Exciting news for South African soccer fans is that Manchester United’s Tour 2012, delivered to the world by DHL, will kick-off in South Africa in July in association with Chevrolet, the club’s global automotive partner. South Africa marks the starting point of this global tour with the first two matches scheduled for the third week in July in Durban and Cape Town.
At the end of May Chevrolet and Manchester United announced the signing of a five-year partnership agreement that saw Chevrolet become the club’s Official Automotive Partner on a global basis.
According to Malcolm Gauld, General Motors South Africa’s Vice President Sales and Marketing, the announcement brought together two of the world’s iconic brands, Chevrolet with its 101 year heritage in the global automotive industry, and UK based Barclays Premier League giant Manchester United with a global following of some 659 million fans.
Driven in Chevrolet vehicles while touring South Africa, the first of two matches to be played will feature Manchester United against Amazulu at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on the 19th of July. The second game will be between Manchester United and Ajax Cape Town at the Greenpoint Stadium in Cape Town on the 21st of July.
“Soccer fans will be at the heart of this sponsorship deal with the objective of bringing fans across the world closer to the game than ever before. In South Africa Chevrolet will be linking a national promotional roadshow, featuring all Chevrolet Diesel models to Manchester United’s visit,” says Gauld.
Anyone interested in Manchester United and the game of soccer should keep a keen eye on the press for details as they are released.
As an extension of its commitment to global football through its association with Manchester United, Chevrolet has teamed up with the One World Futbol Project for a three-year term. “This organisation is focused on sustaining access to the game of football for the youth in impoverished regions of the world. At the heart of this is a virtually indestructible football that needs no inflation and is ideal for the rough make-shift fields found in developing areas, Gauld added.
Chevrolet has pledged to donate 1,5 million One World Futbols over a period of three years to organisations working with youth in war-stricken zones, refugee camps, disaster areas, and disadvantaged communities around the world. Chevrolet is the first corporate sponsor to sign up with the One Futbol Project which to date has positively affected more than 525 000 lives in 137 countries.
