Every pundit from Sky Sports to Match of the Day had United walking away with the title once City had surrendered the leaded and fallen behind them. Just to peg back a few points from the raging juggernaut that is United was a seemingly insurmountable task for City.
Fergie was once again lauded as some kind of mystical genius for his mind games and that Mancini had totally lost the plot under the weight of trickery emanating from the man with the bulbous red nose.
City were doomed, with no purpose, no direction, like a ship borne along by a stormy sea while United soared off into the sunset on tales of 'we always finish the season strong' in a cloud of Munich and #20 merchandise and ridiculous banners. "Why Always We"? Jeez...
The fat lady was up off her saggy arse with the resonance from her thundering voice already shattering the windows of the Etihad Stadium.
Rooney celebrated with gleeful abandonment at the local residential care home, Nani and Valencia moon-walked a lap of honour around Salford, Young leapt for joy getting another player, any player, sent off, and Ferguson drank himself into a stupor after cracking open yet another bottle of bourbon.
But all those pundits and so-called experts were so wrong. So, so wrong. Thanks to a pasting from Wigan and a little fighting spirit from Everton coupled with 12 goals in 3 games from City and the title race has been blown as wide open as the gap in United's defence during the 6-1 demolition.
Ferguson, despite saying the City would never challenge for the title in his lifetime, has admitted that April 30th will host the biggest Manchester derby of his career. Mancini on the other hand continues to remove all pressure from his own players whilst systematically baffling each and every journalist that comes across him.
What happened to Ferguson and his mind games destroying the morale of entire clubs, or City crumbling under the pressure and being lucky to finish 2nd? What a difference a couple of weeks can make. The rather rotund lady has had a chicken balti pie shoved down her cake-hole and told to pipe down because this aint over yet.
April 30th, bring the pride, bring the Poznan, bring the noise.
Twitter: @MikeWalshMCFC or @mcfcDSLeftFoot
Facebook:
David
Silva's Left Foot
Showing posts with label Etihad Stadium. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Etihad Stadium. Show all posts
Monday, 23 April 2012
Thursday, 9 February 2012
City FALL one place in the rich list.
The latest football rich list from Deloitte is due for publication shortly and perhaps one of the surprises of their findings is that City, despite increasing their income, have dropped one place behind Spurs. But fear not.
On the face of it, this is a bit of a shock, but not so when you realise the reasons. The figures basically cover last season's income when Spurs managed to reach the last 8 of the Champions League and City reached the last 16 of the Europa League.
The current rankings are shown in the list below.
Rank - Previous rank - Club - Income (£millions) - Previous income
1 (1) Real Madrid 433.0 (356)
2 (2) Barcelona 407.0 (331.8)
3 (3) Manchester Utd 331.4 (291.5)
4 (4) Bayern Munich 290.3 (269.2)
5 (5) Arsenal 226.8 (228.5)
6 (6) Chelsea 225.6 (212.5)
7 (7) Milan 212.3 (196.5)
8 (9) Internazionale 190.9 (187.4)
9 (8) Liverpool 183.6 (187.8)
10 (16) Schalke 04 182.8 (116.5)
11 (12) Tottenham H 163.5 (121.9)
12 (11) Manchester City 153.2 (127.3)
13 (10) Juventus 139.0 (170.8)
14 (15) Marseilles 135.8 (117.6)
15 (18) Roma 129.6 (102.3)
*List taken from 'the Independent'
**Figures from last year's report taken directly from Deloitte and converted from Euros to Pound Sterling
The figures highlight several things, like Real and Barca's ability to negotiate their own TV deals sees them increase the gap between everyone else, Champions League football really is that important to revenue, as well as other things. But we'll focus on City.
It is believed that the combination of revenue from Champions League football and the record breaking sponsorship deal with Etihad will see City move into the top 10 this time next year. You can see an overview of City's previous year's finances and a predicted accounts HERE.
There is another thing that City have in their locker that the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and Spurs don't currently have. The ability to expand their stadium. It has been touched on elsewhere this morning and at this moment in time those 3 clubs are potentially facing stagnation, or even a reversal in fortunes due to their inability to expand.
There have been rumours for at least 12 months about plans to increase the capacity City's home ground to around 60,000, and with tickets for every home league game of City's selling out this season the Sheikh may be looking at putting that into practise sooner rather than later. As long as City have continued top 4 success with regular Champions League football along with the odd trophy thrown in for good measure, There is no reason why City couldn't climb even higher up the list in coming years.
Twitter: @MikeWalshmcfc or @mcfcDSLeftFoot.
