United States Major League Soccer team New York City FC and a 20 per cent stake in Japanese club Yokohama, majority owned by car company Nissan – a sponsor of City's teams around the world.

RECORD BREAKING GOALS

Melbourne City is pushing to sign a record 14,000 members ahead of the 2015-16 A-League season beginning in October, when the club will stream real time data and statistics from GPS tracking devices to fans during matches from its first home match onwards.

Two other A-League clubs could also experience a change of ownership group by the first game in early October, Brisbane Roar and Newcastle Jets.

Brisbane Roar's owners, the Indonesian business family the Bakries, are selling after running into serious financial issues. The club faces a winding up order from rugby union team Queensland Reds over unpaid rent for a training facility.

Football Federation Australia currently controls the Jets after stripping its former owner Nathan Tinkler of his licence in May.

 

 http://www.afr.com/business/sport/manchester-city-buy-out-wealthy-melbourne-city-investors-20150730-gio4k8

Edited August 2, 2015 by Murfy1

[strider]

fuk ye

[Cityscape]

Good, can only be a positive thing.

[Murfy1]

CFG are all in, which is great to see. Can't doubt their plans to stick around for the long term now.

 

That they have been prepared to stump up more money is a positive too. Hopefully we see some more investment in the team to make it play winning football and make the club a powerhouse.

 

Also it wasn't clear what, if anything, the other investors were bringing to the table, so in terms of running the club 100% CFG control should improve things. Also, I reckon decisions and actions can probably happen quicker now that just one entity owns the club, which would be very welcome as well.

[Dylan]

This was probably planned from the start IMO. Use the Aus based guys to negotiate the initial purchase, use it to get sponsorhip (Host plus) then buy them out. 

Edited August 2, 2015 by Dylan

[kingofhearts]

Was always going to happen.

[Pete Heartspur]

Any chance these guys were holding up any moves to get rid of certain staff, or would their minority share not have that much influence? 

[jw1739]

CFG are all in, which is great to see. Can't doubt their plans to stick around for the long term now.

That they have been prepared to stump up more money is a positive too. Hopefully we see some more investment in the team to make it play winning football and make the club a powerhouse.

Also it wasn't clear what, if anything, the other investors were bringing to the table, so in terms of running the club 100% CFG control should improve things. Also, I reckon decisions and actions can probably happen quicker now that just one entity owns the club, which would be very welcome as well.

Three key points, and absolutely spot on. This is great news.

[Dylan]

I would love to see those lower feilds developed more and create a link between them and the first team center (like those blue rubber paths). Hopefully with a mini grandstand so W league and NPL games can be played out there. 

[KSK_47]

Sounds as though they are getting rid of a few more people that dont really bring anything of value to the club. I like where this is going

[Shahanga]

This seems to make sense, as I couldn't see what role the Campbell group was having in the club and the point of their shareholding.  What i don't understand though is what the Campbell group got out of it, they bought in for the same amount they sold for, which is normally not your plan when you enter a business deal, yet they clearly gave CFG an option to do just that, which is strange.  So there was obviously more to it, ubt for us as a club it doesn't matter.

I guess I am in the minority here though in that i would have preferred CFG to sell out to Campbell and thus be independently owned.

 

[Falastur]

This seems to make sense, as I couldn't see what role the Campbell group was having in the club and the point of their shareholding.  What i don't understand though is what the Campbell group got out of it, they bought in for the same amount they sold for, which is normally not your plan when you enter a business deal, yet they clearly gave CFG an option to do just that, which is strange.  So there was obviously more to it, ubt for us as a club it doesn't matter.

I think the Melbourne City buyout was always strongly shaped by the NYCFC deal. In New York, Manchester City (not CFG at that point) had intended on being 100% owners but at the last minute offered the Yankees a 20% stake as they let uncertainty over a stadium deal get the better of them, and suddenly decided that they would probably need the local expertise in order to push through such a momentous deal in one of the world's most congested and expensive cities. The Yankees have a certain level of involvement but really they're only there to facilitate a stadium deal with their legal department, and I honestly think that they will be bought out too once the stadium is operational (though that seems like a pipe dream right now, with the new Mayor refusing to allow a new stadium to be built). The NYCFC fans don't see it my way and believe the Yankees are there to stay, but I can't see it.

So when it came round to Melbourne, I think City wanted to have the same - a local sports businessman contingent who could act as faciltators in the early stages, though not for a stadium this time. Having got set up and realised that they don't need the extra help, CFG then cut their ties and have decided they are ready to go solo.

