Manchester United have teamed up with Merky FC, the new campaign set up by rapper Stormzy to improve diversity in football.
Announced on Wednesday 3 November, Stormzy‘s initiative has partnered with 10 other brands including United and lead sponsor Adidas to address racial inequality in the football industry.
The overarching goal of Merky FC is to provide more opportunities both on and off the pitch to those of Black heritage as well as young people of colour across the UK.
The multi-year programme is committed to enhancing and protecting diverse representation throughout football by providing a multitude of work placements commencing in early 2023.
According to statistics from Adidas, while Black players make up 43% of the on-pitch presence, just 6.7% of senior roles are taken by professionals who identify as Black or Mixed heritage.
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Speaking on Sky Sports News following the announcement, the 29-year-old musician, entrepreneur and philanthropist — awarded an honorary degree from the University of Exeter earlier this year — explained the idea behind the campaign and what the various partnerships will deliver.
Other partners include the likes of Fulham FC, LADbible, sports publisher GOAL and Sky Sports themselves, all of which are committed to helping provide funding, work placements and overall support as part of the inclusivity-driven scheme.
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Stormzy and adidas have announced a partnership with 10 leading brands including Sky Sports, to come together on a multi-year initiative, #MerkyFC – a programme committed to enhancing and protecting diverse representation in the football industry.
As for the United, the club is one of several allowing people aged between 16 and 25 to apply for the nationwide programme from 4 November, pledging roles within their Alliances & Partnerships, Ticketing, Technology and Retail & Merchandising departments.
Following the unveiling, a Merky FC launch event was streamed on the organisation’s YouTube channel, featuring significant figures from across the footballing industry such as Ian Wright, Jeanette Kwakye, Leon Mann MBE, Jaydee Dyer, Henry Frimpong and many more.
Together, the team of athletes, sports personalities, broadcasters and industry figures discussed the disparities within football careers and how movements like this can help secure greater recognition of Black talent in all facets of the game.
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You can watch the full live stream to hear Stormzy and co. talk about the campaign in more detail down below:
Tickets go live as opening date is announced for Manchester City’s new ‘immersive’ museum experience
Emily Sergeant
Tickets to visit Manchester City’s new ‘immersive’ museum experience have officially gone live ahead of the grand opening.
Set to open in the heart of the £300m Medlock Square entertainment district at Manchester’s Etihad Campus next month, the Manchester City Museum Experience will be spread across 10 distinctive spaces – with visitors invited to take a trip down memory lane with nostalgic environments from throughout the club’s history.
Fans will also be able to take part in interactive media experiences, like posing with all 48 major trophies won by the club’s first teams or trying their hand at football punditry.
The experience will combine the latest immersive technology with physical memorabilia drawn from across the club’s history to do this.
Hidden details and surprising ‘did you know’ facts are set to be embedded across the experience, so that even the most devoted Man City fans will have the chance to discover something new about the club they love.
By combining interactive environments, technology, and authentic artefacts, the experience is aiming to appeal to a wide audience – from lifelong Manchester City supporters, to families and those with a broader interest in football, culture, and the city of Manchester.
“The Museum Experience has been designed as a destination that goes beyond just the pitch,” commented Jeremy Maxton, who is the Director of Visitor Attractions at Manchester City Football Club.
Manchester City releases CGIs and important details of its new ‘immersive’ museum / Credit: Manchester City / Ralph Appelbaum Associates (RAA)
“Whether you’re a lifelong supporter, visiting Manchester for a weekend, or simply looking for a unique day out, we’ve created an experience that offers something for everyone.
“From the recreated environments and original memorabilia to the interactive elements, there are different ways into the Club’s history throughout the Museum.
“We’ve also built in space for new stories to be added over time, so the experience can continue to evolve. It’s been a huge project to bring together and we’re looking forward to people seeing it for themselves later this year.”
The Manchester City Museum Experience officially opens on 14 December, and you can now book tickets to visit from that date here.
Featured Image – Credit: Manchester City / Ralph Appelbaum Associates (RAA)
Sport
Details released of Andy Burnham’s meetings with Manchester City owners while Mayor
Emily Sergeant
Details of Andy Burnham’s meetings with Manchester City owners during his tenure as Mayor of Greater Manchester have been released.
In case you need bringing up to speed on the situation a little first, Manchester City was found guilty back in September all of its charges related to the Premier League’s financial rules over a nine-season period, and on top of that, was also found guilty of the majority of charges in relation to its failure to co-operate with the League’s investigation.
According to the Premier League, the independent Commission found that Manchester City had arranged so-called ‘sham’ commercial deals with a number of its sponsors.
These were part of a disguised funding scheme – with those sponsors only required to pay a portion of the relevant sponsorship fees.
The remainder was then funded by Abu Dhabi United Group Investment & Development Ltd (ADUG), which owned the club.
The Commission also concluded, as quoted by the Premier League, that the club had ‘made concerted efforts to stop and frustrate the Premier League investigation’.
Within the past week or so, it has since come to light that now-Prime Minister Andy Burnham had dealings with Manchester City during his tenure as Greater Manchester Mayor, and Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) has now issued a public statement, giving details on the matter and what these ‘dealings’ entailed.
A spokesperson for GMCA confirmed that Burnham had a ‘formal meeting’ with Man City Chairman, Khaldoon Al Mubarak, back in October 2021.
The statement reads in full: “In October 2021, Andy Burnham, in his role as Mayor of Greater Manchester, had a formal meeting with Khaldoon Al Mubarak at the UK Government’s Global Investment Summit arranged by the Department for International Trade.
“In his capacity as Mayor, he was a guest of Manchester City FC at home matches on a small number of occasions, including attending Vincent Kompany’s testimonial match in September 2019, where he met the Chairman informally in the stands. These have been declared in the usual way.
“Also during his time as Mayor, representatives of Greater Manchester sporting clubs would routinely join business delegations as part of Mayoral international visits.
“This included representatives from Manchester United travelling to Austin and Dublin, Lancashire Cricket Club joining a delegation to India, and Manchester City FC staff supporting visits to China and Japan.”
Featured Image – Lauren Hurley / Number 10 Downing Street (Press Image via Flickr)
Danny Jones -
3rd November 2022 
