Glick makes move to Manchester City

As we all know Manchester City may have missed out on Eden Hazard this week with the precocious Belgian talent deciding to move to the European Champions Chelsea for a reported £32 million pound fee.

 However away from the football field they have pulled out a real coup by securing Tom Glick from Derby County to the newly created role of chief commercial and operating officer.  Glick has worked his way up through up various teams in the USA climaxing in a role as chief Marketing Officer for the New Jersey Nets basketball team. It’s not the first time Manchester City has headhunted from another team. Omar Barreda was taken from Barcelona last summer and is currently serving as the clubs Partnerships & Senior Sales Manager.

The benefit for City is that they now have a capable individual who has had extensive experience in the states, another key market for the new Premier League champions. City in recent months have signed strategic sponsorship agreements across the World with Nike , Foursquare Software company MLJ & telecoms provider Etisalat.

This flurry of sponsorship activity would seem to suggest that the club’s strategy is to accrue as much money before the UEFA financial Fair play rules kick into effect in 2013. All of which means that City could no longer spend more than they earn, especially after losing a record £197 million last year.

With Glick moving to City he will be expected to generate further income streams backed on the prestige of the clubs first Premier League title. So with a potential summer of big spending on players, the men from Abu Dhabi will be hoping the signing of Glick will be of significance on a commercial level for the club. 

Football Brand List makes encouraging reading for MLS sides.

Yesterday’s Brand Finance list of the top 50 football brands made for interesting reading particularly in the lower half of the table with two MLS sides gracing the list for the first time.

Whilst the upper echelons on the table where predictably graced by the likes of Manchester United, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. The bottom half included the Seattle Sounders & Los Angeles Galaxy. It’s a impressive achivement considering the league was only founded in 1993 and is the second youngest league in the list after the Russian Super League.

Understandably the league has significantly benefit from the “Brand Beckham” effect after the former England captain decided to swap Real Madrid for the & Los Angeles Galaxy back in 2007. The league in the last five years has been boosted by further “marquee” signings in the form of Rafael Marquez & Thierry Henry who both signed for the New York Redbulls.

But off the pitch the business development of the league has been impressive. One particular feature, which serves the league well, is the MLS live application. The monthly paid for subscription service allows fans of the league to watch live games via laptop, tablet and even mobile devises. All of which are key digital revenue streams in a country which competes with the commercial muscle of likes of the NBA & NFL. 

Another way in which the league is working is through the firm regulation the clubs. This comes through a number of ways, from the wage caps with all players wages able to be seen online  To the annual MLS draft every January . The league also has a long-term deal in place with Adidas  when a bumper 8-year $150 million deal was signed in 2010. Which is a logical step echoing similar but much larger deals between the NBA & NHL with major sponsors.As a result of the deal the sporting giants means that Adidas are the major kit suppliers for all 19 teams in the league.

In terms of individual teams they also have a successful knack of linking themselves to a number of key commercial partners. Take the Philadelphia Union who have 31 commercial partners listed on the clubs official site. Major brands such as Toyota, Coors Light & Coca-Cola are all affiliated with the side.

The scope for more MLS sides in the Brand Finance list is immence, especially with the likes of Michael Ballack & Alasandro Nesta heavily linked with moves in the summer. So with an infulx of forign superstars and strong sponsorship strategies implemented at league and club level, you can only see more and more clubs in the future. This just proves the “Brand Beckham” experiment is already yielding successful results on a commercial level five years in.

Manchester United crowned Champions, well off the pitch at least.

Words; Ronan Shields

Source: Manchester United, Nike

Manchester United may have just ended a rare pot-less season but can console itself by claiming the accolade of being the world’s most valuable football brand.

This year’s BrandFinance’s Football 50 list valued the Old Trafford team at $853m making it the most valuable football brand on the planet over the course of this last season.

BrandFinance cited a “solid performances on the pitch and great numbers on the income statement” as reasons for placing it at the summit of the list despite its comparatively poor on pitch pursuits, by its own high standards that is.

“Income from TV rights, gate receipts and merchandise all remain strong, providing broad revenue base that spreads risk better than most clubs.

“Man United has huge and long-standing international appeal and is perhaps the most recognised football club brand worldwide, with vast accumulated brand equity,” read a statement promoting the rankings.

