Manchester City Football Club dates back to 1894, when Ardwick A.F.C. dissolved and was reformed as Manchester City Football Club Ltd. Over recent years, the state of ownership and finances of Manchester City Football Club has been tumultuous, featuring various owners of contrasting fortunes, in line with the club's inconsistent trend on the pitch. The club is currently owned by the City Football Group (CFG), a holding company with the majority stake owned by the Abu Dhabi United Group. A smaller consortium of owners from the United States and China collectively owns 24%.
Since 1 September 2008, the club has been majority owned by Sheikh Mansour, one of football's wealthiest owners, who has an estimated individual net worth of at least £17 billion and a family fortune of about $300 billion. Mansour is the current vice president and deputy prime minister of the United Arab Emirates, as well as a member of the ruling Al Nahyan family. The CITIC Group, which acquired a 13.79% stake of the club's parent company, the CFG, for £265 million in 2015, valued it at $3 billion.
Current overview
Level of financial power Since the Robinho shock signing on the transfer deadline day in September 2008, the club have been branded "the richest club in the world" by the media and the Robinho signing heralded a new era of spending for the club with Sheikh Mansour willing to invest in the club off the pitch and on it by signing new players.
Having spent in approximately £320m on transfers from the arrival of Sheikh Mansour in September 2008 to September 2010 it was reported that owner Sheikh Mansour had earmarked £500m for transfers – regardless of any revenue during that two-year period. The report highlighted the club's immense spending power, meaning as of September 2010 there was a surplus transfer budget of around £175m after the transfer window of summer 2010. Since September 2010 up to September 2011, approximately a further £100m has been spent, but with players being sold this is around £80 to 85m in net expenditure.
Board As of 21 August 2015 Position NameChairman Khaldoon Al MubarakDirector Ruigang LiNon-Executive Director Simon PearceNon-Executive Director Marty EdelmanNon-Executive Director Mohamed Al MazroueiNon-Executive Director John MacbeathNon-Executive Director Alberto Galassi
Since September 2008, the club is owned fully by Sheikh Mansour. Khaldoon Al Mubarak has been Chairman since September 2008, when he took over from previous owner, Thaksin Shinawatra.
Garry Cook has been Chief Executive Officer since July 2008, after he was previously one of Nike Inc. top hierarchy. His tenure at the club has been marked by improvement in facilities for supporters, players, and staff, but one marred by numerous gaffes.
Brian Marwood has been Football Administration Officer since March 2009. Then manager Mark Hughes was concerned about the club bringing someone in a Director of Football role and thus Football Administration Officer was the title given instead. Its main role signing transfer targets, whilst improving the club's infrastructure off the pitch.
+ Increase in revenue since 2004 Season Revenue Change Deloitte Money League 2004–05 €90.1m 17 2005–06 €89.4m €0.7m 17 2006–07 €84.6m €4.8m N/A 2007–08 €104m €19.4m 20 2008–09 €101.2m €2.8m 19 2009–10 €144m €42.8m 11 2010–11 €168m €24m 12 2011–12 €285.6m €117.6m7 2012–13 €316.2mDeloitte Football Money League 2012-2013 €30.6m6 2013–14 €414.4mDeloitte Football Money League 2013-2014 €98.2m62023–24€837.8m2
Financial structure The club posted a loss of £92.5 million for the fiscal year ending 31 May 2009, up from £32.5 million in May 2008. Under the new ownership, the club embarked on a complete transformation of the club by acquiring new players such as Carlos Tevez, Robinho, David Silva, Yaya Touré and Mario Balotelli, while improving training facilities.
Future Eastlands redevelopment – Etihad Campus
In March 2010, the club signed an initial agreement with Manchester City Council and the New East Manchester Agency to explore alternative leisure attraction proposals to replace the doomed Supercasino which was originally planned to be built next to Eastlands. Furthermore the agreement of understanding gave the club permission to build and expand the new facilities it wishes to build.
In July 2011, it was announced the area where the developments will be built will be called the Etihad Campus. In return Etihad Airways will pay sponsorship to Manchester City F.C. for ten years, and for Manchester City Council who own the stadium, Etihad will create a British hub for Etihad Airways at Manchester Airport creating further jobs and helping to fuel the £600m Manchester Airport City project. When complete, revenue from the Etihad Campus will go towards helping the club meet the new Uefa Financial Fair Play Regulationssportingintelligence.com - 22 August 2011
New training complex The club is currently planning to move from its current Carrington Training Centre complex to east Manchester nearby the City of Manchester Stadium. The new training complex will be based on A.C. Milan's Milanello training complex, which is understood to be one of top training complexes in world football. It is believed the new £50m million training facility will house all aspects of the playing staff as the youth academy will be moved from its current site in Platt Lane to join the new training complex.
Leisure complex Preliminary preparation began in April 2010 with remiadiation of the of empty land around the Eastlands stadium.
