Throughout the 2024-25 season, City continued to find ways to engage with staff, introducing new initiatives as well as improving existing programmes.
Originally created eight years ago, the BeCity staff networks were refreshed and relaunched as BeCity 2.0.
Made up of five core groups – BeActive, BeWell, BeConnected, BeInclusive and BeSustainable – each now has a newly elected Captain, Vice-Captain and Team of Key Players responsible for supporting colleague networks.
BeCity volunteers were responsible for hosting watch parties, organising golf, football and padel tournaments and leading book clubs to help connect peers through their passions.
Introduced in 2023, Coffee Corners continued to provide a monthly opportunity for staff to connect, network and learn. Supporting local coffee and confectionery businesses, Coffee Corners were hosted for Safeguarding Awareness Week, International Women’s Day (in collaboration with Buy Women Built), South Asian Heritage Month, Black History Month, Pride, Mental Health Awareness Week and Pension Support (in collaboration with Scottish Widows).
Staff participated in various volunteering activities this season, with many giving their time to City in the Community Christmas activities. Staff also volunteered for the second annual BeSustainable Big Day Out, which aims to deliver meaningful impact in the local East Manchester community.
This season saw staff work with City in the Community to revitalise Bradford Park and The Stirling Centre through litter picking, planting and painting. The spaces are used by the community as areas for multi-use games, play areas and green space, and volunteering staff made a noticeable difference to the local environment.
Over 200 employees joined an internal conference dedicated to learning more about Artificial Intelligence (AI). During the event staff heard from those who are actively leveraging AI across various areas of the Club – from media production and football analytics to fan engagement and kit design.
They learnt about how AI is transforming the way organisations work, unlocking new possibilities for innovation, efficiency and creativity. The conference was an opportunity for staff to share experiences and collaborate on this evolving technology whilst also providing a forum for discussion on responsible implementation.
December 2024 marked ten years since the opening of the City Football Academy (CFA). To celebrate the occasion, staff joined City’s Chief Executive Ferran Soriano and Manager Pep Guardiola to reflect on a momentous period for the Club.
The event also included a gallery display of photography portraits of ten members of staff who have been at the Club since 2014.
Following her retirement as a player in 2024, former Women’s team captain Steph Houghton returned to City as a Project Officer and Club Ambassador.
In her new ambassadorial role, she joined the likes of Club legends Mike Summerbee, Joleon Lescott and Shaun Wright-Phillips to act on behalf of the Club at various matches and events around the world.
Houghton was the first captain of City Women’s first fully professional team, and her new role makes her the first woman to become an official Ambassadorial representative of Manchester City.
The 2024-25 season saw the Club mark the passing of two of the most influential figures in the history of the Club.
Tony Book, a Club legend in every sense of the word, passed away in January 2025 at the age of 90.
Tony made 315 appearances for City between 1966 and 1974 during a golden era of success. Appointed captain in 1967, Tony – or ‘Skip’ as he was affectionately known – went on to lead City in what was the Club’s most trophy-laden period prior to the last 15 years, including a First Division title, the FA Cup, League Cup, European Cup Winners’ Cup and Charity Shield.
That alone would have cemented his standing as one of the Club’s all-time greats.
But Tony went on to reinforce his unique place in City folklore by embarking on what was to prove a hugely successful spell as manager between 1974 and 1979.
The highlight of his time in charge came in 1976 when Tony led City to League Cup glory at Wembley, with Skip also guiding City to runners-up position in Division One in the 1976-77 campaign.
The passing of Honorary City President, Sir Howard Bernstein, was marked with the unveiling of a mosaic dedicated to his memory at the Etihad Stadium in September.
Depicting lifelong City fan Sir Howard wearing a blue and white Club scarf, the mosaic takes inspiration from a memorable photo chosen by his family.
The new mosaic proudly sits alongside the existing mosaic on Sir Howard Bernstein Way, which features a selection of iconic Manchester landmarks that celebrate the breadth and depth of Sir Howard’s achievements. The combined mosaics complete a tribute to Sir Howard that marks his incredible legacy to both the Club and the City of Manchester.
Sir Howard was influential in City’s approach to helping local residents access training and job opportunities. Building on his legacy, City continued its longstanding commitment to deliver a range of adult learning programmes. These programmes are designed to upskill local unemployed residents, providing sector-specific skills and a guaranteed interview for available roles, providing direct pathways to employment within the Etihad Campus and beyond.
The free Access to Hospitality (Food & Beverage), Event Stewarding and Event Playmakers training courses were made available to local unemployed residents, with over 200 people taking part during the 2024-25 season.
Residents who completed the training were guaranteed a job interview. By June 2025, almost 50% of participants on average successfully secured roles at the Etihad Campus, with some individual programmes achieving exceptional success rates of 70-80%.
Following the success of the inaugural event in 2024, the Club hosted another Etihad Stadium Summer Jobs Fair in June 2025.
More than 600 members of the public attended the event, and had the opportunity to speak to the Club, City in the Community and 20 other local organisations about jobs training and support.
The latter part of the season also saw the launch of the Club’s Schools Engagement Programme. In collaboration with Greater Manchester Combined Authority, local teachers and careers advisors, City co-designed a programme of activities for students in Years 9, 10 and 11.
The programme is supported by 40 staff Business Ambassadors who volunteer their time to speak to students in schools or host them at the Etihad Campus. The Ambassadors, many of whom are from the local area themselves, bring to life what it is like to work at City, and inspire students to consider working in football as a career.