However, it goes on to highlight that Fergie and the Glazers cannot rest on their laurels, as Champion’s League runners-up Bayern Munich were valued close behind at $800m. 

The company described how Bayern Munich’s shrewd commercial management and Champion’s League campaign could see the German side, which ranked second in the list, surpass England’s most successful side.

“As Sir Alex Ferguson reaches the end of his career and with the Glazers still paying off debts the club may struggle to maintain the squad they need to stay at the top,” warned BrandFinance.

The Red Devils’ inter-city rivals Manchester City were valued at $302m for the surveyed period, indicating that Sheikh Mansour’s $1.5bn petro-dollar investment is beginning to pay dividends both on and off the pitch.

The English Premiership Champions ranked eight on the list, almost double its value from the previous year.

The newly crowned European Champions Chelsea ranked fifth on the list at $398m just behind London rivals Arsenal with a valuation of $338m.  

In a sign that brand value of a nation’s leading football clubs can be viewed as a bellwether for the global economy, the Southern European giants of Italy and Spain did not fare so well.

According to the reports La Liga giants Barcelona and Real Madrid’s respective brand value dropped considerably during the period, despite El Classico being one of the box office top draws of world football.

Reflecting La Liga table, Real Madrid finished ahead of Barcelona with a value of $600m, in third place, immediately ahead of their Catalan rivals with a $580m valuation.

David Haigh, CEO of Brand Finance, said, “This year’s study shows that even football isn’t immune to the Euro Crisis, with Spanish and Italian teams being hit hardest.”

AC Milan was the top-performing Serie A side in ninth place with a valuation of $292m making the San Siro side the only top-ten ranking brand from outside England, Germany and Spain. A fill list of the sides ranked 21-50 is below.

Manchester United may have just ended a rare pot-less season but can console itself by claiming the accolade of being the world’s most valuable football brand.

This year’s BrandFinance’s Football 50 list valued the Old Trafford team at $853m making it the most valuable football brand on the planet over the course of this last season.

BrandFinance cited a “solid performances on the pitch and great numbers on the income statement” as reasons for placing it at the summit of the list despite its comparatively poor on pitch pursuits, by its own high standards that is.

“Income from TV rights, gate receipts and merchandise all remain strong, providing broad revenue base that spreads risk better than most clubs.

“Man United has huge and long-standing international appeal and is perhaps the most recognised football club brand worldwide, with vast accumulated brand equity,” read a statement promoting the rankings.

However, it goes on to highlight that Fergie and the Glazers cannot rest on their laurels, as Champion’s League runners-up Bayern Munich were valued close behind at $800m. 

The company described how Bayern Munich’s shrewd commercial management and Champion’s League campaign could see the German side, which ranked second in the list, surpass England’s most successful side.

“As Sir Alex Ferguson reaches the end of his career and with the Glazers still paying off debts the club may struggle to maintain the squad they need to stay at the top,” warned BrandFinance.

The Red Devils’ inter-city rivals Manchester City were valued at $302m for the surveyed period, indicating that Sheikh Mansour’s $1.5bn petro-dollar investment is beginning to pay dividends both on and off the pitch.

The English Premiership Champions ranked eight on the list, almost double its value from the previous year.

The newly crowned European Champions Chelsea ranked fifth on the list at $398m just behind London rivals Arsenal with a valuation of $338m.  

In a sign that brand value of a nation’s leading football clubs can be viewed as a bellwether for the global economy, the Southern European giants of Italy and Spain did not fare so well.

According to the reports La Liga giants Barcelona and Real Madrid’s respective brand value dropped considerably during the period, despite El Classico being one of the box office top draws of world football.

Reflecting La Liga table, Real Madrid finished ahead of Barcelona with a value of $600m, in third place, immediately ahead of their Catalan rivals with a $580m valuation.

David Haigh, CEO of Brand Finance, said, “This year’s study shows that even football isn’t immune to the Euro Crisis, with Spanish and Italian teams being hit hardest.”

AC Milan was the top-performing Serie A side in ninth place with a valuation of $292m making the San Siro side the only top-ten ranking brand from outside England, Germany and Spain. A fill list of the sides ranked 21-50 is below.

Total Digital Football is on the look out for a summer intern!

  


That’s right! We at TDF are looking for a football mad undergrad to take on a  challenging summer intern role. As you know with the European Championships & London Games this summer it’s going to be pretty hectic. So we are on the lookout for someone to help with the blog!