Stadium expansion and lease renegotiation After increasing tickets figures and a sell out all 36,000 season tickets for the 2010–11 season, the club has explored options for increasing the stadium's capacity. The stadium is currently leased to Manchester City and the owners are believed to want to buy the stadium outright
The lease on the stadium was renegotiated in October 2010, with Manchester City paying Manchester City Council a flat base rate of £3 million a year rather than the council taking half of the revenue of ticket sales over 35,000. This previous system earned the council approximately £2 million a year, whereas the new, higher £3 million single payment agreement signals the club are looking to expand the stadium. The agreement is linked to Manchester City's willingness to "considering potential development as part of a contribution to the regeneration of east Manchester", proposals which are being planned.
History +Manchester City chairmen When Namebefore 1904John Chapman (first spell)1904–1905Waltham Forrest1905–1906John Allison1906–1914W.A. Wilkinson1914–1920John Chapman (second spell)1920–1928Lawrence Furniss1928–1935Albert Hughes1935–1954Bob Smith1954–1956Walter Smith1956–1964Alan Douglas1964–1971Albert Alexander Jr.1971–1972Eric Alexander 1972–1994Peter Swales1994–1998Francis Lee1998–2003David Bernstein2003–2007John Wardle2007–2008Thaksin Shinawatra2008–presentKhaldoon Al Mubarak
1894–1972 The modern day Manchester City Football Club became a registered limited company on 16 April 1894. p26 Shares in the club were owned by a number of club figures, who all had one share each. The first Chairman was John Chapman, a local publican. Edward Hulton, an early board member and influential newspaper owner in the early 20th Century, took charge after City were relegated in 1902. In the 1920s Lawrence Furniss was Chairman, he had served the club in various capacities since playing for them when the club was still Gorton AFC in the mid-1880s.
After the end of hostilities in the mid-1940s the Chairman was Robert Smith. In the mid-50s Walter Smith became Chairman before Alan Douglas took over between 1956 and 1964. Douglas stepped down due to ill health, allowing the Alexander family to gain control.
Albert Alexander Jr., son of the man who had founded the Manchester City Academy in the 1920s was chairman during the 1960s. The start of the 1970s saw a boardroom power struggle. At its heart was the relationship between Joe Mercer and Malcolm Allison. With Mercer as manager and Allison as coach, the club had experienced the most successful period in its history. However, Allison sought greater control, as he felt as coach he was "constantly being patted on the head". In November 1970 it became known that vice-chairman Frank Johnson was willing to sell most of his shareholding. Joe Smith, the owner of a double-glazing business in Oldham, attempted to gain a controlling stake in the club. Together with four others, including Simon Cussons of the Cussons soap-making family, he formed a pro-Allison faction — one that Allison claimed in his autobiography to have initiated himself. The Alexander family wished to keep Mercer as manager. When Frank Johnson realised the effect selling to Smith would have, he chose not to sell.
Smith and Cussons gained places on the board in 1971.James, Manchester The City Years, p. 307. In October, Allison took sole charge of the first team, and Mercer became "general manager".Penney, Manchester City: The Mercer–Allison Years, p. 182. By November 1971 Albert Alexander's age and declining health had become a factor. His son Eric took over as chairman, becoming the youngest chairman in the Football League, and Albert was given the title of President.Penney, Manchester City: The Mercer–Allison Years, p. 185.
Swales era, 1973–1994
At the start of the 1973–74 season Eric Alexander announced his intention to step down in October.James, Manchester The City Years, p. 318. Minority shareholder Peter Swales positioned himself as a unifying figure acceptable to both Joe Smith's faction and longstanding directors such as Eric Alexander and John Humphreys (who was also managing director of Umbro). Swales was elected as chairman, and held the position for more than 20 years. Swales time in charge was one of impatience with him sacking eleven Manchester City managers in 21 years, however he had reputation as a generous chairman when providing money for transfer Swales was remembered for his gaffe with manager Malcolm Allison after Swales sanctioned the purchase of Steve Daley from Wolves for £1,450,000, a then British transfer fee record. Daley turned out to be a flop, and Allison always claimed that he had agreed a much lower fee with the then Wolves manager for Daley. Allison later claimed Swales intervened on a chairman to chairman basis and secured the transfer instantly but at a much higher, possibly rip-off price.
After over 20 years of frustration delivering little success, Swales fell out of favour with the Manchester City supporters who led a long anti-Swales campaign. Momentum gathered in the 1990s, in the form of a movement named Forward With Franny, backing former City player Francis Lee's attempt to gain control of the club.
In 1994, with Swales was ousted from his chairmanship by former City player Francis Lee, whose paper business F. H. Lee Ltd. had made him a multimillionaire. Lee gained control of the club by purchasing £3 million of shares at a price of £13.35 per share.="After all that ... This">
Swales was offered a role as life president at the club upon his departure but he never returned to Maine Road. It was a sad departure for a chairman who loyally invested large sums of money into Manchester City in search of new success and greater parity with a resurgent Manchester United. Swales died on 3 May 1996, three days before a now yoyo club, Manchester City were relegated from the top tier of English football.
Lee, Bernstein and Wardle (1994–2007)
Upon becoming Chairman, Lee made a series of extravagant claims about his plans for the club, announcing that, "This will be the happiest club in the land. The players will be the best paid and we'll drink plenty of champagne, celebrate and sing until we're hoarse." The club floated on the OFEX exchange in 1995, valuing the club at £8 million. (pdf)