Viva Soccer Schools

(NYSE:MANU) Manchester United ambassador and footballing legend Denis Law was in Bahrain on Saturday 13 April to celebrate the launch of the country's 2013 VIVA Manchester United Soccer Schools programme.

The exciting soccer programme is designed to give school children in Bahrain the opportunity to show off their footballing prowess, with the chance to win a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Manchester United’s training ground to train with Manchester United Soccer Schools.

The club’s official telecommunications partner in Bahrain, VIVA, has invited Bahrain schools to participate in the two-day tournament, which will run from 15 to 17 May. Each school will submit a team of 11 students aged between 13 and 15 years. Individuals who want to participate and are unable to enter as part of a school team can still take part and will be entered into a separate non-school team.

Successful students will then go on to win a trip to Manchester, courtesy of VIVA Bahrain. However, to win the unique prize, entrants must first impress a panel of VIVA judges who will pick the tournament’s best 22 players.

Manchester United ambassador Denis Law said:

"I have been overwhelmed by the number of United fans who have greeted me here today. It is my first time in Bahrain and the welcome I have received has been fantastic.

"I think the VIVA Manchester United Soccer Schools is a great community initiative to encourage children to take up the game. That is how I started playing football. I used to kick a ball about with my friends and then went on to play for some of the greatest teams in the world!

"VIVA is giving school children the opportunity to learn skills that will last them a lifetime and, you never know, we could end up unearthing the game's next big star."

This latest tournament is the third international football community initiative to be brought to Bahrain by VIVA. Previous MUSS programmes have been supported by Manchester United legends Lee Sharpe, Denis Irwin and Dion Dublin.

For more information on how to enter the competition, visit www.viva.com.bh