Facebook: David Silva's Left Foot
On the face of it, this is a bit of a shock, but not so when you realise the reasons. The figures basically cover last season's income when Spurs managed to reach the last 8 of the Champions League and City reached the last 16 of the Europa League. The current rankings are shown in the list below.
Rank - Previous rank - Club - Income (£millions) - Previous income
1 (1) Real Madrid 433.0 (356)
2 (2) Barcelona 407.0 (331.8)
3 (3) Manchester Utd 331.4 (291.5)
4 (4) Bayern Munich 290.3 (269.2)
5 (5) Arsenal 226.8 (228.5)
6 (6) Chelsea 225.6 (212.5)
7 (7) Milan 212.3 (196.5)
8 (9) Internazionale 190.9 (187.4)
9 (8) Liverpool 183.6 (187.8)
10 (16) Schalke 04 182.8 (116.5)
11 (12) Tottenham H 163.5 (121.9)
12 (11) Manchester City 153.2 (127.3)
13 (10) Juventus 139.0 (170.8)
14 (15) Marseilles 135.8 (117.6)
15 (18) Roma 129.6 (102.3)
*List taken from 'the Independent'
**Figures from last year's report taken directly from Deloitte and converted from Euros to Pound Sterling
The figures highlight several things, like Real and Barca's ability to negotiate their own TV deals sees them increase the gap between everyone else, Champions League football really is that important to revenue, as well as other things. But we'll focus on City.
It is believed that the combination of revenue from Champions League football and the record breaking sponsorship deal with Etihad will see City move into the top 10 this time next year. You can see an overview of City's previous year's finances and a predicted accounts HERE. There is another thing that City have in their locker that the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and Spurs don't currently have. The ability to expand their stadium. It has been touched on elsewhere this morning and at this moment in time those 3 clubs are potentially facing stagnation, or even a reversal in fortunes due to their inability to expand.
There have been rumours for at least 12 months about plans to increase the capacity City's home ground to around 60,000, and with tickets for every home league game of City's selling out this season the Sheikh may be looking at putting that into practise sooner rather than later. As long as City have continued top 4 success with regular Champions League football along with the odd trophy thrown in for good measure, There is no reason why City couldn't climb even higher up the list in coming years.
Twitter: @MikeWalshmcfc or @mcfcDSLeftFoot.
Facebook: David Silva's Left Foot
Tuesday, 20 December 2011
Manchester City v Stoke City
The Etihad Stadium plays host to Stoke City in tomorrow's Premier League fixture. The Potters have won the last 4 games on the bounce, beating an in form Tottenham on the way. City returned to winning ways against Arsenal on Sunday in an enthralling end to end spectacle.
Tony Pulis and his team currently sit 8th in the table and qualified for the knockout stages of the Europa League. They are a tough test for any team to face, physically robust and know how to play to their strengths. Although Stoke do have players that can play a bit, they are well known for a certain, very unattractive style of play.
It wasn't particularly surprising when they announced the signing of Peter Crouch from Spurs in the summer. He's exactly the kind of player Stoke want up front as they punt or throw the ball into the 18 yard box. Peter Crouch is Stoke's joint top scorer with Jonathan Walters, both currently on 4 league goals.
Rory Delap is well known for his ability to launch the ball into the box from throw ins, and giving one away within 30 yards from the goal line is as good as giving away a corner. City will have to be fully focused if Stoke get any throw ins or free kicks near the area. If Kompany and Richards play like they did against Arsenal though even the likes of Crouch will have a tough time beating them in the air.
I think it's fair to say that you know exactly what you're going to get when you play against Stoke and to be fair to them, what they do works for them. Whether you like the way they play or not is another thing, but each team has to play to their strengths at the end of the day, and their strengths are their physical presence and set pieces.
I suspect we will see Joleon Lescott returning to the side after missing out on Arsenal. Kolo was likely chosen ahead of Joleon for his added mobility which thankfully shone through after some very lacklustre performances. However, Lescott has much better ability in the air and will be the better option against the aerial bombardment Stoke are likely to try and impose.
We may also see a recall to action from Edin Dzeko in place of Super Mario. Although Mario provides much more flair and an ability to create something out of nothing, Edin has more of a physical presence and is less likely to lose his temper with the physical nature of Stoke's defence. In short, Mario is an easy target and Edin he is a safer option to start with. He's also is due a bag full of goals having not hit the back of the net for over 6 weeks.
