FC United of Manchester has signed its first main club sponsor.

Mon 25th Jul 2011 | Football Sponsorship

Mobile location services company mxData has agreed an innovative two-year contract to become the first main sponsor of FC United and its community work, in a deal that will help the supporter-owned club progress its community aims.

"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 CEO David James, who founded Wilmslow-based mxData in 2004.

"I’ve long been keen to find and support a cause that offers a genuine community benefit the entire company can adopt and get behind - offering practical help and benefits as well as financial support.

"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."

The deal will help not-for-profit FC United further its award-winning community work, allowing the club the opportunity to bid for grants and funding that would otherwise be out of its reach said Andy Walsh, general manager.

"We’re not against sponsorship if it’s a sensible arrangement and used for the benefit of the club and its supporters," said Andy. "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.

"David and his team genuinely want to be involved in, and support, our community work and the club’s aims, rather than using the club only to raise their brand awareness.

We’re delighted they’re on board."

FC United’s community work is enshrined in its constitution and the club has worked with thousands of children and scores of organisations across Greater Manchester to provide football coaching, holiday schemes, healthy eating work and involvement in the Trailblazer scheme, which aims to reduce anti social behaviour across Manchester.

The club has a strong track record of delivering to communities and is a Co-operatives Excellence Award winner for its work.

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