Manchester United To Visit Asia Again

Manchester United are off to Asia again in July for a pre-season tour this time visiting China, South Korea, Malaysia, and, for the first time, Indonesia, chief executive David Gill said on Wednesday.

The tour will actually begin on July 16 when Manchester United depart for China where they will play in a yet-to-be-decided city. After this they will move on to Seoul for a match on July 20 and then down to the capital of Indonesia, Jakarta for the first time, where they will take on an Indonesia Super League Select at the massive Gelora Bung Karno Stadium on July 24.

The European and Premier League champions wrap up the tour against a Malaysia XI in Kuala Lumpur July 26. Vietnam offered to pay United $2.47 million for a one off game but this has been declined so no fixture for them there.

David Gill who is currently in Macau finalising the details for the tour said: "Our tours to Asia are always special, the atmosphere generated by the supporters is amazing. The club enjoys unrivalled support across the continent and it is great to give those fans the opportunity to see their heroes in action in their own country. This tour takes in some new areas with a game in Malaysia, where we haven't played since 2001, and one in Indonesia, so it promises to provide some exciting new experiences."

United are hugely popular in the region and television revenues from Premier League games shown in Asia are big, but Gill insisted they wouldn't be making significant money from the tour.

"But our presence allows us to deal and have relationships with multinational companies," he said. "That presence enables us to have that extra income which is then invested back into the club. Also it allows us to get closer to the fans."

United last toured Asia in 2007 when they visited China, South Korea, Japan and Macau but a date in Kuala Lumpur was scrapped after they found themselves embroiled in a spat with the Asian Football Confederation, which insisted no foreign team should be playing when the Asian Cup was being held in Malaysia.

United boss Sir Alex Ferguson told the club website the players were already looking forward to Asia after their hugely successful trip to Japan in December when they won the Club World Cup and were treated like kings.

"The players are really looking forward to our Asia tour. For some, the Club World Cup in Japan was the first time they had experienced the passion generated by the club in Asia and they enjoyed it immensely, we know we will get terrific support in each of the locations and we will be going to put on a show for our millions of fans over there. Indonesia will be a new experience for us and one I'm especially looking forward to."

By utilising these tours to Asia as United have done, they have been able to finance their continued success off the back of the marketing income earned from these trips. Something that Liverpool failed miserably with during their time of non-stop success in the late 1970s and 1980s. We have the likes of Peter Kenyon, David Gill and Sir Alex Ferguson to thank for this, despite Kenyon moving across to Chelsea. .....Back To Home Page...

Vietnam Want Manchester United

The Vietnam Football Federation is in discussions to pay almost $4million to tempt Manchester United into a pre-season one-off match next year.

Football has been played in Vietnam since the early 20th century, however, due to the war with America, it had not been developed into a movement. The federation was founded in 1962 as Vietnam Football Association. In 1964, it was officially admitted to be affiliated member of FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation. Due to the division of Vietnam, football was played differently in the two parts of the country until 1975. In 1989, VFA was renamed to Vietnam Football Association.

The VFF is also targeting Italian giants AC Milan but both deals are far from done.

VFF Chairman Nguyen Trong Hy said luring clubs such as Man Utd and Milan to Asia could do great things. As it has done for the Chinese and other Asian Federations.

“This is a huge amount of money but we can arrange it. We can get money from tickets, advertising and broadcasting rights and so on.” he was quote as saying by the Asian Football Federation.

Manchester United have laid down more stringent stringent guidelines than Britney Spears and Mariah Carey combined though, that is if the match actually goes ahead. No advertising would be allowed at the venue whilst the Vietnamese team would only be authorized to wear their names and the national flag on their strips.

Trong Hy said the talks with AC Milan were a lot further advanced than with Manchester United.

"Everything is running well. If AC Milan agrees, the match between the national squad and AC Milan will be held in early September 2009," Trong Hy said.....Back To Home Page...

United Stroll To A Draw Pre Season

In Cape Town Manchester United's players got the preseason workout
they were looking for in a 1-1 draw with South Africa's Kaizer Chiefs
yesterday. Chiefs' Jonathan Quartey converted a 38th-minute penalty
after Gary Neville fouled someone with this name (wtf) Siphiwe
Tshabalala.




United equalised in the 60th when midfielder Chris Eagles headed home a cross from Carlos
Tevez. So Chris Eagles is top scorer for the season as we speak !

"It was exactly the kind of match I was hoping for because it helped us build rhythm,"
Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson said. United had a setback just before kickoff when
defender Rio Ferdinand slightly injured his ankle. "We decided to rest him and not take any
chances," Fergie explained. United will play Orlando Pirates on Tuesday.


Podsumowanie Meczu

Mistrz Anglii i triumfator rozgrywek Ligi Mistrzów - 2008 Manchester United zremisował w
towarzyskim meczu w Kapsztadzie z miejscowym klubem Kaiser Chiefs 1:1 (0:1). Prowadzenie
dla gospodarzy uzyskał z karnego obrońca Jonathan Quartey pokonując w 36 minucie Tomasza
Kuszczaka. Manchester wyrównał stan meczu w 60 minucie, kiedy pomocnik Chris Eagles, po
podaniu Carlosa Teveza, skierował głową piłkę do bramki Itumelenga Khune.

Manchester United Touch Down In Africa (Video)

United Boys Back With A Bang !!

The hard work has already begun for the United
squad after they reported back for pre-season
training on Wednesday.

Ryan Giggs joined up with his team-mates - minus
the Euro 2008 contingent - back at Carrington for
the start of a rigorous regime ahead of the 2008
/09 campaign.

The Welshman enjoyed a six-week rest after last
season's triumphant exploits, including a relaxing
break with his family in Portugal. But he admits
that's soon forgotten once the squad's punishing
pre-season schedule begins.

"Obviously last season ended brilliantly for the
team and for myself, and it’s good to be back, but
I’m not really looking forward to pre-season training,
" he told ManUtd.com.

"Wednesday was just testing to see where your fit-
ness is at. Thursday is another treadmill fitness test
which will be quite hard, and that will start to build
things up. I’m not really looking forward to it.

But you’ve just got to get through it haven’t you?

"Long distance running gets easier as you get older,
I think, it’s just the quicker stuff that is quite hard.
But you’ve done it all before and just use your
experience to get through it."

The Reds have a hectic schedule of matches over
the coming few weeks. A United XI will travel to
Aberdeen on 12 July, before the first team squad
head to South Africa for the Vodacom Challenge.

The trip will encompass three matches against
local sides Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates
(United will play one of them twice).

On their way home to Manchester, the squad will
stop off in Nigeria on 27 July where they will face
Harry Redknapp's Portsmouth, whom they will
also be up against at Wembley in the Community
Shield on 10 August.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's testimonial clash with
Espanyol at Old Trafford takes place on 2 August
and that will be followed by two more friendlies -
first up a trip to London Road to take on Sir Alex's
son Darren and his Peterborough side. The Reds
then entertain Juventus at OT on 6 August.

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