Ideally looking for a undergrad who is looking to gain a career in journalism. In return we are offering the chance to write blog pieces and develop your skills on a blog that is quickly developing an audience in both tech and football circles. 


The role may involve occasional travel to London. In order to have a chance we need you to write a 300 word article on your favourite footballer to follow on Twitter (Please don’t use Joey Barton!) Send it all over to totaldigitalfootball@gmail.com by Friday! 

Manchester City inks Foursquare deal to aid foreign support

Words: Ronan Shields

Manchester City’s press office has been in over-drive this week with the newly crowned English champions announcing a tie-up with location-based Foursquare.

The team’s marketing department is now using a Foursquare, a location-based social network that encourages users to ‘check in’ to venues, to promote its merchandise at both the Etihad Stadium and elsewhere.

Fans at the Etihad stadium can use Foursquare to share photos and tips on the venue in return for special offers plus there will also be an official MCFC Foursquare badge.

Manchester City fans can also check in to the club’s official merchandise stores and Heart of the City venues further afield as well as use the social network to share which bars they are going to watch televised games at.

The club’s Foursquare page has already attracted to 16,000 fans and Manchester City teamed with EA Sports to give away official replica club jerseys who ‘unlocked the badge’ at last Sunday’s clash with QPR.

The partnership follows similar arrangements between the club and other leading online and social media networks, including YouTube, Facebook, smartphone users can download the Foursquare app from their respective outlets such as Apple's App Store and Google's Play.

Richard Ayers, a member of Manchester City’s digital team, said its digital marketing efforts were motivated “to build more meaningful and rewarding relationships with fans, wherever they are in the world”.

Johnathan Crowley, director of media partnerships at new York-based Foursquare, also said the tie-up would also help bolster its relationships with US audiences.

It's great that they'll not only be engaging with fans at Etihad Stadium, but also helping US fans find places to watch the games while rewarding them with discounts on official team gear," he said.

UEFA ramps up presence ahead of Champions League final with big digital push .

UEFA are upping  brand presence over the next few days with the Champions league final & Champions Festival is taken to a larger global audience than ever before through digital activity,including live streaming of the final for the first time.

During the free four-day football celebration leading up to the UEFA Champions League final, UEFA will use key digital platforms such as Google+, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Foursquare as well as a free Android smartphone application to share unique content from the UEFA Champions Festival in Munich with fans around the world.

In a world-first for UEFA, the Ultimate Champions match will be streamed live across UEFA.com, Google+ and YouTube. The match will feature European footballing legends such as Cafu, Fabio Cannavaro, Patrick Vieira, Samuel Eto’o, Gianfranco Zola and Roy Makaay. This follows Youtube streaming live games of the Copa America back in 2011.  

In addition, UEFA is launching a groundbreaking global Foursquare campaign. This global activation will engage fans at the festival and around the world. Additionally, fans can ‘check in’ anywhere they are watching the 2012 UEFA Champions League final by using the phrase ‘UEFA Champions League’ as a shout and can unlock the official Foursquare UEFA Champions League final badge.

Alexandre Fourtoy, UEFA’s Director of Communications, said:  “This is going to be a true digital festival. Our goal is to engage fans in Munich, as well as those around the world, in the UEFA Champions League final festivities by using a range of digital platforms that are easy to use and interact with. We hope that the new Foursquare activation coupled with Google+ hangouts will bring the finals of the UEFA Champions League to life for those fans who can’t attend the event.”

The UEFA Champions Festival takes place in Munich’s Olympiapark from 16-19 May and features a host of activities that are free for all to enjoy. UEFA Have already kicked off proceedings via the organizations official Youtube channel (see above) and the official UEFA public viewing of the UEFA Champions League final which kicks off on Saturday.

UEFA has teamed up with Google+ (see above) to engage fans with numerous interactive activities throughout this four-day festival, including giant photo booths with a direct link to Google+, enabling fans to share photos with their friends. In addition, ex-Chelsea FC defenders Graeme Le Saux and Celestine Babayaro will both be dropping in for Google+ hangouts.

This digital campaign will ensure that the estimated 60,000 fans attending the festival, as well as the millions of UEFA Champions League fans around the world, can interact with the events and share experiences online.

