First UK Football Club 'Green' Matchday Programme

Manchester City Football Club is to become the first club in UK football to produce an environmentally-credible matchday magazine, after a three-year printing contract with Polar Print Group.

Manchester City Football Club is to become the first club in UK football to produce an environmentally-credible matchday magazine, after agreeing a three-year printing contract with Polar Print Group.

The new 'greener' matchday magazine went on sale for the first time last weekend, for the visit of Fulham FC.

Since being awarded the contract, representatives from Polar have worked closely with the football club to look at ways of producing a more eco-friendly matchday magazine.

Polar said that its position, as one of the few printers in the UK with comprehensive environmental and CSR credentials, was a determining factor for Manchester City when it awarded the contract and will enable the club to take advantage of the latest environmental thinking within printing.

The matchday magazine will be printed using low-alcohol print technology and vegetable-oil based inks and will be produced on paper sourced from sustainable forestry (with a high content of post-consumer recycled waste added) approved by the Forestry Stewardship Council.

Polar is also 'carbon balanced', accredited to International Environment Management System Standard (ISO14001) and it believes it has earned a reputation for operating its business ethically, putting corporate social responsibility at the heart of its decision-making.

Pete Bradshaw, CSR manager for Manchester City Football Club - the only club in UK football to currently employ a dedicated CSR officer - commented: "As a club, we are committed to delivering positive change through football.

Producing a more environmentally-credible matchday magazine, that continues to deliver fresh and original content for our supporters in a 'greener' and more ethical way, is an obvious extension of this commitment.

Polar Print Group managing director, David Gask, added: "With around 40,000 supporters investing in the club every matchday and many more outside the stadium, football plays a huge role in people's lives and we firmly believe that as a medium which communicates with thousands of fans at every game, it is a fantastic opportunity to deliver not only the success stories on the pitch, but also a more positive underlying environmental message.

The 88-page magazine format is expected to have a total matchday print run of 16,000 copies per issue.

The announcement coincides with the 20th anniversary of Manchester City's community scheme, celebrations for which were held at the City of Manchester Stadium last weekend.

In September, the club announced that its stadium is to become the first in the world to be solely powered by renewable energy after an application to install a wind turbine, designed by celebrated architect, Sir Norman Foster, was approved by city councillors.

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