Manchester City International

[the count]

Is this the way football is going ?..................





Manchester City Football Club to acquire Melbourne Heart FC in partnership with owners of Melbourne Storm.

A consortium led by Manchester City Football Club has acquired Melbourne Heart FC effective immediately.
The consortium also includes the ownership group of the Melbourne Storm as minority shareholders with a 20 percent stake.
Ferran Soriano, CEO of Manchester City, said: “We are excited about the opportunity to make Melbourne Heart one of the most successful football clubs in Australia and throughout the region.
"We believe the strong sports culture of Melbourne combined with the football and commercial expertise within our consortium will make for a powerful combination both on and off the pitch."
Bart Campbell, Chairman of the holding company Heart Consortium Group and Chairman of the Melbourne Storm NRL side, said: “Partnering with City to co-invest in Melbourne Heart will further strengthen the sporting landscape in one of the world’s greatest cities and bring a range of new capabilities to AAMI Park.
"We are excited to be a part of this unique project. It is our shared ambition to replicate the model that City created with the New York Yankees around New York City FC and for both organisations to benefit as a result”.
He added: “We are grateful to Peter Sidwell and his Board for creating a Club with such obvious strengths and potential.”
Speaking on behalf of the exiting Board of Melbourne Heart FC, Chairman Peter Sidwell said, “The Board feels that with the successful establishment and evolution of the Club over the last four years, Melbourne Heart now stands on sound commercial and financial foundations.

 

[ILD]

Ryan will be playing for city reserves next season.

 

[James]

Heart are a joke of a club. Just went on a winless run of 19 straight games or something like that. Oh, and Kewell is the captain of the club. Tells you all you need to know.

 

[Dreambeliever]

Should make the A league somewhat watchable.

Heart are woefully bad. 11 months since their last win before last weekend.

 

[RedZeppelin III]

yeah but they're still a club with fans . First and foremost city are going to look after themselves , would you want to be a heart fan knowing that ? that you could potentially just be some play thing . Guess just depends on what city want to use them for .

 

[Dreambeliever]

yeah but they're still a club with fans . First and foremost city are going to look after themselves , would you want to be a heart fan knowing that ? that you could potentially just be some play thing . Guess just depends on what city want to use them for .

Blood their youth players who would be superb in Australia as the standard is garbage.

 

[RedZeppelin III]

possible , but i suspect this is more about building world brands etc than footballing matters

 

[StevieM]

I'm actually a Melbourne Heart fan and know a few of the people that run the club - my pub looks after their fans & the Man City fans in Melbourne as well & we've sponsored Heart players for a couple of years.

They aren't a bad run club - from a financial sense - the actually make a profit from a very small fanbase. What they have done us focus on youth development and have a few promising youngsters coming through.

They're having a shocking season - the problem is the coach they appointed. It's only their 4th year. The first 2 seasons were promising, reaching end of season finals series under former Ajax coach John Van't Schip - when he left and was replaced by John Aloisi things went wrong. Aloisi's experience was coaching the youth team for 1 season and since then, the team has completely under-performed.

I think this is great for Heart.

 

[King Binny]

Besides plans for youth team and academy, this could perhaps be a base for their Asian signings? The MLS franchise New York City can be one for the North and South American signings likewise. Even if they don't make the grade for Man City, the profits from sales to other clubs (after grooming them) should be considerable.

Something similar to Juve and Chelsea stockpiling players, loaning them out and either making profit from sales/including them in swap deals/bringing them back to the club.

 

[StevieM]

Heart have posted profits by selling home developed players for fees we would consider tiny to European clubs - no one over a million.

Also - you wouldn't have heard of any if them.

 

[James]

Apparently now changing their name from Melbourne Heart to Melbourne City.

 

[Ryan]

Ryan will be playing for city reserves next season.

Melbourne Heart are truly fucking shit, so yeah I probably could get a game for them.

 

[StevieM]

Apparently now changing their name from Melbourne Heart to Melbourne City.

Let's be honest - Heart was a shit name,

 

[Athens]

Let's be honest - Heart was a shit name,

Almost as bad as Heart of Midlothian.

 

[StevieM]

Melbourne Heart are truly fucking shit, so yeah I probably could get a game for them.

I remember watching the current Melbourne Victory manager clatter you from behind.

 

[Ryan]

I remember watching the current Melbourne Victory manager clatter you from behind.

That's true.

But do you also remember him tearing his hamstring and missing the first 5 games of that A-League season from chasing after me?

Also true.

 

[StevieM]

That's true.

But do you also remember him tearing his hamstring and missing the first 5 games of that A-League season from chasing after me?

Also true.

Hah! Did he really?

Cunt of a player that he was - after he fell over writhing in pain for his torn hamstring, you would have been applauded for kicking him square in the nuts.

 

[ILD]

Ryan who are you playing for these days?

 

[Brizzle]

More importantly, what colour are your boots? And do you wear ankle tape?

 

[Ryan]

Ryan who are you playing for these days?

Retired last year mate.

 

[LeTallecWiz]

Retired last year mate.

WHAT?!!?

 

[Athens]

WHAT?!!?

Did you not get tickets to his testimonial? Everyone else did.

 

[LeTallecWiz]

Did you not get tickets to his testimonial? Everyone else did.

What a cock.

 

[ILD]

Retired last year mate.

Married then retired in a space of a year. #FINISHED

 

[Brizzle]

#GAMEOVER

 

[Ryan]

Married then retired in a space of a year. #FINISHED

Gay as fuck innit.

 

[Dreambeliever]

Gay as fuck innit.

Have you done your coaching badges yet?

 

[Ryan]

Have you done your coaching badges yet?

In the middle of them. UEFA A is next.

 

[Dreambeliever]

In the middle of them. UEFA A is next.

Is that the Aussie version that apparently isn't recognised anywhere else or the European one?

My housemate is in the middle of his, coaches the under 14's while playing for the seniors.

Are you coaching a team yet or you plan to down the line?

 

[Ryan]

Is that the Aussie version that apparently isn't recognised anywhere else or the European one?

My housemate is in the middle of his, coaches the under 14's while playing for the seniors.

Are you coaching a team yet or you plan to down the line?

The European one. No one takes the Aus one anymore.

No ambitions to coach, I don't have the patience. Just interested in the background to it all. It's a pity really, cos I'd be a fucking brilliant coach.