Glazier gets Man U

Tealeaf · 12-05-2005, 14:31

The BBC website has just announced Glazier has got contol of Man U, after McManus et all sold their 28% shareholding.

Lets give a big welcome to Miamichester United!

Sparkologist · 12-05-2005, 15:15

This is BAD, BAD news!
With the two Irish businessmen selling their 28% stake, it has become obvious that they were just that; businessmen out to make a buck out of the Manchester United brand.

I am not, and never will be a Man U fan, but I do feel disappointed for their fans, because they will be exploited to a level that they never imagined they would be. Manchester United's season tickets were always amongst the cheapest in the top flight. I very much doubt that this will be the case for much longer.

The only way the United fans can vote now is with their bums and their wallets; don't buy seats at the games and don't spend money in the club shops.

John_Timmins · 12-05-2005, 15:41

the problem with that is that the few true fans of man utd dont go and and their tickets get bought by the chinese and other multinational fan base that man united has got!!!

Got to say it but he will run the greatest club which the premiership has seen into the ground its an absolute discrace that football has no longer become entertainment for the many but it has become the business proposition for the few.

g78 · 12-05-2005, 15:58

I just think its sad that once again, another british 'business' has been sold out. Whethere you are a fan of Man U or not, the fact that an American business man is now in control of one of your countries major teams is not good.

Tealeaf · 12-05-2005, 16:02

It will be interesting next year when Man U play Chelski......the US versus Russia!

Cold War 2 on the footy field!

cashman · 12-05-2005, 16:16

unfortunatley football has become a BUISNESS, and thats a fact of life,find it hard though to feel sorry for the fans(mancunians exepted) they couldn't care less about anyone else.

mthead · 12-05-2005, 17:13

Being a life long red,this news has deeply sadend me.He only needs to get to 75% and the remaining shares are as good as void and he becomes the sole owner of my beloved team.Which means his debt of around £750m will become the clubs debt,which is 3 times what sunk Leeds Utd.I just hope it does not happen to us.Dont know what id do without my Man Utd.Football would be dead in my eyes,just hope united can survive and wipeout HIS debts.

Bazf · 16-05-2005, 22:37

So he's no second Abramovich?
Absolutely not. Chances are that the Chelski fans' song of 'We've got loads of money' to be replaced with a polite enquiry of 'Where's your money gone?' next season when they visit Old Trafford.
For one thing, Roman is much richer: his personal fortune is estimated at £13bn, dwarfing Glazer's £1bn bank balance.So Abramovich could afford to buy Chelski in one swoop with all his own money. Glazer cannot. Moreover, even if he could, as a businessman seeking profit, he wouldn’t want to do so.
For while Abramovich is 'living the dream' with Chelski, Glazer is merely chasing the buck.Roman attends all the Chelski matches. On the other hand, Glazer has never been to Old Trafford and it's far from certain that he ever will.
So no change on the playing side?
The point to emphasis over and over again is that Glazer has no interest in Manchester United, the football club. His only concern is Manchester United, the business.Of course, he would prefer the team to be successful, but only because that enhances the club's appeal and in turn their business portfolio. Winning football matches will cease to be the priority of Manchester United.
Apparently he has pledged to give the ManYoo boss, whoever he may be, £100m over the next five years to spend. That boils down to £20m a year. To put that in context, note that Wayne Rooney cost in the region of £28m, and that Wigan are planning to spend in excess of £25m this summer.
With the club’s squad in urgent need of a dramatic overhaul, Glazer's arrival couldn’t be worse timed. HeHe.
Oh. But will it actually affect the other clubs?
Very much so.
The biggest of many fears around Glazer is that he intends to withdraw ManYoo from the collective agreement for the Premiership’s TV rights. At present, 50% of the £1.1bn deal for 2004-07 is shared throughout the league. But Glazer is expected to try to sell ManYoo’s TV rights separately (as they do in Italy), possibly even making each match pay-per-view worldwide.
Although the collective deal is part of the Premier League constitution, it's thought that if Glazer does push for its removal when the Sky deal expires at the end of next season then the European Commission could support him under the terms of 'free trading'. Think Marc Bosman.
The demise of the collective TV deal wouldn’t harm the likes of Chelski, Arsenal and Liverpool, but, as with the collapse of ITV Digital, it could spell grave financial strife for the clubs lower down the food chain.
And of course make a very unbalanced league even more top-heavy with cash.
How has Glazer gained control of ManYoo?
In many respects, ManYoo are now reaping what they have previously sown.
The absurd aspect of the ManYoo fans' mantra of 'Manchester United Not For Sale' is that, as a plc, this is exactly what they are.
Making the club a plc ultimately gave ManYoo a huge financial advantage over their competitors. But, as with any plc, it also left them vulnerable to potential takeovers.
Specifically, Glazer is now in control because JP McManus and John Magnier have sold their 28.9% stake in the club. And why did they sell? In a word, money. Or should that be 'profit'? The Irish duo have made a gain in the region of £80m to £100m from buying into the club.
At £3 a share, Glazer's offer to their pair was well above the market price. Had they rejected it then the American would have been forced to abandon his plans to take over ManYoo and the share price would have plummeted. Faced with a potential loss of perhaps £50m, rather than a huge profit, they made a decision that any businessman would have taken.
Having originally bought ManYoo shares to make a quick profit, they thus became Old Trafford kingmakers and once Glazer bought their shares it was game over. When Glazer gets to 90% he will force all other shareholder to sell to him and be in complete control. Sorry couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of people, just think how serrrr Alex is feeling having pis8ed off the Irish pair over a race horse he may not have a job or a football club.

cashman · 17-05-2005, 14:59

don't apologise bazf, i was discussing it last thursday night with a couple of mates(man u)fansand they were telling me glazer would never get 75% of the shares,ha ha,can't wait for this thursday.you can't tell em anything.

Sparkologist · 17-05-2005, 19:01

I drove past Man-ure's ground this morning, on the way to the other Old Trafford. There was a massive hydraulic crane being used to construct a tower crane in the northeast corner of the stadium, between the North Stand and the Warwick Road end of the ground. This is to raise the stadium capacity by "filling in the corners". When this corner is complete, the intention is to do the same between the North Stand and The Stretford End.

Is Glazer likely to sanction any more ground improvements after this, or will he tighten the purse strings in the manner that he has allegedly done with the kitty for new players?

Bazf · 17-05-2005, 21:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sparkologist

I drove past Man-ure's ground this morning, on the way to the other Old Trafford. There was a massive hydraulic crane being used to construct a tower crane in the northeast corner of the stadium, between the North Stand and the Warwick Road end of the ground. This is to raise the stadium capacity by "filling in the corners". When this corner is complete, the intention is to do the same between the North Stand and The Stretford End.

Would have been better used to knock the place down then they could rebuild it in London.