On the final days in LA the club teamed up with Angel City FC and hosted a coaching clinic for 60 young girls to promote the opportunities for females in football coaching roles and share knowledge about the importance of mental fitness in sport. A delegation from both clubs was in attendance, led by Wes Brown and Billy Garton, and later the group went on to the Titan Stadium to watch Angel City FC’s home fixture against San Diego Wave.
Rick McGagh, director of fan engagement, said: “The welcome we have had from our US fans has been incredible. We’ve met fans from all over America and worked with our official supporters’ clubs to host a range of activities. These included our popular ‘Warm-up on Tour’ legend Q&A nights featuring Wes Brown, Bryan Robson, Andy Cole and Denis Irwin, and pre-game fanzones in San Diego and tomorrow in South Carolina where we are expecting over 5,000 fans.
“This trip has also allowed us to continue our work, along with our Manchester United Foundation, in the local communities we have visited. We have built on our existing relationship with Street Soccer USA to host street soccer tournaments for kids in Escondido (San Diego) and Watts (LA). This work is closely aligned with our own Street Reds programme which gives children a chance to fulfil their potential and play football for free.
“We also kicked off a relationship with the Compton Cowboys – another community-based group who do unbelievable work in giving kids in their neighbourhood a great start in life. We were able to connect The Compton Cowboys with Street Soccer USA LA and they are now working together – something we are very proud to have played a role in and something we are committed to supporting.
“And finally, we would also like to thank the large number of fans who made the trip out from the UK, and other parts of the world, to follow the team on tour. Their dedication is unbelievable, and the players, manager and staff all appreciate the time, money and passion they invest in the team.”