The last time Stoke played City was straight after their defeat in the FA Cup final. The result was 3-0 in a rather one sided game. In fact the FA Cup final was a rather one sided game too, although that's not to say the same thing will happen this time round. Both teams have improved since May and will be looking to pick up as many points over the Christmas period as possible.
City (Manchester of course) are unbeaten at home in the last 12 months, and Stoke have lost 4 of their 8 games away from home this season, conceding 16 in the process. This all points to what should be a comfortable victory for Mancini's men after his 2nd anniversary of becoming manager at Manchester City. However, football often likes to throw in a result no one expects. Hopefully that wont be tomorrow.
Twitter: @MikeWalsh1880
Facebook: David Silva's Left Foot
Tony Pulis and his team currently sit 8th in the table and qualified for the knockout stages of the Europa League. They are a tough test for any team to face, physically robust and know how to play to their strengths. Although Stoke do have players that can play a bit, they are well known for a certain, very unattractive style of play.It wasn't particularly surprising when they announced the signing of Peter Crouch from Spurs in the summer. He's exactly the kind of player Stoke want up front as they punt or throw the ball into the 18 yard box. Peter Crouch is Stoke's joint top scorer with Jonathan Walters, both currently on 4 league goals.
Rory Delap is well known for his ability to launch the ball into the box from throw ins, and giving one away within 30 yards from the goal line is as good as giving away a corner. City will have to be fully focused if Stoke get any throw ins or free kicks near the area. If Kompany and Richards play like they did against Arsenal though even the likes of Crouch will have a tough time beating them in the air. I think it's fair to say that you know exactly what you're going to get when you play against Stoke and to be fair to them, what they do works for them. Whether you like the way they play or not is another thing, but each team has to play to their strengths at the end of the day, and their strengths are their physical presence and set pieces.
I suspect we will see Joleon Lescott returning to the side after missing out on Arsenal. Kolo was likely chosen ahead of Joleon for his added mobility which thankfully shone through after some very lacklustre performances. However, Lescott has much better ability in the air and will be the better option against the aerial bombardment Stoke are likely to try and impose.
We may also see a recall to action from Edin Dzeko in place of Super Mario. Although Mario provides much more flair and an ability to create something out of nothing, Edin has more of a physical presence and is less likely to lose his temper with the physical nature of Stoke's defence. In short, Mario is an easy target and Edin he is a safer option to start with. He's also is due a bag full of goals having not hit the back of the net for over 6 weeks. The last time Stoke played City was straight after their defeat in the FA Cup final. The result was 3-0 in a rather one sided game. In fact the FA Cup final was a rather one sided game too, although that's not to say the same thing will happen this time round. Both teams have improved since May and will be looking to pick up as many points over the Christmas period as possible.
City (Manchester of course) are unbeaten at home in the last 12 months, and Stoke have lost 4 of their 8 games away from home this season, conceding 16 in the process. This all points to what should be a comfortable victory for Mancini's men after his 2nd anniversary of becoming manager at Manchester City. However, football often likes to throw in a result no one expects. Hopefully that wont be tomorrow.
Twitter: @MikeWalsh1880
Facebook: David Silva's Left Foot
Monday, 19 December 2011
Manchester City v Arsenal: Post Match
What a game that was! Quite possibly the mos t exciting game I've seen this season. With a 1-0 scoreline you would be forgiven for thinking this was an edgy, nervous game with few chances, but you would be very wrong.
It was blatantly clear from the moment the whistle went that both teams were up for this game. City's season was falling apart according to large sections of the media after losing to Chelsea, and with Manchester United beating QPR earlier on in the day City really needed a result to stay top of the league.
Within the first 10 minutes City could have been 1-0 up as Zabaleta (playing at left back) received the ball out wide from a perfectly weighted pass from Barry. With the Arsenal defence retreating, Zaba placed a wonderful first time pass across the top of the 18 yard box which was collected expertly by Aguero. Sergio's first touch was sublime, his shot however wasn't as he blasted the ball over the bar.
As well as Zabaleta comng in for Kolarov and Clichy (injured and suspended), this game also saw Kolo Toure return to action, chosen ahead of Joleon Lescott. Noteably though, it was Kopmpany who occupied the left side of the central pairing. With the threat of Walcott cutting inside and causing trouble it was up to Kompany and Zaba to make so he didn't have any influence on the game.
That's exactly what they did. Both Zabaleta and Kompany has absolutely superb games. Amongst the best I've ever seen either of them play. Komapny was a giant in defence, nothing was getting past him and he even showed a few deft touches going forward when the opportunity arose. Zabaleta was sensational at left back both in defence and going forward, even hitting the post with a drive from outside the area later in the game.
