Exclusive sports club is launching in Manchester
A new networking club for sports stars, senior executives working within sports and sports fans is being launched in June.
The Manchester Sporting Club will be housed at the iconic Manchester Hall and will be open for business, networking and events just in time for the start of the football World Cup.
The MSC follows on the heels of the London Sporting Club which has taken the capital by storm, one year after it was launched.
The LSC, based both in Mayfair and the City, boasts hundreds of members across sport, marketing, brands, sponsorship, broadcast/media, finance, law, property, insurance, health and fitness and a wide range of other professions either linked to the sports business or just sports lovers.
And, in the past year, the LSC has staged lunches with a who’s who of sport including: Eddie Jones, Sir Steve Redgrave, Kumar Sangakkara, David Coulthard, Michael Johnson, Sam Allardyce, The Three Dames Katherine Grainger, Kelly Holmes and Laura Davies, Sir Clive Woodward, Andrew Strauss, Sam Warburton, Frankie Dettori, Harry Redknapp, Frank Bruno and Sugar Ray Leonard.
Next up is Lizzy Yarnold in April, Lord Sebastian Coe in May and Sir Geoff Hurst in June.
The LSC has also staged numerous business breakfasts with the likes of International Cricket Council CEO David Richardson, World Rugby CEO Brett Gosper, Barry Hearn and European Tour CEO Keith Pelley.
Coming up is Sky Sports MD Barney Francis and Bournemouth FC chairman Jeff Mostyn, as well as other events such as a Jonny Bairstow book signing, a dinner with Graeme Souness and a sport and conservation evening with Crista Cullen.
Future events also include an evening with Clive Anderson and a book signing with Judy Murray.
Ian Stafford, founder and chairman of Sporting Club Holdings Ltd, which owns the LSC and the MSC, said: “Manchester was always going to be the second club we launched after London.
“We have multiple options across Europe and beyond but I always wanted to open in Manchester as soon as we felt London was settled and established because of its huge sporting heritage.
“However, apart from the obvious sporting links to Manchester, the city is also developing at an amazing rate of knots to become a truly international city in its own right.
“I don’t see the MSC as some kind of add on to the LSC. I see it as a very important club in its own right and we intend to bring the best people to it as members or star guests, to help create the right kind of business for our members and, of course, we must have some fun too.”
Marc Yaffe has been appointed as Chairman of The MSC. As head of litigation at JMW Solicitors LLP and founder of the award-winning platform Barn Door, he was chosen due to his prolific sporting and business connections in the North West.
Marc has also recently joined the board of the Diane Modahl Sports Foundation.
He said: “I am delighted to have been appointed as Chairman of The Manchester Sporting Club. Manchester has an incredible sporting pedigree so it makes sense for Ian to start the next Sporting Club venture in the city.”
