Around 450 people have registered to join City Mobile since Valletta FC announced plans to launch a mobile phone service last Saturday, club president Victor Sciriha told The Times Business.

City Mobile will be operated by mobile virtual network enabler Aspider Solutions, with Vodafone Malta as its underlying carrier. It is expected to be operational by February 1.

Mr Sciriha, who described the initial reaction to City Mobile as "good", said 160 people signed up at a club event on Monday night after another 170 registered at the club premises on Sunday.

Created to leverage the Valletta FC brand, City Mobile is targeting the club's hugely loyal fan base. With over 1,000 registered Valletta FC supporters, Mr Sciriha said potential subscribers to City Mobile could reach between 15,000 and 20,000 if the club's nursery, women's section and wider supporter base and their families were taken into account. On Saturday, the club president said the service's initial target was to reach around 3,000 subscribers.

The service will be heavily marketed during club fixtures by City Mobile representatives. City Mobile SIM cards will be available from Vodafone stores and a network of shops in the capital, besides other stores.

Subscribers who register by the end of the year will be entitled to free subscription and a month's worth of calls and text messages for free to City Mobile numbers next year. City Mobile subscribers will benefit from periodical special offers launched by Vodafone. Among City Mobile's planned promotions for next year is a June lottery with a trip to Valletta FC's first away match in the 2010/2011 UEFA competition as first prize.

An official City Mobile portal is currently under construction. Customer service will be available from an Aspider-run call centre.

Mr Sciriha is hugely confident about this new venture.

"I am positive it is going to work," he said, citing club supporters' unequivocal loyalty. "People are registering without even asking questions - Valletta FC comes first to our supporters."

The MVNO, a first for Maltese football, is the latest venture for the ambitious club which is expecting initial plans for its new football ground to be decided on next year.

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