After his previous performances this season I was a little worried when I saw Kolo's name on the team sheet. But I will hand it to him, he also had a fine game. Perhaps the most notable contribution was executing a perfectly times tackle on Aaron Ramsey with the young gunner 6 yards from goal and certain to score. The look on Ramsey's face said it all, he wouldn't get a better opportunity to score all season.
Balotelli came close to scoring after 25 minutes as he brought the ball down between two Arsenal defenders and shot on the turn from around 8 yards. Unfortunately for City, Szczesny was in fine form, and closed the gap quickly to stop the shot heading into the back of the net.
The first half was exhilarating as both sides seemingly took turns in trading blows. City attacked, then Arsenal attacked, back and forth it went. Joe Hart made a number of fantastic saves to keep City in the game, the best performance from him so far this season as he was clearly desperate to keep a clean sheet. Both teams went in level at 0-0 at the halfway mark.
The deadlock was finally broken on 52 minutes after Zabaleta intercepted a pass on the edge of his own area. Gareth Barry picked up the ball and passed quickly to Samir Nasri who then quickly turned and ran past the halfway line, spotting Balotelli in acres of space to run into on the left wing. Balo took control of the ball 6 yards from the byline, worked his way to the 18 yard box and jinked passed song before firing off a low drive. Szczesny parried the shot but Aguero managed to get his head to the rebound which then fell neatly to Silva who tapped the ball home with his right foot.
Both sides had a number of good chances in the second half. Robin Van Persie had the ball in the back of the net at one point but the assistant flagged for offside. Arsenal may well feel aggrieved after seeing the reply though. It was a mixture of poor finishing and excellent goalkeeping from both teams that kept the score down before time was called on a simply breathtaking game.
An outstanding performance from all players. Nasri was given man of the match at the Etihad, Kompany was given it by Sky, although Zabaleta and Gareth Barry were two other very strong shouts for the award.
City remain top of the table despite their season apparently falling apart after the Chelsea game. Stoke visit the Etihad Stadium in the next few days, a different sort of test altogether awaits.
Twitter: @MikeWalsh1880
Facebook: David Silva's Left Foot
It was blatantly clear from the moment the whistle went that both teams were up for this game. City's season was falling apart according to large sections of the media after losing to Chelsea, and with Manchester United beating QPR earlier on in the day City really needed a result to stay top of the league.
Within the first 10 minutes City could have been 1-0 up as Zabaleta (playing at left back) received the ball out wide from a perfectly weighted pass from Barry. With the Arsenal defence retreating, Zaba placed a wonderful first time pass across the top of the 18 yard box which was collected expertly by Aguero. Sergio's first touch was sublime, his shot however wasn't as he blasted the ball over the bar. As well as Zabaleta comng in for Kolarov and Clichy (injured and suspended), this game also saw Kolo Toure return to action, chosen ahead of Joleon Lescott. Noteably though, it was Kopmpany who occupied the left side of the central pairing. With the threat of Walcott cutting inside and causing trouble it was up to Kompany and Zaba to make so he didn't have any influence on the game.
That's exactly what they did. Both Zabaleta and Kompany has absolutely superb games. Amongst the best I've ever seen either of them play. Komapny was a giant in defence, nothing was getting past him and he even showed a few deft touches going forward when the opportunity arose. Zabaleta was sensational at left back both in defence and going forward, even hitting the post with a drive from outside the area later in the game. After his previous performances this season I was a little worried when I saw Kolo's name on the team sheet. But I will hand it to him, he also had a fine game. Perhaps the most notable contribution was executing a perfectly times tackle on Aaron Ramsey with the young gunner 6 yards from goal and certain to score. The look on Ramsey's face said it all, he wouldn't get a better opportunity to score all season.
Balotelli came close to scoring after 25 minutes as he brought the ball down between two Arsenal defenders and shot on the turn from around 8 yards. Unfortunately for City, Szczesny was in fine form, and closed the gap quickly to stop the shot heading into the back of the net.
The first half was exhilarating as both sides seemingly took turns in trading blows. City attacked, then Arsenal attacked, back and forth it went. Joe Hart made a number of fantastic saves to keep City in the game, the best performance from him so far this season as he was clearly desperate to keep a clean sheet. Both teams went in level at 0-0 at the halfway mark. The deadlock was finally broken on 52 minutes after Zabaleta intercepted a pass on the edge of his own area. Gareth Barry picked up the ball and passed quickly to Samir Nasri who then quickly turned and ran past the halfway line, spotting Balotelli in acres of space to run into on the left wing. Balo took control of the ball 6 yards from the byline, worked his way to the 18 yard box and jinked passed song before firing off a low drive. Szczesny parried the shot but Aguero managed to get his head to the rebound which then fell neatly to Silva who tapped the ball home with his right foot.
