Manchester United maintains success in changing times of soccer
BY GEORGE KAGAME
Arusha
1999 was not just a landmark year for the 'information age', as it had been reported before the arrival of the magical 99 that all computer chips would stop functioning at the end of that year-all digital information would be lost as a result.
As it happened, the computers never crashed, and instead the technological revolution since then has changed the face and body of society. Like in the world of technology, that transformation has also been seen in world football-Manchester United at the forefront of modern football times.
1999 saw one of the greatest sports moments when Manchester United came from behind to defeat Bayern Munich in the dying minutes of the year's European Champions' league.
Bayern having taken the lead after 10 minutes looked the giants and United were the underdogs, United had to work some magic through David Beckham, Paul Scholes and Teddy Sheringham to snatch victory from the jaws of Bayern Munich in the dying moments of that game.
Since that victory, football has never been the same.
Multi million dollar contracts have been signed with the world's leading television channels, and today, football is the second biggest money making industry in Europe, next only to the airline business according to 2004 official European Union statistics.
Manchester United itself has been the leading club in keeping up with the time. When football became a pop story, as evidenced by the amount of rumour associated with the game today, when it also became big money entertainment, United adopted very well.
With the face of David Beckham, Manchester United also helped stamp the arrival of the English league as a leading football bonanza and to date, the Premiership is considered as the best domestic football competition in the world by many neutral observers.
The acquisition of the club by Malcom Galzer raised a eyebrows among a cross section of football fans but not as much excitement as the Russian at Chelsea, and the cowboys at Liverpool.
After a few seasons, Malcom Galzer disappeared from public view and United has gone back on its own journey, not defined by the owner’s designs but the trends of the game.
Yet, on the pitch Manchester United has been very successful; the club has taken five premiership titles since 1999 and has appeared in more semi finals of the champions' league than any other club on the continent.
Manchester United it can further be argued led the re-branding campaign of soccer the way we know it today, the soccer of active participation by local followers. This is evidenced by local Arsenal and Chelsea membership clubs-who are actively mobilizing every season for new members.
Watching television soccer has since become one of the hallmarks of contemporary culture.
Local fans of European football are such an active audience that today; they are reshaping the commercial life of local businesses too. Many small, medium and large corporations are sponsoring soccer shows on local FM station more than any section of the radio segmentation.
Local fans are as active as the ones that go to the stadiums; some are even completely draped in their club colours so that their loyalty is not put into question. The club also began the trend of taking clubs soccer to global tours, which currently are the 'in thing' of many big clubs.
They also increased soccer popularity in Asia with the Beckham at the forefront and currently are supporting the South African cause to host the world cup in 2010 by doing their pre season tours there in recent years.
Manchester United have put the bar of achievement so high that even the brilliant Arsene Wenger and the successful Jose Mourinho will always look up with admiration.
From the era of great names like Roy Keane, remembered for his leadership skills and Paul Scoles, the club has always been on the frontline for trophies and branding.
Now the team has Carlos Tevez, Owen Hargreaves, Michael Carrick, Anderson, and Nani-(Christiano Ronaldo is left out deliberately), the club are set for long term domination.
At this level United is not just competing for local or international trophies but setting trends in the established the culture of soccer.
Ends
No comments:
Post a Comment