Originally posted by vansmack:The Red half of Manchester and all it's ex-pats! I wouldn't say they made new rules, they may just do the same thing for England that they do for just about every other country in the Uefa.
Congratulations. You did so poorly in league that UEFA had to make special rules for you to defned your cup. So I read it, but who's weaping?
HEY SMACKIE!!!
Hey Mankie, are you sure you don't want to be supporting Manchester City?
Glazer to up United ticket prices to boost profit - report
Fri 10 Jun, 4:17 AM
LONDON (Reuters) - The new owner of Manchester United plans to triple operating profit under a five-year plan which would see ticket prices rise sharply, the Times newspaper reported on Friday.
U.S. investor Malcolm Glazer, who gained control of the English club last month after a two-year fight, hopes to boost annual profits to 114.3 million pounds by 2010, the paper said.
The Times said Glazer could further anger supporters who opposed his takeover by raising ticket prices by up to 54 percent within five years.
The report, citing previously unseen documents, said the club hopes to raise total revenues by 52 percent to 245.6 million pounds by 2010.
However, the proposals have yet to be finalised and could still be changed, The Times quoted an unnamed source close to Glazer as saying.
If the plans are adopted, United fans would pay an average of 46 pounds to watch a game in 2010, the Times reported.
No one at the club could be reached for comment.
Glazer plans to delist United from the London Stock Exchange as early as June 22 as part of his 790 million pound takeover, his bankers said in May.
Glazer's takeover has angered many United fans who fear he will hike ticket prices and cut back on player investment to pay back the hefty loans he used to buy the club.
The Times report said the club's manager, Alex Ferguson, will have a 25 million pound net annual budget to buy new players over the next five years, compared to an average spend per season of 19.4 million pounds since 1998.
The newspaper said the documents gave details of the interest repayments the club faces on part of the debt.
The report said Glazer must pay an annual rate of 20 percent on 210 million pounds of the debt and 14 percent on a further 65 million pounds.
The documents make no mention of any plans to sell the club's Old Trafford stadium and lease it back.
Glazer to up United ticket prices to boost profit - report
Fri 10 Jun, 4:17 AM
LONDON (Reuters) - The new owner of Manchester United plans to triple operating profit under a five-year plan which would see ticket prices rise sharply, the Times newspaper reported on Friday.
U.S. investor Malcolm Glazer, who gained control of the English club last month after a two-year fight, hopes to boost annual profits to 114.3 million pounds by 2010, the paper said.
The Times said Glazer could further anger supporters who opposed his takeover by raising ticket prices by up to 54 percent within five years.
The report, citing previously unseen documents, said the club hopes to raise total revenues by 52 percent to 245.6 million pounds by 2010.
However, the proposals have yet to be finalised and could still be changed, The Times quoted an unnamed source close to Glazer as saying.
If the plans are adopted, United fans would pay an average of 46 pounds to watch a game in 2010, the Times reported.
No one at the club could be reached for comment.
Glazer plans to delist United from the London Stock Exchange as early as June 22 as part of his 790 million pound takeover, his bankers said in May.
Glazer's takeover has angered many United fans who fear he will hike ticket prices and cut back on player investment to pay back the hefty loans he used to buy the club.
The Times report said the club's manager, Alex Ferguson, will have a 25 million pound net annual budget to buy new players over the next five years, compared to an average spend per season of 19.4 million pounds since 1998.
The newspaper said the documents gave details of the interest repayments the club faces on part of the debt.
The report said Glazer must pay an annual rate of 20 percent on 210 million pounds of the debt and 14 percent on a further 65 million pounds.
The documents make no mention of any plans to sell the club's Old Trafford stadium and lease it back.
No! I like to watch my team play in Europe!!! :D
Man City face Uefa disappointment
Manchester City are unlikely to be given a place in the Uefa Cup if Liverpool are allowed into the Champions League.
City, who finished eighth in the Premiership, had been lobbying to take the place vacated by Liverpool if they were allowed to defend their trophy.
But BBC Radio Five Live understands City are likely to be disappointed.
City missed out to Middlesbrough on the when Robbie Fowler missed a last-minute penalty on the season's final day.
This goes a long way to helping the old manc/scouse hate-fest!
Man City face Uefa disappointment
Manchester City are unlikely to be given a place in the Uefa Cup if Liverpool are allowed into the Champions League.
City, who finished eighth in the Premiership, had been lobbying to take the place vacated by Liverpool if they were allowed to defend their trophy.
But BBC Radio Five Live understands City are likely to be disappointed.
City missed out to Middlesbrough on the when Robbie Fowler missed a last-minute penalty on the season's final day.
This goes a long way to helping the old manc/scouse hate-fest!
54% over the next five years….sure it's a bummer, but in reality, with the other big-guns and Liverscum no doubt increasing their prices over the next years, they'll probably still be below, or at least on par with the rest of the big teams of England, and Liverscum.
I don't have the figures exactly but I do know United tickets are currently way below the other main teams, and Liverscum…..