[Pandev]

Yep, that's exactly what has happened. The only logical solution.  No doubt there would have to be some sort of incentive for the Australian contingent. Maybe free City premium tickets, or flights or houses in Abu Dhabi etc. I guess we will never know. 100% Certain these successful business men wouldn't do anything for free, so there must have been some consulting fee expenses thrown in....

[Tesla]

It's actually really simple, CFG didn't want the Heart owners at the time knowing it was CFG buying the club, otherwise the Heart owners would have jacked the price up. It also has to go through the FFA as far as I know, and presumably the FFA could jack up the licence cost (as they have done in the past when Tinkler bought the Jets for example). So instead they got a group of prominent Australian sports businessmen to conduct the deal, and it only became evident that CFG were part of it when it came time to sign the contracts.

As is said in the articles, CFG had the option to buy out the other shareholders for the set price all along, so it was just a matter of time. I'm sure Campbell. Tripp, & co got something out of it, probably a fee for conducting the deal.

The only question is why it took so long, I guess as others have speculated Campbell, Tripp & Co probably helped get some sponsors on board with their local connections and other things of that nature.

Edited August 2, 2015 by Tesla

[jw1739]

Just as Sidwell's original board are now life members of Melbourne City, so will be the Storm Four. Plus favourable Etihad and other travel and accommodation deals, admission to EPL matches and the whole thing. Smart move all round. I would think the delay was just so as not to ruffle the feathers at FFA too quickly as they did with the sky blue.

[Heart_fan]

I think we all wondered just what both parties were getting out of the 20% stake.

There was minimal cross promotion and no real apparent advantages of holding that stake, but I guess it served a purpose. 

Lets hope that CFG can now step up their planning and look to build a far bigger, better and more successful club.

Judging by the results Manchester City are achieving this off season though I think they better start focusing some more attention that way though 😀

[CALZALOL]

Can almost guarantee that the Campbell Consortium were only involved in the venture for paperwork and the like. 

[M13]

I think the Melbourne City buyout was always strongly shaped by the NYCFC deal. In New York, Manchester City (not CFG at that point) had intended on being 100% owners but at the last minute offered the Yankees a 20% stake as they let uncertainty over a stadium deal get the better of them, and suddenly decided that they would probably need the local expertise in order to push through such a momentous deal in one of the world's most congested and expensive cities. The Yankees have a certain level of involvement but really they're only there to facilitate a stadium deal with their legal department, and I honestly think that they will be bought out too once the stadium is operational (though that seems like a pipe dream right now, with the new Mayor refusing to allow a new stadium to be built). The NYCFC fans don't see it my way and believe the Yankees are there to stay, but I can't see it.

So when it came round to Melbourne, I think City wanted to have the same - a local sports businessman contingent who could act as faciltators in the early stages, though not for a stadium this time. Having got set up and realised that they don't need the extra help, CFG then cut their ties and have decided they are ready to go solo.

The legal guys involved with a new stadium are ol´City boys.. i.e  Edelman and his lawfirm, Edelman himself is a prominent sports and real estate lawyer who happens to sit on the CFG board of Directors.
What Yankees brought to the table is A/ A stadium... B/ Political clout.. C/ Sponsor connections

[Falastur]

The legal guys involved with a new stadium are ol´City boys.. i.e  Edelman and his lawfirm, Edelman himself is a prominent sports and real estate lawyer who happens to sit on the CFG board of Directors.What Yankees brought to the table is A/ A stadium... B/ Political clout.. C/ Sponsor connections 

I think it's a little of column A, a little of column B. I've seen plenty enough stuff in the press around that says that NYCFC need the Yankee connection in order to push through a stadium deal. The simple fact is that in NYC, they seem to hate building new things if they aren't huge corporate offices. The Yankees had to build their own stadium not so long ago and have the knowledge of what is required to push this through. If we were doing this without their experience, it would take a decade or more. That takes more than just political clout and sponsor connections.

In fact, I'm not sure the Yankees bring in sponsor connections at all. Aside from the Yankees' own hospitality company getting involved in Manchester, not a single CFG sponsor has anything to do with the Yankees. I still reckon that the Yankees connection is solely related to building the stadium, and once they've moved out of Yankee Stadium they'll either look to terminate the connection or sideline the Yankees.

[M13]

I think it's a little of column A, a little of column B. I've seen plenty enough stuff in the press around that says that NYCFC need the Yankee connection in order to push through a stadium deal. The simple fact is that in NYC, they seem to hate building new things if they aren't huge corporate offices. The Yankees had to build their own stadium not so long ago and have the knowledge of what is required to push this through. If we were doing this without their experience, it would take a decade or more. That takes more than just political clout and sponsor connections.