Both sides had a number of good chances in the second half. Robin Van Persie had the ball in the back of the net at one point but the assistant flagged for offside. Arsenal may well feel aggrieved after seeing the reply though. It was a mixture of poor finishing and excellent goalkeeping from both teams that kept the score down before time was called on a simply breathtaking game. An outstanding performance from all players. Nasri was given man of the match at the Etihad, Kompany was given it by Sky, although Zabaleta and Gareth Barry were two other very strong shouts for the award.
City remain top of the table despite their season apparently falling apart after the Chelsea game. Stoke visit the Etihad Stadium in the next few days, a different sort of test altogether awaits.
Twitter: @MikeWalsh1880
Facebook: David Silva's Left Foot
Friday, 19 August 2011
Manchester City in Fifa 12 playable demo
It has been confirmed that Manchester City is to be one of the teams available in Fifa 12's playable demo being released on September 13th. Not only that, and as well as the Etihad Stadium being included in the full game for the very first time, it is also the venue for the demo.
The other 5 playable teams will be Barcelona, Arsenal, Marseille, Dortmund and AC Milan. It is unclear whether the teams will be fully updated, and I suppose that will partly depend on whether a deal taking Samir Nasri from Arsenal to Manchester City is ever finalised.
Manchester City were the 8th most played team in head to head online games in Fifa 11, and it will be interesting to see if that rises any higher up the table in the next 12 months as the recent multi-million pound deal with EA (amongst other notable deals) and Champion's League football will undoubtedly raise the profile of the club considerably during the 2011-12 season.
The full game will be out on September 30th. I know which team I'll be using.
The other 5 playable teams will be Barcelona, Arsenal, Marseille, Dortmund and AC Milan. It is unclear whether the teams will be fully updated, and I suppose that will partly depend on whether a deal taking Samir Nasri from Arsenal to Manchester City is ever finalised.
Manchester City were the 8th most played team in head to head online games in Fifa 11, and it will be interesting to see if that rises any higher up the table in the next 12 months as the recent multi-million pound deal with EA (amongst other notable deals) and Champion's League football will undoubtedly raise the profile of the club considerably during the 2011-12 season.
The full game will be out on September 30th. I know which team I'll be using.
Monday, 18 July 2011
A look into the future of Manchester City.
Ok, now I've calmed down I can start to type structured and coherent sentences again I'll restart this blog.
I'll admit just before doing this I was like a 5 year old on Christmas eve having just found his parent's secret stash of Christmas presents. But what got me so exited? I know for a fact fans of other teams wont have reacted to this news with the same child-like enthusiasm as I did, and maybe some City fans wont have either but here it is.
The Manchester Evening News had an article today describing part of City's plans for the newly named Etihad Campus (what used to be SportCity and a large stretch of land included). Now I know we had all heard bits and pieces of what was going to happen but we're now beginning to see those same pieces of the jigsaw come together.
Last season saw the performance of City on the pitch finally come together in winning the FA Cup and finishing 3rd in the league. Today we get a proper look at how City are building for the future.
City have today unveiled their plans for a new training complex. Yes we expected this already as it's been in the pipeline for the last 2 years, but now we're privy to a little more detail on what it will be included in this part of the project.
The facilities will include 16 pitches for the 1st team, EDS, and Academy players to use. Along with these will be included a 7000-seater stadium for the youth and EDS teams which will also be opened up for public use.
It doesn't stop there, oh no, the plans also include accommodation and educational facilities for the Academy and EDS players aged 8-18. This is as well as dedicated pitches, accommodation, a gym and rehab centre for the 1st team. It is believed that a section of the complex, not only the stadium, will also be open to the public.
At this moment in time the Academy is at Platt Lane, and the EDS train at Carrington along with the 1st team. These plans will bring them all together in one training complex and will vastly improve the Club's ability to nurture and develop young and talented players in the future. There is no doubt that the facilities will match if not better those used by the best clubs around the globe.
In fact officials and representatives from City have travelled to the best youth and training set ups around the world in order to come up with what is touted to become the world's best training complex. Just look at what has been happening in the UAE in recent times, they don't do things by half do they? The same can certainly be said of Sheikh Mansour and his investment in City to date so why should that change now?
