Social responsibilities involved in the Manchester rivalry

An young fan waves the Manchester City flag

The rivalry between Manchester United and Manchester City is nothing novel; after all, it has lasted for 100+ years. The banter typically is instigated with City fans indicating that United is not from Manchester, referring to the circumstances surrounding the location of the stadium (Old Trafford). United fans, on the contrary, respond by stating that the club has achieved over more than 20 trophies in as many years and the history that exists within it.

However, now we see this competitiveness move into the CSR sector. We had earlier covered on several occasions the ambitions of Manchester United towards the global community since the club’s high profile sponsorship deal with Chevrolet. As a result, MUFC had achieved significant gains within the hearts of the very communities they had aided, through the joint effort, using the mantra of ‘power of play’.

City launching projects to fight social issues

Recently, their noisy neighbors had launched a series of six projects around the world, to fight social issues ranging from unemployment to gang violence to social inclusion. The club had also credited £5 to each member registered with the club via their Cityzens’ Portal to invest in to any of the six projects that inspired them most.

According to the information on the city website:

“Cityzens Giving, a brand new programme where fans have decided how projects are funded, helps young leaders in six countries use the football effect to tackle the most serious social problems in each region.”

These projects were carefully selected by a panel of internal experts in the field of sport for social change. Manchester City will aim to provide their expertise and financial assistance for each of these projects for a year, while working together with a local charity that can provide a support system, eventually making them sustainable in the longer run. Watch the below video to get a brief insight on what the club intends to achieve.

This is another example of how clubs can embark on a corporate social responsibility platform using tools already at their disposal. Both the Manchester based clubs already have a presence of some kind in the neighborhoods they had sponsored.

Rather than cutting out a check to the charity involved, both clubs continue to invest time and human resources with the intention of driving those communities forward. These programs offer far more benefit than posing as a supplier of “sustainable living”— and will eventually help increase the club’s branding, positioning and reputation in the regions.

This is one rivalry that we would like to see continue to flourish.

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