In fact, I'm not sure the Yankees bring in sponsor connections at all. Aside from the Yankees' own hospitality company getting involved in Manchester, not a single CFG sponsor has anything to do with the Yankees. I still reckon that the Yankees connection is solely related to building the stadium, and once they've moved out of Yankee Stadium they'll either look to terminate the connection or sideline the Yankees.

It took NY Yankees 8 years and more than 20 evaluations to get permission to build their new stadum.. Despite all their political clout.
As for sponsors you must have noticed some prominent New York names perhaps? Like Pepsi Cola? New York Presbyterian? The local Ford dealer?
But tell me Falastur, if there was no NY Yankees involved.. Where would NYCFC play their games? and don´t tell me there´s stadums available because there ain´t nothing available within the five boroughs
 

[Falastur]

It took NY Yankees 8 years and more than 20 evaluations to get permission to build their new stadum.. Despite all their political clout.As for sponsors you must have noticed some prominent New York names perhaps? Like Pepsi Cola? New York Presbyterian? The local Ford dealer?
But tell me Falastur, if there was no NY Yankees involved.. Where would NYCFC play their games? and don´t tell me there´s stadums available because there ain´t nothing available within the five boroughs

You're not seriously suggesting that without the Yankees, CFG would be incapable of finding their own local sponsors?

As for where they would play, for a long time it was assumed they would play at Citi Field, home of the Mets (when the team was still rumoured, before Yankee involvement was known), as they built a stadium on the next-door Flushing Park - and there was no talk of the Mets being given a stake, just a nice old wadge of cash for acting as hosts. Indeed, they were supposed to go ahead with the Flushing Park plan regardless up until none other than the Mets shot the plan down because of NYCFC's links to their greatest rivals.

Edited August 5, 2015 by Falastur

[M13]

You're not seriously suggesting that without the Yankees, CFG would be incapable of finding their own local sponsors?

As for where they would play, for a long time it was assumed they would play at Citi Field, home of the Mets (when the team was still rumoured, before Yankee involvement was known), as they built a stadium on the next-door Flushing Park - and there was no talk of the Mets being given a stake, just a nice old wadge of cash for acting as hosts. Indeed, they were supposed to go ahead with the Flushing Park plan regardless up until none other than the Mets shot the plan down because of NYCFC's links to their greatest rivals.

I think you´ll find that it was shot down because Mets wanted their own team in MLS.. and demanded £50m to give any other club access to the parking space. that they didn´t even own
Anyway, NYCFC have rejected certain plots of land in NYC so at a guess they have something in mind.

[Falastur]

I think you´ll find that it was shot down because Mets wanted their own team in MLS.. and demanded £50m to give any other club access to the parking space. that they didn´t even own
Anyway, NYCFC have rejected certain plots of land in NYC so at a guess they have something in mind.

That's a story I've never heard (the first part). Could you share a link?

[M13]

That's a story I've never heard (the first part). Could you share a link?

Oh there´s loads of them.. but this one sums it up well http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/sports/2013/05/8530267/how-wilpons-repelled-major-league-soccer-and-why-they-may-regret-it#

The Wilpons have been in the picture since 2007 apparently.. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/17/sports/soccer/17mls.html?_r=0

[Shahanga]

Umm any chance of you 2 moving this chat on US football to the MLS or NYCFC threads? 

[Falastur]

Umm any chance of you 2 moving this chat on US football to the MLS or NYCFC threads? 

I was pretty much finished anyway.

[Murfy1]

Interview with Scott Munn towards the end:

 

Football’s most innovative business model

 

The new Premier League season opens this weekend, but while football fans will once again fixate on their favourite team’s performance on the pitch, for marketers the changing business models of football clubs are even more intriguing. As Marketing Week has discovered on an exclusive behind-the-scenes visit, Manchester City FC’s owner City Football Group (CFG) is establishing itself as the one to watch.

The group – set up by the Abu Dhabi investment fund which acquired Manchester City for £200m in 2008 – is also the holding company for three other clubs globally, marking the first time that a Premier League outfit has created a ‘family’ of interlinked clubs in order to build its own brand and revenues.

Its new siblings are New York City FC, a freshly established US Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise that is currently playing its first season with stars such as Frank Lampard and Andrea Pirlo in its squad; Melbourne City FC, an Australian A-League club acquired in January 2014; and Yokohama F Marinos, a Japanese J-League club in which CFG bought a minority stake in May 2014.

The network structure aims to satisfy Manchester City’s ambitions to overtake its biggest rivals by providing it with access to new markets, players, fans and global sponsors.