Follow @UEFA.COM on Twitter to get involved. UEFA will also be tweeting daily from the festival using #championsfestival along with #championsleague to share the festivities.

Joey Barton issues Twitter apology for role in drama-filled showdown.

Joey Barton used Twitter to explain his role in one of the most tumultuous 90 minutes in Premiership history that saw Manchester City take title from Manchester United, writes Ronan Shields.

Barton used his Twitter account, which boasts almost 1.5m followers, to issue an apology (see below) for his sending-off and subsequent violent conduct earlier today during QPR’s crunch match with champions Manchester City.

Source: Joey Barton

The dramatic game, which saw Barton’s QPR side come from behind to lead the league winners at one point but not before the player, who has served time in prison on charges of violent conduct, was sent off and then subsequently confronted other opponents.

In his series of Tweets, he presented the reasons for his actions, directly below, although he also used the medium to take aim at Carlos Tevez accusing him of starting the mellee, see second image below. 

Although, Barton also used Twitter, the medium he has used best to rebuild his reputation, to congratulate his old club on winning its first top-flight crown in over 40 years, which it achieved by scoring two injury time goals to emerge 3-2 victors and claim the title.

Eager to ride the wave of positive publicity, Manchester City’s PR machine also wasted no time in spreading the marketing message by issuing images from the Etihad celebrations on Twitter.

Of course, some of the marketing was a little more overt than the rest with the club wasting no time in using it to remind fans to pre-order their memorabilia, no doubt the stadium's official gift shop will remain open a bit longer tonight and doing a brisk business for much of the next week. 

It will be interesting to see how quickly it takes for the club’s merchandise unit to issue a recording of this afternoon’s game on DVD.  

Understandably, Manchester United’s players have been reticent about using Twitter thus far given the narrow nature of their loss but the club’s goalkeeper David De Gea did use Twitter to say the team would come back stronger next season.

However, Bolton-defender Fabrice Muamba, who suffered a Cardiac Arrest while playing on the pitch earlier in the season, did find time to make light of his earlier troubles on Twitter, see below, despite his side joining Blackburn Rovers and Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premiership drop zone.  

Kit launches spark Twitter-joust in ongoing LFC & MUFC saga

Words: Ronan Shields

^{Source: Liverpool Football Club}

Before a ball was kicked in anger on the last day of the domestic season, Liverpool’s kit-launch marked the UK entrance of Warrior Sports while Manchester United’s seemed to rub salt in the wounds. 

Friday saw the unveiling of next season’s replica kits of England’s two-most successful clubs with Nike unveiling its latest offering for the Manchester side and Warrior Sports with its debut Liverpool designs.

The Boston-based sports manufacturer has reverted to the Anfield side’s red with yellow-trimmed colour scheme and has dispensed with its Shankly Gate crest in favour of its original Liver Bird one, see video below. 

Source: YouTube

The move has won favour with traditionalists reminiscing for the days when King Kenny and the Koppites truly did reign supreme over Europe.

^{Source: Liverpool Football Club}

But Liverpool, a team and City traumatised by the Hillsborough tragedy of 1989, has also experienced criticism from some unhappy with the symbols commemorating the 96 that died that day being moved to the back of the jersey.    

Emotions aside, the partnership between Liverpool and Warrior Sports could presage the emergence of a major new sports brand in the football industry given that Liverpool is the fourth-biggest selling replica shirt in the world.

This is behind Spain's Real Madrid, Catalan giants FC Barcelona and of course Manchester United. 

Plus, if the hype purported by Warrior Sports on its website anything to go by, then we’re surely set for a swarm of high-impact marketing activity from next season onwards, see below.

^{Source: Warrior Sports}

How many more clubs it has in its sights is anyone’s guess but with this Liverpool deal you’d have to say it really is laying down a marker. 

Almost simultaneously, Manchester United and Nike revealed the kit Wayne Rooney, etc, will be lining up in at Old Trafford from next season, see left and below. 

Also interesting, was the fact that Manchester and Nike are highlighting the club's roots at the centre of its marketing activity 

The new kit, features “gingham check” which was supposedly synonymous with Manchester’s cotton mills which helped fuel the industrial revolution, as well as the rivalry with their Merseyside neighbours dating back two centuries. 