City's Academy has already produced no less than 30 players who have made a first team appearance in its 13 year existence. Considering how basic the facilities were until recently that's an outstanding number of players. Many are still plying their trade in the the Premier League or lower leagues, and some are still with City fighting for silverware.
Something that hasn't been confirmed yet, but is expected, is the donation of over 5 acres of land to be used for the community and will create what has been described in the past as a significant number of jobs. I'm sure the CitC scheme will have some plans to work with Manchester City Council to improve the local community in that area; Something Patrick Vieira no doubt has an interest in getting involved with.
Today's announcement is just another in a string of announcements since the takeover in 2008 that have cemented Sheikh Mansour's intention of long term investment and his vision for City when he first took over. Many fans of other teams, especially a certain one which I wont mention (but we all know who they are) were quick to say "When the Arabs get bored in two years you'll be in trouble" but this is yet another smack in the gob for them.
What other owners have done what Sheikh Mansour has done and continues to do? What other football club is regenerating 80 acres of land that will not only benefit the club but put a significant contribution back into the community in which it stands? What football club signs a sponsorship deal that not only benefits themselves but actually generates £20m for the local council? Can anyone actually name another club like this? Answers on a postcard (or just a comment at the bottom will do) if you can think of one.
On a side note to this, and as I have already mentioned in a previous blog, the Etihad sponsorship deal looks ever more reasonable when you take into consideration that whenever this huge regeneration project is spoken of Etihad will be mentioned along with it. That is why Etihad were willing to spend so much on the deal.
http://imnotreallyhere-vallis1880.blogspot.com/2011/07/are-city-really-in-hot-water-with-new.html
These proposals have already been accepted by the council but have yet to be submitted to the public. This will happen from Tuesday onwards and in all honesty how can anyone seriously object to any of it? Can anyone honestly object to City and the council creating jobs and funds for the community? No one in their right mind could anyway. Surely it could only be someone bitter about their club having money drained out of it by their owners would stoop so low as to jest and jibe at something like this. Over to you lot at Trafford Friendship, Alliance, Togetherness it is then.
For more detail on the newly announced plans visit http://www.mcfc.co.uk/News/Club-news/2011/July/Etihad-Campus-consultation-to-open
I'll admit just before doing this I was like a 5 year old on Christmas eve having just found his parent's secret stash of Christmas presents. But what got me so exited? I know for a fact fans of other teams wont have reacted to this news with the same child-like enthusiasm as I did, and maybe some City fans wont have either but here it is.
The Manchester Evening News had an article today describing part of City's plans for the newly named Etihad Campus (what used to be SportCity and a large stretch of land included). Now I know we had all heard bits and pieces of what was going to happen but we're now beginning to see those same pieces of the jigsaw come together.
Last season saw the performance of City on the pitch finally come together in winning the FA Cup and finishing 3rd in the league. Today we get a proper look at how City are building for the future.
City have today unveiled their plans for a new training complex. Yes we expected this already as it's been in the pipeline for the last 2 years, but now we're privy to a little more detail on what it will be included in this part of the project.
A view of the Etihad Stadium from what part of the Etihad Campus currently looks like
The facilities will include 16 pitches for the 1st team, EDS, and Academy players to use. Along with these will be included a 7000-seater stadium for the youth and EDS teams which will also be opened up for public use.
It doesn't stop there, oh no, the plans also include accommodation and educational facilities for the Academy and EDS players aged 8-18. This is as well as dedicated pitches, accommodation, a gym and rehab centre for the 1st team. It is believed that a section of the complex, not only the stadium, will also be open to the public.
At this moment in time the Academy is at Platt Lane, and the EDS train at Carrington along with the 1st team. These plans will bring them all together in one training complex and will vastly improve the Club's ability to nurture and develop young and talented players in the future. There is no doubt that the facilities will match if not better those used by the best clubs around the globe.
In fact officials and representatives from City have travelled to the best youth and training set ups around the world in order to come up with what is touted to become the world's best training complex. Just look at what has been happening in the UAE in recent times, they don't do things by half do they? The same can certainly be said of Sheikh Mansour and his investment in City to date so why should that change now?
City's Academy has already produced no less than 30 players who have made a first team appearance in its 13 year existence. Considering how basic the facilities were until recently that's an outstanding number of players. Many are still plying their trade in the the Premier League or lower leagues, and some are still with City fighting for silverware.