A world-first for football

“With this structure we’re doing something that has never been done before,” claims Ferran Soriano, CEO of CFG and Manchester City FC. “That means you have to take risks, innovate and not be afraid to try new things. There is no limit to what we can achieve.”

CFG may look to add more clubs in the future, though its leadership says it is currently “consolidating the model”. The clubs share access to centralised resources based in the UK such as marketing, IT and finance, as well as football services including coaching and player recruitment.

Some observers, including Arsenal FC manager Arsène Wenger, have questioned whether CFG’s structure could allow Manchester City to “get around” UEFA Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations – the rules drawn up by European football’s governing body to stop teams gaining an on-field advantage by racking up huge losses on transfer fees and player wages. However, UEFA announced last month that the club had met its FFP requirements for the year, while any deals with sister teams such as the recent loan of midfielder Lampard from New York City to Manchester City are likely to be scrutinised by UEFA.

As the group has grown over the last 18 months, it has introduced innovative new approaches to brand management and commercial partnerships to demonstrate the substance of the arrangement between the clubs. With Manchester City as the flagship brand, CFG is moulding its smaller teams in growing leagues around the world in the image of the Premier League giant.

A clear example is Melbourne City, which was known as Melbourne Heart FC from its inception in 2009 before being swiftly rebranded with the ‘City’ moniker when it was acquired by CFG last year. Both Melbourne City and New York City also incorporate the same sky-blue kit colour as Manchester City and share access to its global marketing operation.

This carefully co-ordinated approach is apparently reaping rewards. CFG claims it now reaches over 400 million fans globally across its four clubs and is attracting an expanding roster of sponsors, drawn to the prospect of activating campaigns at both a global and a local level.

“For a number of years [Manchester City has] been the fastest growing club in football,” asserts Tom Glick, who was chief commercial and operating officer for Manchester City between 2012 and 2014, before moving to New York City this year to become club president.

“That’s on the back of winning, hustle, a culture of fast growth and trial and error. We’re definitely challenging some of the more established legacy clubs out there.”

Manchester City’s resurgence

Despite being one of the oldest football clubs in the country, with a rich track record of success in the 1960s and 1970s, Manchester City spent most of the subsequent period in the shadow of its local rival Manchester United. A prolonged decline led to the 1998 nadir of relegation to the third tier of English football.

After regaining Premier League status in 2002, the Abu Dhabi takeover six years later heralded massive investment and two championships – the club’s first in the top division for 44 years. Numerous star players have been signed in the process, including the most expensive English player ever – midfielder Raheem Sterling, who was captured last month from Liverpool FC for a transfer fee of £49m.

The latest Deloitte Football Money League also shows that City is now the sixth richest club globally, with revenues up 28% to £347m in 2013-14, the largest percentage increase of any club in Deloitte’s top 10.

The CFG structure is crucial to City’s efforts to continue competing at the top of the game – both on the pitch and in the commercial arena. Last year it established two separate divisions in Manchester and London to manage these two areas across its four clubs: City Football Services and City Football Marketing, respectively.

The former is run by ex-Arsenal winger Brian Marwood, who is responsible for creating a consistent brand of “beautiful, possession-based football” across the club network. This includes coordinating coaching, scouting and player recruitment resources, as well as developing CFG’s academies and women’s teams.

In addition, City Football Services aims to experiment with the latest player performance analysis tools following a group-wide deal with software firm SAP last month. The technology is designed to optimise team performances, facilitate data sharing across the club network and provide cutting-edge insights that will feed into fans’ digital experiences.

“Technology is going to help us get fans closer to the action,” claims Soriano. First and foremost, this is likely to include using data to generate content for social media, such as live match statistics for fans while the game is in progress.

Meanwhile, City Football Marketing is tasked with brokering group-wide sponsorship deals. Last month, coconut drink brand Coco Joy – an existing Melbourne City FC sponsor – extended its deal to cover Manchester City and New York City. The expanded partnership, which was announced as Manchester City played a match against Melbourne City during their pre-season tour, was hailed by CFG as proof that its move into new markets is yielding commercial results.

Omar Berrada, commercial director of City Football Marketing, claims a growing array of brands are interested in the “unique” marketing opportunities presented by CFG’s ‘family of clubs’ model (see Q&A). “It allows brands to have the best of both worlds: a consistent global marketing platform in terms of the assets and inventory they can use to engage with our fans, as well as the ability to deliver messages that are very specific to the local markets of our clubs around the world,” he says.

