What is the business model behind City Football Group?

[decmancity]

I'll always as a Manchester City fan view my world from my seat at the Etihad. I struggle to take on this vision. My outlook is how does this benefit my football club in terms of players, finance to buy more players, improvements to the ground etc. This seems to be a bit more altruistic, enabling a vision for sport because we can. I wonder how much this comes from the boardrrom of MCFC or the owner. if I had just created one of the best football clubs in the world, I think my ambitions might grow.

ADUG are an investment group, led by some of the finest business minds around. Everything is for a reason, we have created a monster of an advertising tool for Abu Dhabi and now it will become another money machine for them.

In terms of players, we haven't really benefited so far but who knows, at the minute we are getting a free run at talents like Mooy, Arzani and Harrison which are going to bank us money. Not huge amounts but its a revenue stream we didn't have access to before.

 

[casualdeyna]

It's a long term thing, and also making sure we are ahead of the game rather than behind it.

Football is still a sport still growing, massively so in some areas, and we seem to be targeting high population areas in growing football markets, USA, Oz, China etc.

It creates all the synergies with scouting, sponsorship etc. as other people have said, but in 10/20 years time football in USA, China etc. could be huge.

Other clubs were already starting to do this or had looked in to it, sure I've read Barca were looking at creating a Barca USA for years.

So don't wait until everyone else does it and starts proving to be a successful model, better to be the pioneers than playing catch-up, which you can argue is what we've been doing in England for the last 10 years.

I think this will make much more sense to us blues in years to come, especially as clubs come in and out of the group as I think we will sell clubs that don't grow. I've already heard a rumour they are unhappy with the A-league because the people behind that are still thinking too small time, whereas MLS seems to get bigger every year.

 

[Marvin]

ADUG are an investment group, led by some of the finest business minds around. Everything is for a reason, we have created a monster of an advertising tool for Abu Dhabi and now it will become another money machine for them.

In terms of players, we haven't really benefited so far but who knows, at the minute we are getting a free run at talents like Mooy, Arzani and Harrison which are going to bank us money. Not huge amounts but its a revenue stream we didn't have access to before.

The football clubs are branded in the name of City although I am sure that the finance may come from Sheikh Mansour.

Beyond the UAE Tourism videos, I don't see UAE being drummed into City fans. We know who Sheikh mansour is and where he is from but I see the club as his project not Abu Dhabis. In fact I am aware of Abu Dhabi Sheikks trying to buy other football clubs.

 

[Armchair Supporter]

Win

 

[decmancity]

The football clubs are branded in the name of City although I am sure that the finance may come from Sheikh Mansour.

Beyond the UAE Tourism videos, I don't see UAE being drummed into City fans. We know who Sheikh mansour is and where he is from but I see the club as his project not Abu Dhabis. In fact I am aware of Abu Dhabi Sheikks trying to buy other football clubs.

They dont need to drum UAE into us or anyone really, it will happen naturally. They are not looking to get 100 million people to Abu Dhabi this year. They are getting Abu Dhabi into the top tier of holiday locations for the rest of time. Sub consciously I reckon they have gained millions of tourists, just by routing flights through Abu Dhabi they are capturing people to think of having a quick 2/3 day stop over or maybe longer before their next destination.

 

[Mon Autre]

They dont need to drum UAE into us or anyone really, it will happen naturally. They are not looking to get 100 million people to Abu Dhabi this year. They are getting Abu Dhabi into the top tier of holiday locations for the rest of time. Sub consciously I reckon they have gained millions of tourists, just by routing flights through Abu Dhabi they are capturing people to think of having a quick 2/3 day stop over or maybe longer before their next destination.

Totally agree with this. Also, whether it's drummed into people or not, you only had to look at how the Matthew Hedges case played out to see the effect their ownership has on fans. Regardless of whether you think the guy was a spy or not, a lot of City fans were quite quick to put forward the view that he might be a spy and maybe the UAE were in the right on that issue. I doubt a lot of those people would have felt the need to speak out about it otherwise.

 

[cyberblue]

Why are the City Football Group buying clubs across the World?

Is it to leverage Manchester City? If it is, it wont work because no club wants to be a project for another. I don't understand the footballing or business rationale behind it.

I can see that it may offer at the margins some synergy for clubs associated within a wider group, but it must be a massive drain on financial and management resources.

I can think of two reasons for doing so

1) City have always faced efforts to marginalise us. Perhaps through making City a global phenomena we win friends and influence

2) Because we can. All clubs are projects of their owners. It enables the owner to have fingers in more pies. We have a concept of football that we want to spread throughout the world and if you are a billionaire why wouldn't you do it?

I am struggling to see a compelling argument about why it benefits MCFC or the supporters. I see no big downside either, but I struggle to get the concept.

Can anyone explain to me why I should be interested in the wider City Football Group? I can't explain it beyond the vague notions above.

It seems like an ego trip to me but am sure some one with a business head thinks it a great idea .I wish they would put as much energy into sorting the ticket office and website out as according to many on here both are shambles. We need to also put energy into creating a huge young local fan base for the future. So the moral of the story is The global stuff may or may not be a good idea but lets get bread and butter stuff at home sorted

 

[aguero93:20]

Simples. We've taken down the English rags, now to knock all the rags internationally off their perches.

 

[decmancity]

It seems like an ego trip to me but am sure some one with a business head thinks it a great idea .I wish they would put as much energy into sorting the ticket office and website out as according to many on here both are shambles. We need to also put energy into creating a huge young local fan base for the future. So the moral of the story is The global stuff may or may not be a good idea but lets get bread and butter stuff at home sorted

Sadly mate, the website and ticket office is probably of little concern. The website is a 'sponsorship' so we won't be changing that and no doubt there is some team of people out there who love the aesthetics of the site...

The ticket office is a problem but unless it stops 50k+ people getting in the Etihad each week, its is likely no where near the radar for most of the top brass. Hopefully the new scheme involving the fans will help but as i said if you look at the black and white of the tickets we are doing near enough 100% capacity each week home and away and that will more than do for the club.

 

[cyberblue]

Sadly mate, the website and ticket office is probably of little concern. The website is a 'sponsorship' so we won't be changing that and no doubt there is some team of people out there who love the aesthetics of the site...

The ticket office is a problem but unless it stops 50k+ people getting in the Etihad each week, its is likely no where near the radar for most of the top brass. Hopefully the new scheme involving the fans will help but as i said if you look at the black and white of the tickets we are doing near enough 100% capacity each week home and away and that will more than do for the club.

You make some great points .But how fickle are some of the fans? I f we go a couple of seasons without playing well and winning trophies will some of the ones who have know only sucsess start to stay away ..While we get near enough full houses for League game it is not the case for cup games ,Now would be an ideal time to build a huge younger local fan base .It wont be easy though with all the distractions of modern life and not being to just turn up and sit with your mates .Some lads might think paying £40-£50 to sit on there own for a night game in November isn't a great idea after all