Have a closer look at the ‘gingham check' both below and left courtesy of Nike. A design Liverpool fans are likening to ‘table clothes’. 

Of course, the simultaneous nature of the launches has sparked with it a war of words between the respective teams’ fans and following their respective hash-tags on Twitter, the Koppites seems to be happier with their offering that those of the Stretford Enders. 

Famed for their wit and fondness of banter, Liverpool fabs also appear to have the upper hand on Twitter when it comes to  the gentle-ribbing of the other side although the Mancunians were able to retort although in sometimes more controversial terms, see further below to read more.

The joke made below (dated May 12 before the last day of the season) is arguably one of the more poignant given United relinquishing their Premiership crown to Manchester City, in the most dramatic last day of the season for many years. 

And of course those blessed with more IT skills really started to make things personal:

^{Source: Twitter}

^{Source: Twitter}

However, not taking things lying down, some Manchester United fans took aim at their rivals in a more controversially manner by speculating that Liverpool’s away kit might look like below, as mentioned above.

This of course references the horrible race-relations incident between Luis Suarez and Patrice Evra, one of the darker episodes of the last season, and an unwelcome phenomena that worryingly appears to be creeping back into the game, especially via online social networks.

Hopefully the game's governing bodies will take appropriate measures to assign such ugly incidents to the past by the time we kick-off for next season.  

However, on a much more positive note, the mixed reaction to the gingham kit and power of social networking has prompted similarly-creative Manchester United fans to share their ‘fantasy kits’. 

One even speculates what a Manchester United kit manufactured by Adidas might look like, all images were sourced via Twitter. 

Fan Focus- Arsenal.

Continuing with our "Fan Focus" features we have caught up with Arsenal Blogger Arse Blog to discus the clubs importance  of acting swiftly in the transfer market and how the Clubs Online products are going out to reach a increasingly global fan base. Ahead of the final game of the season, with a Champion's league decider against West Brom at The Hawthorns on Sunday. 

TDF- Arsenal have planned an extensive pre-season this year Touring South-East Asia, including match up with Man City at the Birds-nest stadium in Beijing. Do you feel that these extensive tours take a toll on the sides preparations for the season, ultimately leading to a poor start of the season

 AB- Not really. Arsenal have spent years going to a sedate, remote pre-season camp in Austria and we've hardly been full of trophies in recent years. Given the business class travel etc I don't think there's really any impact on the team from a footballing point of view. And because of the commercial deals we're tied into until 2014 then I think finding as many of ways as possible of increasing our commercial income is a good idea.

TDF-Arsenal have already sealed the signing of Lucas Podolski for the new season, bearing in mind that last season the side where forced to do the majority of there transfer dealings in a 24 hour window, how important is it that the club concludes it's business dealings as early as possible this summer?

AB- I think in any season the ideal situation would be to do your business as quickly as possible and get the players settled in before the start of the campaign. Clearly though lessons have be learned from last year when the inaction of the summer had a big impact on the season. The Euros will play a part too, players away with their countries will not usually be allowed have their focus taken away by transfer business, so it might take longer to do deals for players involved, but overall I'd love to see the club act swiftly and decisively, for a change.

TDF-How has the Arsenal Player online TV system been taken to by the fans? Do you find it a worthwhile addition to Arsenal's online offering to fans? 

AB- I can't speak for others fans but I like Arsenal Player. I mostly just use it for press conferences (pre and post games) but I'm sure many of the interviews/features are very popular given the demand for Arsenal related content. Especially for our fans across the world, in a pre-season where the club will be having preseason games in two key markets for the club, Nigeria & Malaysia. 

TDF-Arsene Wenger has described Champion's League qualification as a trophy, How important is qualifying for Europe's elite club competition for the Club's long term stability? Do you think that European qualification off-set by sales of leading players (Cesc, Nasri, Adebayor) is a realistic model to follow considering the financial power of Man City, Chelsea & Manchester United? 

AB-I think Champions League football is obviously very important, in order to keep the players you have, and attract a certain calibre of new player, not to mention the financial benefits. I don't agree with Wenger when he says it's a trophy but I wonder if Liverpool would swap the Carling Cup for a place in the top four. I suspect they would.