Airline company Etihad, for example, ran a social media campaign last month with the hashtag #globalcityfans and a series of YouTube videos that explored the experience of fans in different regions around the world, including in cities where CFG has clubs. This came after Etihad, which was already the kit and stadium sponsor of Manchester City, extended its deal last year to become kit sponsor of both New York City and Melbourne City.

Similarly, Nissan’s deal in July 2014 to become the first global partner of CFG followed the football group’s investment in Yokohama F Marinos – a club in which Nissan is the majority shareholder. CFG’s investment brought the motor brand into the orbit of its wider group, allowing it to seal a deal for Nissan to become the official automotive partner of all four clubs, including Manchester City.

New fans, new markets

The CFG structure also enables Manchester City to grow its own brand reach around the world. The club’s association with the other teams is most obvious in the identical sky-blue kit colour worn by the New York and Melbourne players. This is a sign of prestige for the fans of those smaller clubs, claims Glick.

“They understand and value that their club is connected and rooted to a big European club that’s performing at a very high level, with all of the resource and expertise that comes with that,” he says.

The clubs share access to the same marketing assets via Berrada’s centralised department. For example, a recent online marketing campaign features videos of Manchester City player Sergio Agüero and New York City player David Villa taking part in various skills challenges in each city. Such an activation allows both clubs to speak to both sets of fans simultaneously.

However, despite these cross-club campaigns, Glick denies that CFG’s ultimate goal is to create a new type of football fan who feels loyalty to an entire family of teams.

Instead, the group aims to build an individual character for each club that respects the tribal loyalties of each fanbase, he says.

“We’re certainly building a community of fans, but the most important thing is that each one of our clubs is connected to its local city and the fans of that city,” adds Glick.

“In some cases those fans will also want to follow the other clubs in the group, but it’s important that’s not forced. We know, for example, that many of our New York fans follow other European clubs besides Manchester City, and that’s fine.”

To help create these localised club identities, CFG sought to engage fans in both New York and Melbourne in early-stage activities such as the design of the new club badges.

In Melbourne, this included featuring the city’s municipal flag in the design to reflect the fact that fans had carried the flag to games prior to CFG’s takeover. Such moves helped to minimise the controversy caused by the club’s rebrand.

Both clubs are strategic choices by CFG to gain a foothold in markets where football – or soccer as it is known in the US and Australia – is growing rapidly. Glick suggests that the arrival of New York City has met a latent demand for another club in a city of eight million people previously served by just one other – New York Red Bulls.

The New York City franchise has already clocked up 18,000 season ticket holders in its first season – higher than figures released by any other MLS team except Seattle Sounders – and after 12 games is seeing average attendances of 29,000 at Yankee Stadium, the venue it shares with the city’s legendary baseball club. This is the third-highest average in the MLS and over 10,000 per game more than New York Red Bulls.

The arrival of marquee signings this summer such as Pirlo, who made his debut last week, has also helped to establish the new MLS side.

“Our fans are young, tech-savvy, high-earning professionals who have grown up with the game,” says Glick. “It’s a group that’s very excited about building the club with us.”

Scott Munn, CEO of Melbourne City, reports similarly impressive figures since his club joined CFG. In the past year, the club’s turnover has doubled, season ticket holders are up 140% and the team’s performance has improved markedly to the extent that Melbourne climbed from bottom of the A-League to finish fifth and with a play-off spot last season.

Munn attributes the success to the club’s fan engagement efforts following the CFG takeover, as well as to improved player recruitment and the overall investment in club operations. This includes the opening of the Melbourne City Football Academy in February, a state-of-the art complex built by CFG that has provided the club with one of the best training facilities in Australia.

Its launch came shortly after Manchester City opened its own £200m facility last year, while CFG is close to finishing work on New York City’s academy complex.

As with its group-wide sponsorship deals, marketing operation and fan engagement strategies, the sites are indicative of CFG’s efforts to create synergies that reinforce and strengthen each of its club brands. “We’re always linking into our global family, be they in Manchester or in New York, to share best practice,” declares Munn. “There isn’t a week that goes by where I don’t have communication with every department of the City Football Group.”

 

http://www.mymarketingteam.co.uk/6577/footballs-most-innovative-business-model

[M13]

The timeline for CFS and CFM is wrong, they have been around for years... But otherwise I´m resigned to the fact that media will never understand the difference between Manchester City FC and CFG

[Kinnibari]

The CFG structure also enables Manchester City to grow its own brand reach around the world. The club’s association with the other teams is most obvious in the identical sky-blue kit colour worn by the New York and Melbourne players. This is a sign of prestige for the fans of those smaller clubs, claims Glick.

what a wank