Click here for the PDF handout or try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Manchester United. Click on the links below or see the activities below this article:
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Manchester United Football Club is the biggest brand in world football and the world’s richest club. The English Premier League club was founded as Newton Heath in 1878 and changed its name to Manchester United in 1902. It is one of the most successful clubs in English football and perhaps the most widely-supported in the world, with as many as 350 million fans. In 2010, Forbes magazine ranked Manchester United second to the New York Yankees in its list of the world’s most valuable sports team brands. The club has always managed to secure lucrative sponsorship deals and regularly receives the highest share of TV rights. United manage its worldwide exposure well through its own TV channel, MUTV. It also has a financial services arm and a foundation to help poorer children succeed.
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WORKSHEET ACTIVITIES
WARM-UPS
1. BRAINSTORM: Write all the words you can think of about Manchester United on the board or on a piece of paper. Talk about these words with your partner(s).
2. MANCHESTER UNITED MORNING: Each student pretends to be an employee of Manchester United. They walk around the class and talk about the company and their job.
3. RUMOURS:Each student writes down a pretend rumour about Manchester United. They then walk around the class and talk to other students about their rumour.
4. GOOD AND BAD:Brainstorm good and bad things about Manchester United and write them on the board. Students talk about these in pairs.
5. TRUE OR FALSE:Students find out several facts about Manchester United. They write these down and add the same number of things about the company that are false. Students test each other on which of their points are true or false.
6. FACTS:In groups, students write down as many facts as they can about Manchester United. The winner is the group with the most facts. Teacher may wish to have groups share their facts to make sure they are real.
LISTENING / READING GAP FILL
Manchester United Football Club ___________________ world football and the world’s richest club. The English Premier League club was founded as Newton Heath in 1878 and ___________________ Manchester United in 1902. It is one of the most successful clubs in English football and perhaps the ___________________ in the world, ___________________ 350 million fans. In 2010, Forbes magazine ranked Manchester United second to the New York Yankees ___________________ world’s most valuable sports team brands. The club has always ___________________ lucrative sponsorship deals and regularly receives ___________________ TV rights. United manage its worldwide exposure well through its own TV channel, MUTV. It also has a financial services arm and a foundation ___________________ children succeed.
CORRECT THE SPELLING
Manchester United Football Club is the biggest brand in world football and the world’s icsrteh club. The English Premier League club was eddofun as Newton Heath in 1878 and changed its name to Manchester United in 1902. It is one of the most successful clubs in English football and perhaps the most widely-pertpdosu in the world, with as many as 350 million fans. In 2010, Forbes magazine kndare Manchester United second to the New York Yankees in its list of the world’s most lalbeavu sports team brands. The club has always dmnaaeg to secure aeltciurv sponsorship deals and rurgeylla receives the highest share of TV rights. United manage its worldwide xespreuo well through its own TV channel, MUTV. It also has a financial services arm and a foundation to help poorer children euccsde.
UNJUMBLE THE WORDS
Manchester United Football Club is the biggest brand in world football and the world’s richest club. The English Premier League club was founded as Newton Heath in 1878 and changed its name to Manchester United in 1902. It is one of the most successful clubs in English football and perhaps the most widely-supported in the world, with as many as 350 million fans. In 2010, Forbes magazine ranked Manchester United second to the New York Yankees in its list of the world’s most valuable sports team brands. The club has always managed to secure lucrative sponsorship deals and regularly receives the highest share of TV rights. United manage its worldwide exposure well through its own TV channel, MUTV. It also has a financial services arm and a foundation to help poorer children succeed.
manchester united football club is the biggest brand in world football and the world’s richest club the english premier league club was founded as newton heath in 1878 and changed its name to manchester united in 1902 it is one of the most successful clubs in english football and perhaps the most widely-supported in the world with as many as 350 million fans in 2010 forbes magazine ranked manchester united second to the new york yankees in its list of the world’s most valuable sports team brands the club has always managed to secure lucrative sponsorship deals and regularly receives the highest share of tv rights united manage its worldwide exposure well through its own tv channel mutv it also has a financial services arm and a foundation to help poorer children succeed
CHOOSE THE CORRECT TENSE
Manchester United Football Club .......... (be) the biggest brand in world football and the world’s richest club. The English Premier League club was .......... (found) as Newton Heath in 1878 and .......... (change) its name to Manchester United in 1902. It .......... (be) one of the most successful clubs in English football and perhaps the most widely-.......... (support) in the world, with as many as 350 million fans. In 2010, Forbes magazine .......... (rank) Manchester United second to the New York Yankees in its list of the world’s most valuable sports team brands. The club .......... (have) always managed to secure lucrative sponsorship deals and regularly .......... (receive) the highest share of TV rights. United .......... (manage) its worldwide exposure well through its own TV channel, MUTV. It also .......... (have) a financial services arm and a foundation to help poorer children succeed.
