Manchester united may enter MLS

[dieselboy77]

Man Utd may enter team in MLS
tribalfootball.com - May 22, 2005

Manchester United could soon enter a team in the United States' MLS competition.

The Independent says the Glazer family may follow the lead of Mexico's largest football team, Chivas Rayadas del Guadalajara, which already have Chivas USA competing in MLS.

Glazer's team could play at one of the three Major League stadiums dedicated to football in the United States, with three more to come. With more airtime and more games actually being played, the Glazers should be able to sell fans more shirts and other merchandise. The US Soccer Federation think United could ride a wave.

"Some 15 years ago we hadn't competed in a World Cup for 40 years, there was no professional league and hardly any games were on the TV. Now there is a professional league and we are getting 15,000 people a game," a spokesperson said.

Despite the club touring twice in the past two years, the number of United fans in North and South America is fewer than five million. Malcolm Glazer hopes to change that.

Robert Leffler, president of the Leffler Agency, a sports adverting specialist, said: "If you've been exposed to NFL-style marketing and sales of spin-offs, you recognise that great international teams such as Manchester United, Real Madrid or Santos really could do a tremendous amount of international marketing."

Dear god

[ilv2]

workable, as shown by RSL, but I still don't like it.

[Dkrift]

Didn't people post that tribalfootball.com is full of crap?

[Beckham7]

Didn't people post that tribalfootball.com is full of crap?
Yup

[scaryice]

If they did do this, they should take the city name and use the nickname Red Devils, rather than "Man Utd USA."

[astabooty]

tribalfootball is the website of any ********ign rumor, no matter how ********ign made up it is and whatever. cool story tho

[cliffkram]

You think the conservative right will allow a team called "Red Devils"? They had to change the name of the Memphis Maniax after 2 games because S&P thought it was offensive to those with mental illness....and that was the XFL!! We get at least twice as many fans as them...

[DutchFootballRulez]

I'd like this psychotic thread closed. Glazer didn't invest in MLS before why start now? While he's already several hundred million GBP in debt?!

[BuffloSoldier]

This was originally from the Independent.

http://sport.independent.co.uk/football/man_united/story.jsp?story=640433

[FIFARay007]

You think the conservative right will allow a team called "Red Devils"? They had to change the name of the Memphis Maniax after 2 games because S&P thought it was offensive to those with mental illness....and that was the XFL!! We get at least twice as many fans as them...

Why not? There's a "Fightin Whites" team at the U of Northern Colorado!

http://www.fightingwhites.org/

[Val1]

I think this is a pretty neat idea, even as Arsenal fan.

Look, Glazer needs to get more money coming into the club. Ticket prices are going to rise and he's looking to get more merchandising. What could be better than another team sporting the Man Utd brand? How much money do the Man Utd reserves make the team right now? The sky's the limit if you turn a USA Man Utd team into a reserve reserve team. What if Rossi scored boatloads of goals in the US and then moved on to the Man Utd first team. Wouldn't that spur interest in the regulars?

Given the amount of money he's spent, an MSL franchise would be chicken feed.

[NYCgeezer]

I might enjoy that actually - the only problem will be choosing between my Metros and a new United team....

[picaraza]

I'd like this psychotic thread closed. Glazer didn't invest in MLS before why start now? While he's already several hundred million GBP in debt?!
Because the success of his Manchester United gambit depends on a bunch of American fans buying up as much Man Utd. merchandise as possible.

More American soccer fans = more American consumers

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Edit: sorry, I should tone that down. I jumped on and posted before I realized that this was on the Man Utd. board. Sorry guys.

[Alan_V]

I'd like this psychotic thread closed. Glazer didn't invest in MLS before why start now? While he's already several hundred million GBP in debt?!

for the same reason that Chivas didn't at first. The market is only know showing that it's potentially viable. Whilst not the ground floor, getting in now could prove extremely profitable. There are over 17 million registered U-19 soccer players in the U.S. and that number is growing quickly. Everyone of them has 2 parents who spend money. Most of them are becoming big fans of the game as well.