New customers of the Man Utd credit card have a choice of limited edition designs

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New customers of the Man Utd credit card have a choice of limited edition designs

The four limited edition credit cards available for eligible new Manchester United Credit Card customers

UK-based fans making a successful new card application can opt for one of four “heritage” designs

New designs launched as MBNA and Manchester United Football Club extend partnership

 

MBNA, the credit card specialist based in the UK, has partnered with premiership football giants Manchester United to launch limited edition versions of their joint credit card in order to extend their collaboration to 2016. Any fan of Mancheter United can apply for a credit card from today, and select from one of the four custom-made designs which include:

  •  The “Champions 2013” logo created to celebrate United’s 20th league title win.
  • United’s famous Old Trafford stadium and “Holy Trinity” statue of club icons George Best, Denis Law and Bobby Charlton.
  • Ryan Giggs’ famous FA Cup goal celebration against Arsenal in 1999.
  • A legends design with images of club icons through the years including Gary Neville, Andy Cole and Peter Schmeichel.

The new card designs have been launched by Manchester United as part of an extended three-year relationship with MBNA, one of the UK’s largest credit card lenders. The two brands have been working together for the past 15 years.

The Manchester United Credit Card is available for UK-based fans now at
https://apply.mbna.co.uk/UKNeoCCapp/entry?sc=1UASMUFIMS001EC&mc=UAMMUF0030P.

The credit card offers eligible new customers zero percent interest for 20 months on balance transfers and money transfers, plus three months at zero percent on purchases*.

The new card comes with Red Rewards, an array of benefits and incentives developed specifically for Manchester United fans. For every £50 spent on the card, the cardholder will also be entered into a monthly prize draw with a chance to win a range of fantastic prizes, including club memorabilia signed by the first team and once-in-a-lifetime days out; including the chance to watch the first team train at United’s training ground.

Manchester United Group Managing Director Richard Arnold comments: “MBNA is one of the UK’s largest and most well-known credit card providers and the club is delighted to be extending its successful 15 year partnership for a further three years. We have eight million followers in the UK and the new MBNA Manchester United Credit Card will give these fans a new way of showing their support, whilst taking advantage of the attractive incentives and rates MBNA has to offer.”

Michael Donald, MBNA’s Business Development and Commercial executive, added: “Throughout our 20 years in the UK, we’ve established credit card partnerships with some of the world’s most iconic brands; and Manchester United Football Club is certainly one of those. We’re delighted to extend our partnership for another three years, and to celebrate, we’re launching something unique for fans based in the UK.”

* Terms apply. Full details of these offers are available on the website and within customer’s terms and conditions. The Manchester United Credit Card offers new customers successfully applying for the card zero percent on balance transfers and money transfers for 20 months (a 3 percent handling fee and 4 percent handling fee apply respectively) and as long as they are made in the first 90 days of account opening. It also includes zero percent on card purchases for three months from the date an account is opened.

Representative example 16.9% p.a. variable on card purchases. This is equivalent to 16.9% APR representative variable based on a credit limit of £1200.

 

Muamba urges young players to look beyond football

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Fabrice Muamba’s football dreams came crashing down last year after collapsing on the pitch suffering from a cardiac arrest, and the Bolton midfielder had to retire from football in August 2012.

Today, in conjunction with the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA), he is warning young footballers that they should consider what to do after they are through with football. He plays in the backyard with his son, but will not return to the active pitch. He says that it would be great to come back but his health comes first.

Over 100 people leave the game every year so Muamba’s situation is not strange. According to the League Football Education (LFE) only 45% of apprentice footballers get a professional contract. In the following years many of them still drop out.

Fabrice Muamba has now been encouraging players of ages 16 to 18 to consider education, on his many visits to clubs. They need to consider their plans since only 10 – 15 will be accepted into the first teams.

The assistant PFA director of education, Oshor Williams, said that clubs have suffered even as the economy took a downward trend. Players who leave the football pitch and look for jobs find it tougher to secure these positions, and they are unable to adapt to a new career.

He goes on to say that this situation will be aggravated in future since the clubs are taking players into the team when they are aged as young as 9 years. When the player leaves the teams aged 18, half their lives may have been in elite development. Many lose their identity and also have poor self-esteem. This means that they need to redefine themselves as who they are, and not the profession that they had.