I'll be disapointed if they change the rules to let scum defend the cup even though they weren't good enough to qualify. Unless I'm mistaken, Brasil are still going through qualification for the world cup even though they're reigning champions……..no?
I don't have the figures exactly but I do know United tickets are currently way below the other main teams, and Liverscum…..
I'll be disapointed if they change the rules to let scum defend the cup even though they weren't good enough to qualify. Unless I'm mistaken, Brasil are still going through qualification for the world cup even though they're reigning champions……..no?
Sorry, three posts in a row, but most of you are still tucked up in bed…
My case in point on ticket prices…
The big squeeze
Big-money signings like Rio Ferdinand and Wayne Rooney could be a thing of the past at Old Trafford. Secret documents revealed last night show transfer spending will be squeezed to £25million a season under Malcolm Glazerâ??s new regime. The new owner will also release an additional £25m, spread over the next five years. But, with the Rooney deal costing United a potential £30m and defender Rio £29.1m, it is clear Red Devils boss Alex Ferguson will not be able to buy a team of superstars. The spending cap will be imposed as Glazer pays off the £374m in loans he used to buy his current 76.2 per cent share in the club. Fans will also be shocked by ticket price rises of 54 per cent within five years. The price of an average United ticket â?? expected to be £29.90 this year â?? will jump to £33.40 next year, £38.70 in 2007, £41 in 2008 and £43.40 in 2009. United fans will be expected to pay an average of £46 per ticket for home games in 2010 â?? just below the current cost of a ticket for Chelsea home games. But American tycoon Glazer will also bump up the prices for â??Premierâ? games, such as Champions League quarter-finals and semis by 25 per cent â?? from next year. Tickets for group games will be 12.5 per cent more expensive.
Neil Custis, The Sun
Basically, in five years time, United tickets will still be below the current price of a chelski ticket.
Transfer spending at £25m is more than Fergie has been getting, which has been an average of £19.1m, and with the extra £25m over the next 5 years on top of his annual budget, that's an average of £30m per year for 5 years…..not too shabby if you ask me. He could buy the whole of Liverscum, including the slum of a stadium every year with that kind of budget…..but why would he waste his money?
Like I said, I'm not jumping up and down over the fact we're now owned by a doodle, but it's not all doom and gloom like some fear.
My case in point on ticket prices…
The big squeeze
Big-money signings like Rio Ferdinand and Wayne Rooney could be a thing of the past at Old Trafford. Secret documents revealed last night show transfer spending will be squeezed to £25million a season under Malcolm Glazerâ??s new regime. The new owner will also release an additional £25m, spread over the next five years. But, with the Rooney deal costing United a potential £30m and defender Rio £29.1m, it is clear Red Devils boss Alex Ferguson will not be able to buy a team of superstars. The spending cap will be imposed as Glazer pays off the £374m in loans he used to buy his current 76.2 per cent share in the club. Fans will also be shocked by ticket price rises of 54 per cent within five years. The price of an average United ticket â?? expected to be £29.90 this year â?? will jump to £33.40 next year, £38.70 in 2007, £41 in 2008 and £43.40 in 2009. United fans will be expected to pay an average of £46 per ticket for home games in 2010 â?? just below the current cost of a ticket for Chelsea home games. But American tycoon Glazer will also bump up the prices for â??Premierâ? games, such as Champions League quarter-finals and semis by 25 per cent â?? from next year. Tickets for group games will be 12.5 per cent more expensive.
Neil Custis, The Sun
Basically, in five years time, United tickets will still be below the current price of a chelski ticket.
Transfer spending at £25m is more than Fergie has been getting, which has been an average of £19.1m, and with the extra £25m over the next 5 years on top of his annual budget, that's an average of £30m per year for 5 years…..not too shabby if you ask me. He could buy the whole of Liverscum, including the slum of a stadium every year with that kind of budget…..but why would he waste his money?
Like I said, I'm not jumping up and down over the fact we're now owned by a doodle, but it's not all doom and gloom like some fear.
Sorry to disappoint you Mankie…..
Liverpool Given Champions Chance
Fri 10 Jun, 1:09 PM
Liverpool will be allowed to defend their Champions League crown next season.
UEFA's 14-man executive committee today decided to make a special case to allow the Reds into the first qualifying round of the competition next season.
It means Liverpool will have to play six matches in order to qualify for the group phase and it could interfere with their pre-season tour of Japan.
Liverpool, who failed to finish in a qualifying place in the Barclays Premiership, will become the fifth English side in the competition.
UEFA have also taken steps to ensure that the same scenario never occurs again by changing the rules so that in the future the titleholders will always qualify for the competition the following season.
If the Liverpool situation occurs again and the European champions fail to finish in a qualifying place in their domestic competition however they will come in at the expense of the fourth-placed side.
The rules will also apply for countries who only get three or two Champions League spots, but there will be a special exemption in the unlikely event of a country with one Champions League spot winning the competition but failing to win their own domestic league.
UEFA have confirmed that despite Liverpool's admission to the Champions League Manchester City will not be given a UEFA Cup place next season.
