The Daily Mail - 15th December 2007 - By Bob Cass
United moving down south as fanbase reaches 333 million
By BOB CASS
Last updated at 21:50pm on 15th December 2007
No matter who comes out on top of the titanic clash of the Big Four, Manchester
United, under the watchful eye of Sir Alex Ferguson can still claim to be No 1.
They now have a staggering 333 million fans around the world, according to new
research, and are preparing to move part of their administration to London.
United have long been the butt of jokes about the high proportion of fans alleged
to live in the south of England. Now they have appointed Richard Arnold as their
new director of global partnerships, with a brief to retain current blue-chip
sponsors like AIG and Nike, and to recruit others who can help them tap into
their fanbase.
Leading sports marketing firm TNS Sport interviewed at least 1,000 people in
each of 21 markets from Ireland to Indonesiaand the results surprised even their
most bullish executives.