Thomas Cook launched a partnership with Manchester United today, having replaced The Co-operative Travel group in handling every aspect of travel for one of the world’s leading football clubs.
Subsidiary Thomas Cook Sport will arrange all team and executive travel and fan excursions – selling packages including match tickets to fans across the world and organising trips for those in the UK and elsewhere travelling to games away from home.
The deal, announced last month, gives Thomas Cook access to United’s fan base of 330 million. In return, Manchester United members will enjoy discounts on Thomas Cook holidays.
United chief executive David Gill said: “Football is increasingly global and this is a great new partnership. It is a wide-ranging deal, initially for four years. We look forward to it enduring for a long, long time.”
He added: “It is not often we do business with a company older than us.”
Thomas Cook UK chief executive Ian Derbyshire said: “It’s a fantastic opportunity for Thomas Cook to be involved with one of the world’s most famous clubs. The deal represents a significant investment.”
United director and former player Sir Bobby Charlton said he had been staggered by the support for the club on a summer tour of North America when all five matches were sold out.
Thomas Cook Sport, formed seven years ago, now partners 11 of the 20 English Premiership clubs as well as Celtic and Rangers in Scotland. It is also an official 2012 Olympics partner.