MU footballing legend Ronny Johnsen made an appearance in Hong Kong at a press conference held by The Hong Kong Jockey Club and Manchester United to announce their new collaboration as Community Football Partners. Johnsen expressed support for Hong Kong's young players and their parents in chasing their football dreams, and posed for pictures with JC youth football leaders and Manchester United Soccer Schools’ coaches of the Jockey Club Youth Football Development Scheme.
The Club’s partnership with MU dates back to 2012. The next four years will see continued collaboration in youth development programmes at the elite, school and community levels.
New initiatives include the Club working with Manchester United Academy to offer thematic workshops for local coaches and for parents whose children play sports, the aim being to use football to strengthen family bonds. The JC Youth Football Academy Summit is another new initiative that will see the Academy team from MU visit Hong Kong for a week to train and play friendly matches with local youth teams, offering a unique exchange opportunity for Hong Kong and UK youngsters. The first summit will take place during the summer of 2017.
In addition, two existing programmes - the JC School Football Development Scheme and the JC Youth Football Leadership Scheme - will continue, with the total number of participating schools expected to exceed 100 and another 4,800 students benefiting.
The Club’s aim is to further develop Hong Kong football and introduce international best practice training methods. Most of all, the Club sees the potential of football to help young people develop physically, mentally and socially. In short, football can be a gateway to help young people achieve their full potential.
MU Group Managing Director Richard Arnold, MU Managing Director in Asia Pacific Jamie Reigle, and HKFA Chairman Brian Leung, also attended the press conference to show their determination and commitment to supporting the development of youth football.
The Jockey Club is a long-time supporter of both the city’s local communities and the development of local football. If you’d like to learn more about The Jockey Club Youth Football Development Scheme, please visit //campaign.hkjc.com/en/yfd/index.aspx.