 

Two Welsh teams look forward to the start of the season in the Premiership

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The Premier League will include two Welsh Clubs, for the first time, this season following the promotion of Cardiff City in April, to join Swansea City who in 2011.

The Premier League has a global fan base, and the government of Wales wants to use these two teams as a way of marketing the country as a good place to invest. Edwina Hart, the Economy Minister, has said that this was a great opportunity for the country to advertise itself to the whole world. Welch tourism and businesses are set to reap rewards from the football that is beamed across the world.

According to the government, football clubs and politicians can work together and market the country to the many viewers across the world. Now they have Swansea jerseys being sold at the Seoul airport just like Man United shirts, a situation that was not possible 10 years ago.

In a sponsorship arrangement with the government, Visit Wales Branding can be seen inside and outside the Croesco Stand, which was originally named the Liberty Stadium’s North Stand, ever since Swansea entered the Premier League.

In a similar deal, the Canton Stand will be renamed in a £110,000 deal signed by the government and Cardiff. The question that remains to be answered is whether sports can be used to brand a country. Cardiff has hosted Teamworks, a branding company, for more than 20 years.

According to the commercial director, Tom Tribe, it is crucial for a country to create its identity and sell accurate perceptions to the global market. This kind of branding helps people to understand their identity.

He added that Welsh football has succeeded well recently, since the British and Irish Lions are mainly Welsh, and this success can be used to get the message out that although they are a part of Britain, they are also their own country too.

 

Footballers on holiday

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With the Barclays Premier League 2013/14 season just around the corner, Ashley Cole could be forgiven for making sure he basked in the bright sunlight of the Spanish climate right till the end before he started pre-season training this week. The footballer, currently plying his trade for Chelsea FC is on a holiday with his mates in Marbella. The fashion conscious among you would have spotted his weird combination of underwear beneath his Gingham swimming shorts.

As is custom among the young, rich and single footballers of the modern game, none of them can escape the glares of the media, as well female attention wherever they go, and this holiday was no exception. No one can blame the 32 year old Ashley for taking full advantage of his current relationship status and chatting to as many bikini-clad ladies as he possibly can.

“Ibiza here we come!” Chelsee Healey whisks her good friend Tulisa away on holiday as they bid to put the X Factor star’s recent troubles with the law behind her. Supermodel Heidi Klum brightens her Twitter followers’ day by tweeting a cheeky picture of her in a strapless bikini whilst on a beach during her holiday

No doubt it was a celebratory occasion for Ashley Cole and his friends as evidenced by them taking a couple of large alcohol bottles with them into the Ocean Club. For his sake, we hope the girls he was speaking to had not mistaken him for Daley, a contestant on the current edition of Big Brother, but rather the fact he is a footballer.

Last week the star tweeted his frustration at being constantly mistaken for the Big Brother contestant: “Apart from his thick eyebrows, Daley looks nothing like me”. He was one of the most played members among his colleagues after making 51 appearances in all competitions for his club last season. His return this week will coincide with the return of the Special One as he aims to the highs of their premiership prowess.

 

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Scores.co.uk announce they are to sponsor Carlisle Utd

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The online sports portal for all the latest scores, scores.co.uk, are delighted to announce that they have agreed a new deal to sponsor the League One team Carlisle united. Scores.co,uk is based in Carlisle, and their branding will now appear on the club’s home and away strips for the forthcoming season which will see Carlisle take part in the League One, Football league Trophy, FA Cup and League Cup campaigns.

This new agreement means that the logo of scores.co.uk will be prominently displayed all around the Brunton Park ground, further helping to establish them as one of the leading providers online of both scores and results.

Speaking about the new sponsorship deal, Scores.co.uk founder Andy Bell said: “It is a real honour to support Carlisle United for the forthcoming League One season.

“Carlisle United is a community club with a strong and passionate supporter base and I’m delighted that Scores.co.uk can be a part of what we all hope is a very successful season for Greg Abbott and the boys.”

Carlisle United’s commercial director Dick Young said: “We have a fantastic relationship with Andy and Scores.co.uk and we are delighted that they will be with us again this season.

“It is extremely important for us to build and foster partnerships like this as it is key to the way we want to drive the club forward.

“Scores.co.uk are fantastic supporters of the club and we welcome them on board for the 2013/14 campaign.”