Manchester United Football Club is the biggest brand in world football and the world’s ____________ club. The English Premier League club was ____________ as Newton Heath in 1878 and changed its name to Manchester United in 1902. It is one of the most ____________ clubs in English football and perhaps the most ____________ -supported in the world, with as many as 350 million fans. In 2010, Forbes magazine ____________ Manchester United second to the New York Yankees in its ____________ of the world’s most valuable sports team brands. The club has always managed to ____________ lucrative sponsorship ____________ and regularly receives the highest share of TV rights. United manage its worldwide ____________ well through its own TV channel, MUTV. It also has a financial services ____________ and a foundation to help poorer children succeed.
successful
richest
deals
secure
ranked
arm
founded
exposure
widely
list
PROJECT MANCHESTER UNITED
Part 1. Your mission is to increase the profits and sales of Manchester United. Complete this table with your project partner(s):
Main products
How to improve them
A brand new ‘killer’ product
How Manchester United is better than the competition
How to beat the competition
Part 2. Change partners and look at their project. Suggest improvements. Ask for advice on your project:
Part 3. Make a presentation on your project. Give it to the class. Vote the best projects.
MANCHESTER UNITED – ROLE PLAY 1
Role A – Manchester United CEO
You believe your company is the best in the world. It pays its workers very well and working conditions are great. Your company is very green – it cares about the environment. You think your levels of customer service are great. Disagree with person B, C and D.
Role B – Manchester United worker
You think it’s a bad company to work for. You’re very unhappy with pay, raises and bonuses. You are very unhappy with the working environment. You don’t like the company’s policy on the environment. You keep hearing profits are more important than customers. Disagree with A and C. Tell D the truth.
Role C – Manchester United customer
You are a customer of Manchester United. You used to think it was great, but not now. Its workers are always very rude. No one ever answers the phone. You are shocked about its policy on the environment. You think all staff should get less pay. You disagree with person A and B. Tell D the truth.
Role D – A journalist
You keep hearing bad things about Manchester United. You want to tell the world in your newspaper. You heard the CEO gets a huge bonus every year. You found a company memo saying profits are more important than the environment. You want to know why so many staff are ill. Find the truth.
MANCHESTER UNITED – ROLE PLAY 2
Role A – Manchester United New Products Director
You have created a new product for Manchester United. You believe the new product will be the company’s best ever. It will be a bestseller. There are people who do not agree with you. You need B, C and D on your side. Tell them why this is a product that will bring great things to Manchester United.
Role B – Manchester United Marketing Director
You think the company’s new product is a really bad idea. It will give your company a really bad name. You think the New Products Director is trying to destroy the company. Try to get him/her to understand there’s no way the new product will sell. Try to get person C and D on your side.
Role C – Manchester United Market Researcher
You have interviewed thousands of people about the new product. They don’t like it or hate it. You think it will be successful if they make many changes. Tell the New Products Director he/she needs to change the product. You neither like nor trust person B. Disagree will him/her.
Role D – Manchester United Shareholder
You know a lot about Manchester United’s new product. You are worried it will not sell and share prices will go down. You think A is crazy and must find a new job. You agree with everything B says. You don’t agree with C. The new product should not go on the market.
Write a letter of apology to the customer. Explain why you cannot give a refund. Show your partner your letter. Correct each other’s work.
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HOMEWORK
1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.
2. INTERNET INFO: Search the Internet and find more information about Manchester United. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE:Write a magazine article about Manchester United. What have they done recently? What are their plans? Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.
4. MANCHESTER UNITED POSTERMake a poster about Manchester United. Make sure you sell the company to the public. Show it to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your posters.
5. MY MANCHESTER UNITED LESSON:Make your own English lesson on Manchester United. Make sure there is a good mix of things to do. Find some good online activities. Teach the class / another group when you have finished.
6. ONLINE SHARING:Use your blog, wiki, Facebook page, MySpace page, Twitter stream, Del-icio-us / StumbleUpon account, or any other social media tool to get opinions on Manchester United. Share your findings with the class.
ANSWERS
Check your answers in the article at the top of this page.
