City Football Group (CFG) and Goals Soccer Centres (Goals) have today announced a joint venture which will see the Group team up with one of the world's largest and most popular operators of dedicated, 5-a-side pitches, to create and run leading playing and training facilities across the US and Canada.
The sites will all be jointly City and Goals branded, with the new identity to be launched later this year.
City Football Group is the owner of football-related businesses in major cities around the world, including football clubs, academies, and technical and marketing companies. The Group includes football clubs on five continents; Manchester City in England, New York City FC in the US, Melbourne City in Australia, Yokohama f Marinos in Japan and CA Torque in Uruguay.
The news comes as Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City visits the US for the Club’s pre-season tour, with games in Houston, Los Angeles and Nashville.
New signing, Danilo, will join Leroy Sane, Yaya Toure and Nicolas Otamendi at one of Goals’ two existing US sites, in Pomona, CA, to launch the new partnership.
It is a further commitment to North America for City Football Group, which has already put down roots in the US, owning New York City FC in Major League Soccer, coached by World Cup Winner, Patrick Vieira. Alongside its Club investment, City has also been active on the West Coast, with the San Diego-based Manchester City Cup, run by Surf Soccer, now a regular fixture of youth soccer. As well as a vibrant and growing Manchester City and New York City FC fan base, CFG has pitches and active community programmes in New York, Washington D.C., Chicago and Los Angeles.
Ferran Soriano, Chief Executive of City Football Group, said:
“This is a very exciting development for our plans in the US and Canada. Soccer is indisputably the world’s number one sport and growing fast in this region. We have an ambitious vision to help this growth, including our ownership of New York City FC in MLS and many other initiatives like the one we are announcing today.
“The best way for people to fall in love with soccer is by participating. There are a very large number of soccer players in the US and Canada, of all ages, and facilities, like the ones we have and will build, will help tremendously. At CFG we will bring our expertise from the professional game to help Americans play and improve at the sport they love.
“This initiative shows City Football Group’s continuing commitment to soccer in North America. This partnership with an excellent and recognized operator like Goals gives us the best opportunity to succeed.”
Nick Basing, Chairman of Goals said:
“I am delighted we have concluded our new partnership with City Football Group which will transform the prospects to expand our North American estate.
“This is a transformational agreement for our Company to grow and strengthen the North American business. We are delighted to be partnered with a global leader in soccer and believe the combination will give us significant competitive advantage at a time when the emerging market is in its infancy.”
ENDS
About City Football Group
City Football Group (CFG) is the owner of a number of football related businesses with global relevance. These include high profile professional football clubs, academies, technical support and marketing companies. CFG’s majority-owned clubs include Premier League Manchester City FC, Melbourne City FC of the A-League and MLS Franchise New York City Football Club. CFG is also a minority shareholder in Yokohama F. Marinos of the J-League and Club Atlético Torque in the second division of the Uruguayan league. The common aim across all clubs is to provide the best possible experience and an unmatched opportunity for fans and communities to participate in, and benefit from, football at both a local and global level. The Group’s support companies, City Football Services and City Football Marketing, operate from a number of offices around the world in support of the Group’s clubs, associate organisations and customer organisations. City Football Services shares footballing IP and “know-how” to recruit, develop, train and win. City Football Marketing creates media, marketing and fan engagement properties to support the commercial development of clubs and their partners.
City Football Group is wholly owned by Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG). ADUG is an investment and development company privately owned by His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
In December 2015, ADUG divested a 13% shareholding to a China Media Capital-led consortium, creating an unprecedented platform for the growth of CFG clubs and companies in China and internationally. City Football Group’s headquarters are in Manchester and it has offices in Abu Dhabi, London, New York, Melbourne, Shanghai, Singapore and Tokyo.
About Goals
Goals is a successful and established operator of small sided football (“SSF”) clubs across the UK and was established in 2000. Goals now operates 46 FA affiliated clubs across the United Kingdom, two clubs in the USA (Los Angeles) and employs over 700 people.
Small Sided Football is the most popular and fastest growing area of adult football in the UK. With over 30,000 teams playing in organised and competitive small sided leagues, this format of football has increasingly become an integral part of the football family.
The Company has been a key pioneer of the SSF league and casual game in the UK enabling it to form strong partnerships with key industry participants including The FA. This format of the game is now fully recognised and supported by The FA and all Goals’ centres in England are FA accredited.
Enquiries:
<strong>City Football Group </strong><p>Toby Craig, Director of Corporate and Commercial Communications</p><strong>Goals Soccer Centres plc </strong><p>Mark Jones, Chief Executive Officer</p><p>Bill Gow, Chief Financial Officer</p> |
<strong>07710 380248</strong><strong>01355 234 800</strong> |
<p><strong>Canaccord Genuity Limited</strong> (Nominated Adviser and Broker)</p><p>Bruce Garrow</p><p>Chris Connors</p><p>Richard Andrews</p> |
<strong>020 7523 8350</strong> |
<strong>Instinctif Partners</strong><p>Matthew Smallwood</p> |
<strong>020 7457 2020</strong> |