Academy graduates Shaun Wright-Phillips and Micah Richards at the last home game of the season
Something that hasn't been confirmed yet, but is expected, is the donation of over 5 acres of land to be used for the community and will create what has been described in the past as a significant number of jobs. I'm sure the CitC scheme will have some plans to work with Manchester City Council to improve the local community in that area; Something Patrick Vieira no doubt has an interest in getting involved with.
Today's announcement is just another in a string of announcements since the takeover in 2008 that have cemented Sheikh Mansour's intention of long term investment and his vision for City when he first took over. Many fans of other teams, especially a certain one which I wont mention (but we all know who they are) were quick to say "When the Arabs get bored in two years you'll be in trouble" but this is yet another smack in the gob for them.
City's owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak
What other owners have done what Sheikh Mansour has done and continues to do? What other football club is regenerating 80 acres of land that will not only benefit the club but put a significant contribution back into the community in which it stands? What football club signs a sponsorship deal that not only benefits themselves but actually generates £20m for the local council? Can anyone actually name another club like this? Answers on a postcard (or just a comment at the bottom will do) if you can think of one.
On a side note to this, and as I have already mentioned in a previous blog, the Etihad sponsorship deal looks ever more reasonable when you take into consideration that whenever this huge regeneration project is spoken of Etihad will be mentioned along with it. That is why Etihad were willing to spend so much on the deal.
http://imnotreallyhere-vallis1880.blogspot.com/2011/07/are-city-really-in-hot-water-with-new.html
These proposals have already been accepted by the council but have yet to be submitted to the public. This will happen from Tuesday onwards and in all honesty how can anyone seriously object to any of it? Can anyone honestly object to City and the council creating jobs and funds for the community? No one in their right mind could anyway. Surely it could only be someone bitter about their club having money drained out of it by their owners would stoop so low as to jest and jibe at something like this. Over to you lot at Trafford Friendship, Alliance, Togetherness it is then.
For more detail on the newly announced plans visit http://www.mcfc.co.uk/News/Club-news/2011/July/Etihad-Campus-consultation-to-open
Sunday, 10 July 2011
Are City really in hot water with the new ETIHAD deal?
Well it seems the media and some clubs are well and truly spitting their dummies out over City’s new sponsorship deal, calling for UEFA to investigate and even veto the agreement. It’s no secret that City’s takeover sparked the beginnings of the Financial Fair Play rules as Europe’s top clubs choked at the thought of someone outside of their clique should be able to gatecrash their timeshare of the domestic and European honours.
Now those same clubs along with the media are crying foul that City have managed to secure what is now being touted as up to £400m over the next decade. All that money for just selling the naming rights to what was now formally known as the City of Manchester Stadium? Well not exactly, but we’ll come to that later on.
The most vociferous of the critics from the football world have been Arsenal and Bayern Munich (according to the media). Now let me see, why would Arsenal and Bayern Munich have such sour grapes over such a deal?
Arsenal have seen Manchester City buy a number of their players over the last few seasons with the latest arrival being Gael Clichy. And although certain sections of supporters and so called experts will tell you he hasn’t had a good season, the statistics tell another story showing him as one of the best in the Premiership. City have also been heavily linked with a deal for Samir Nasri.
Gael Clichy shows off his new shirt after signing of City from Arsenal
A spokesman of the Arsenal Supporters Trust has been outspoken regarding the deal with ETIHAD saying: "It's like a match where one side decides to follow the offside rule and one doesn't. The City deal drives a coach and horses through the market place."
Earlier on this week the spokesman also stated: "The deal at Manchester City stretches credulity to the limit. The numbers just don't stack up."
Forgive me if I’m wrong but this just sounds like sour grapes. City have caused a stir amongst Arsenal supporters after they not only beat them to third in the league but have also taken one of their best players and are linked with another this transfer window. Add to this that Arsenal’s board simply refuse to spend money on proven players and other club’s aiming to poach other Arsenal stars it’s likely to leave Arsenal in another ‘transitional’ state of limbo yet again.
And now for Bayern Munich whose Chief Executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has ‘blasted’ or ‘slammed’ the deal (depending on what headline you read) saying: “Maybe they still have a trick up their sleeves but I’m not sure that they will be permitted to play in the Champions League.”
But let’s have a look at what he said moments earlier shall we?
“You have to look at it soberly – the player is under contract with Manchester City and the decision lies with them. They have demanded a price we will never be willing to pay.”
Oh so Bayern aren’t bothered about the deal? No, although the papers would have you believe the first quote is talking about the ETIHAD deal. What he’s actually moaning about is that City won’t sell them Jerome Boateng on the cheap. And that, as they say Karl, is harte Scheiße.