As for the financial side of things, we cannot compete with City, Chelsea or even United. Clearly selling your best players is not a sensible or sustainable way of doing business, but the reasons for their sales were generally not financial. If the club have been clever it's getting great money for players who wanted to leave for one reason or another

TDF-Finally with two games to go this season do you think that Arsenal are still in the box seat for Champion's league qualification, despite surges from Newcastle and Spurs?  

There's only 1 game to go now and amazingly it's still in our hands. I'm delighted we've got the chance on Sunday against West Brom, although I can't claim to be overly confident that we're going to take it. Fingers crossed.

Thanks again  to Andrew at Arseblog with the answers. As a Brucie Bonus Arsenal realeased a new video to promote the release of there new kit. Have alook at the video below, including Arsene Wenger's motor!

   

Adult rating handed to Paddy Power 'goal-line' ad

In the same weekend as Andy Carroll’s non-goal in the FA Cup Final stirred an ongoing debate, Paddy’s Power’s goal-line technology ad has landed itself an 18-rating from YouTube.

The 30-second ad is an irreverent take on the possible England football team’s behaviour while at EURO 2012 this summer and depicts Eastern European ladies posing in a provocative manner.

It concludes by proposing “goal-line” technology to ensure England’s footballers don’t “cross the line” while off the pitch and is a satirical take on the bawdy antics of top-flight footballers.

While this may sound innocent enough it’s perhaps the graphical depictions of ‘goal-line penetration’, see below, accompanying which has caused such a stir in YouTube towers.

As a result, web-surfers clicking through to the ad must "agree that this warning will no longer appear for content flagged as inappropriate." See the ad below and make up your own mind.

Paddy Power – Goal-line Technology

The ad is true to the controversial brand-voice that Paddy Power has adopted and follows the bookmaker receiving a flood of complaints for its blind football/cat-kicking ad campaign. 

Ever eager to capitalise on an opportunity to gain publicity Paddy Power has issued a press release labelling YouTube as “the fun police” highlighting that the piece had already had a six-figure view count.

A Paddy Power spokesman said, “This is political correctness gone bonkers and it seems that our censorship friends could do with some common sense technology!”

Manchester City and Nike ink kit deal

Manchester City, the champions-elect of English football, has announced a new kit deal with sports behemoth Nike in the same week as the club overtook Manchester United at the top of the Premier League.

The terms of the deal, which does not kick-in until the season after next, means the Umbro brand will still be emblazoned on the chests of the Sky Blues until the end of next season.

However from the following season until 2019 all official Manchester City kit, training wear and related products will be designed, manufactured and distributed by Nike not by Umbro, which is actually a subsidiary of Nike itself according to its Wikipedia page.

Manchester City has released a statement with a quote from Nike’s global brand president, Charlie Denson, where he said the deal “reflects both the ambitions of the club and the Nike brand’s position within the world of football”.

For its part, Manchester City is looking to Nike's “unparalleled R&D capacity, leading global retail distribution networks and award winning marketing capabilities” as it seeks to eclipse its nearest rivals both off the pitch as well as on it, as evidenced by Manchester United’s tepid performance last Monday.

Clearly City is relying on the reflective glory of the Nike swoosh to aid its global expansion.  
The deal also emulates the kit deals negotiated by by Manchester United who also ended its long-standing kit agreement with Umbro, which is headquartered in Cheadle, Greater Manchester, to also pair with Nike.   

Of course, no prototype kits designs have been publicly unveiled yet and Umbro is currently looking to fans to help launch the official kit for the 2012-13 season, as demonstrated in the below video.

Show Your City - 2012 Manchester City Kit

However, Total Digital Football thought it was worth taking time to look at some Umbro’s previous offerings for Manchester City, some dating back to the early 80s. Prepare for a nostalgia-rush, apart from the first two, all images are courtesy of Umbro.

Old skool

From the early 80s, looks dated but still iconic, note the old club badge which was dropped because the club couldn’t register it as a trademark

MCFC's last Umbro jersey?

This image has been circulating around online fan forums sparking speculation that it will be the club’s home kit for the 2012-13 season

Maine-stay of the club

From the 80s/90s era, an image that will put proper City fans in mind of the Maine Road Massacre

Shirt of champion's?

Will this shirt adorn the first Manchester City captain to raise the Premiership trophy? My guess is yes...

And after all...

It was the mid-90s, and Oasis were high in the charts and spreading Maine Road-mania among the country’s student unions.

Words: Ronan Shields