United sponsor goes ‘above and beyond financial support’

22 July 2011 | Posted in Sponsorship, Soccer | By Tom Love

FC United of Manchester, the English association soccer club formed by Manchester United supporters, has agreed a unique multi-year sponsorship deal with mobile location services firm MxData.

Though MxData will serve as the club's first principal sponsor, under the strict constitution upon which the club was set-up, the Wilmslow-based company's logo will not appear anywhere on the FC United's playing shirts for the duration of the two-year agreement.

"I didn’t want to go down the normal sponsorship route of corporate facilities, or put our logo all over a club’s identity. I wanted something more meaningful than that," said MxData chief executive, David James, who was undeterred by the Manchester-based soccer teams staunch principles.

“After learning about FC United’s ethos and its community work, then meeting some of the people who help run the club, I realised I’d found a great organisation to work with. And when they told me I couldn’t have the MxData logo on the team shirt because of the club’s constitution, I decided they were the perfect fit."

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"We’re not against sponsorship if it’s a sensible arrangement and used for the benefit of the club and its supporters," said FC United general manager, Andy Walsh. "What we are against is putting commercial interests before those of the club, and we always want to work with organisations who understand this.

"From the start, David has been keen on our ethos and aims, and has talked to us about going above and beyond the financial support - for example by providing work experience opportunities for some of the people who have taken part in our community schemes," added Walsh.

Formed in 2005, FC United has continued to gain support from Manchester United fans who have become increasingly disillusioned with Malcolm Glazer's ownership of Manchester United Football Club and is one of the first clubs to successfully introduce the community shares scheme.