Thank you Independent for trying to mislead us with the context in which those words were spoken by omitting the full detail. That’s a snide trick I would’ve expected the Daily Fail or the Sun to try.
So, getting back to the point, something else that the media aren’t happy about is that the owner of ETIHAD Airways is Sheikh Mansour’s half-brother and feel that the deal has been done at inflated values in order to gain an unfair advantage in the market.
Well as it was pointed out at the press conference at the unveiling of the deal, CEO of ETIHAD Airways, James Hogan made the point perfectly clear when asked if the Abu Dhabi government had invested in the deal through Sheikh Mansour. Hogan said “We’re (ETIHAD) a stand-alone business… [and] are responsible for our own commercial activities. So the funding of this deal is by ETIHAD Airways.”
Is that clear enough for everyone?
If not here’s some more from James Hogan: “We (ETIHAD) had very strong commercial requirements. If it didn’t add up we wouldn’t be doing it.”
And let us not forget that this is much more than just the sale/sponsorship of the stadium naming rights. It encompasses the shirt sponsorship and a substantial amount of ground that City own around the stadium. The ground on which major work will be done in the near future. Ground that will eventually consist of a new training ground, community football pitches, a swimming pool, a new speedway, and educational facilities and an ETIHAD call centre. Some or all of which could bare the ETIHAD logo.
Hogan describes the historic deal as “Far beyond the typical sponsorship-club agreement.” And when you actually look at it, it is!
We were initially getting figures of £120m-£150m it caused a stir but now the estimated figures have jumped to £400m sheer panic has set in. But if you break it down is it really that ludicrous?
As was mentioned earlier we have 3 major parts of this contract; the stadium naming rights, the kit sponsorship, and the naming of the campus around the stadium. Say for a moment that the naming rights are £150m which is the figure touted earlier on in the year, and the naming of the grounds around the stadium are also £150m (which seems fair if the stadium is the same). This now leaves £100m kit sponsorship deal.
Obviously these figures are complete guesses but not unrealistic in their logic. Barcelona have recently signed a kit sponsorship deal worth €150 (£125m) over 5 years with Qatar Foundation which works out at £24m a year. If the figures I used are anywhere near correct, City will make £10m a year from the kit sponsoring element. Hardly over the odds is it?
And I hate to bring “them” up but the rags already get £23m a year from Nike and there are rumours of a £400m 10 year kit sponsorship deal with them... Has anyone batted an eyelid about this? Don’t be silly, of course they haven’t. £40m a year for a kit sponsorship alone but people are up in arms about what is essentially a whole company sponsorship for the same price.
It’s impossible to think that City have gone about this blindly without checking the rules and regulations regarding such a deal. And something which all of the media has conveniently missed is that during the Q&A after the initial press conference Gary Cook specifically stated: “We have a very open dialogue with UEFA, we’ve had several meetings with UEFA about our plans.”
Cook Even went on to say the UEFA were “very supportive of Manchester City’s ambition.”
There it is in black and white, but if you don’t believe that the full press conference can be viewed on citytv on mcfc.co.uk if you want to check it out.
The hypocrisy of the press over this is truly sickening, and the obvious jealousy of sections of fans is highly laughable. Although they can both get under your skin sometimes, do we really need to care what the press and opposition fans come out with to try and knock us down? No, we know what’s going on, City are more open with its fans than any other Club in the world.
Should we be worried about being able to comply with the FFP rules UEFA created to keep the traditionally big clubs at the top and everyone else looking on in frustration? Hell no! We have owners and a boardroom who know what they’re doing when it comes to business. And that’s what football is today, a business, and it has been like that for some time whether we like it or not.
Once everyone’s 2nd favourite team because they were the plucky underdog, the team who never quite made it, the team who weren’t considered a threat, but now hatde beyond belief because they have the cheek to have a wealthy owner who has turned the club around and continues to do so in dramatic style.
Once everyone’s 2nd favourite team because they were the plucky underdog, the team who never quite made it, the team who weren’t considered a threat, but now hatde beyond belief because they have the cheek to have a wealthy owner who has turned the club around and continues to do so in dramatic style.
As the saying goes, hated or adored but never ignored. And just like their new ETIHAD Airways A330 – 200 namesake, the blue moon will continue to rise for some time.
Kit man Les Chapman enjoying the ride on ETIHAD's A330-200 City airliner.
ETIHAD Airways' Manchester City A330-200
@MikeWalsh1880
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