More news from SportingLife.com
Liverpool Given Champions Chance
Fri 10 Jun, 1:09 PM
Liverpool will be allowed to defend their Champions League crown next season.
UEFA's 14-man executive committee today decided to make a special case to allow the Reds into the first qualifying round of the competition next season.
It means Liverpool will have to play six matches in order to qualify for the group phase and it could interfere with their pre-season tour of Japan.
Liverpool, who failed to finish in a qualifying place in the Barclays Premiership, will become the fifth English side in the competition.
UEFA have also taken steps to ensure that the same scenario never occurs again by changing the rules so that in the future the titleholders will always qualify for the competition the following season.
If the Liverpool situation occurs again and the European champions fail to finish in a qualifying place in their domestic competition however they will come in at the expense of the fourth-placed side.
The rules will also apply for countries who only get three or two Champions League spots, but there will be a special exemption in the unlikely event of a country with one Champions League spot winning the competition but failing to win their own domestic league.
UEFA have confirmed that despite Liverpool's admission to the Champions League Manchester City will not be given a UEFA Cup place next season.
More news from SportingLife.com
So….should a miracle happen twice, which is highly unlikely, Liverpool will be unworthy champions seeing as they should never have been in the bloody competition in the first place. I can live with that.
I'd laugh my dick off if they failed to get through the qualifying rounds….now that would be poetic justice.
I can guarantee you that if it was Man Utd whinging and moaning like spoiled brats, they would never have changed the rules.
I'd laugh my dick off if they failed to get through the qualifying rounds….now that would be poetic justice.
I can guarantee you that if it was Man Utd whinging and moaning like spoiled brats, they would never have changed the rules.
Wait a minute, I need to get my violin………. OK Mankie, can you repeat that again? Tissues anyone?
Originally posted by Mr Dodgy Slapper:Well they do say the truth hurts.
Wait a minute, I need to get my violin………. OK Mankie, can you repeat that again? Tissues anyone?
Originally posted by O'Mankie:Gutted, indeed….but I'm over it!
Originally posted by Mr Dodgy Slapper:Well they do say the truth hurts.
Wait a minute, I need to get my violin………. OK Mankie, can you repeat that again? Tissues anyone?
Originally posted by Mr Dodgy Slapper:On the bright side…..scums season will be extremely long now, and they'll be so knackered that they'll end up mid-table in the premiership, but what's new?
Originally posted by O'Mankie:Gutted, indeed….but I'm over it!
Originally posted by Mr Dodgy Slapper:Well they do say the truth hurts.
Wait a minute, I need to get my violin………. OK Mankie, can you repeat that again? Tissues anyone?
Originally posted by O'Mankie:Yeah, it's much better being third in the Premiership and no trophies to show for it. Shout it from the rooftops…..WE'RE NUMBER THREE!
Originally posted by Mr Dodgy Slapper:On the bright side…..scums season will be extremely long now, and they'll be so knackered that they'll end up mid-table in the premiership, but what's new?
Originally posted by O'Mankie:Gutted, indeed….but I'm over it!
Originally posted by Mr Dodgy Slapper:Well they do say the truth hurts.
Wait a minute, I need to get my violin………. OK Mankie, can you repeat that again? Tissues anyone?
Originally posted by Mr Dodgy Slapper:What a great idea….we can all buy those big foam fingers to wave about in front of the tv camera like the doodles do, only we'll have three fingers up instead of just the one, and lip-synch "We're number three".
Originally posted by O'Mankie:Yeah, it's much better being third in the Premiership and no trophies to show for it. Shout it from the rooftops…..WE'RE NUMBER THREE!
Originally posted by Mr Dodgy Slapper:On the bright side…..scums season will be extremely long now, and they'll be so knackered that they'll end up mid-table in the premiership, but what's new?
Originally posted by O'Mankie:Gutted, indeed….but I'm over it!
Originally posted by Mr Dodgy Slapper:Well they do say the truth hurts.
Wait a minute, I need to get my violin………. OK Mankie, can you repeat that again? Tissues anyone?
BTW, if every college sports team is number one, why do they bother having national championships and all that crap?
:D :D :D
Basically, Shareholders United can 'eff off back to London, Birminghan and Glasgow etc.
Man Utd set for new ticket record
<img src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/40618000/jpg/_40618918_oldtrafford203.jpg" alt=" - " />
It was feared that fans would stay away from Old Trafford
Manchester United expect to sell a record 42,500 season tickets before the new campaign begins in August.
United have put an extra 2,500 season tickets on sale and have already eclipsed last year's mark of 40,072, despite an average price rise of 10%.
It had been suggested fans might vote with their feet following Malcolm Glazer's takeover at Old Trafford.
But a club spokesman said: "The likelihood is we will sell out before the start of the season."
Meanwhile, the Manchester Evening News reports that United have seen a minimal increase in the number of season tickets not being renewed for next season.
An average of 200 are not retained each year for a variety of reasons, and the increase this summer is understood to be in the tens, and not hundreds.
Basically, Shareholders United can 'eff off back to London, Birminghan and Glasgow etc.
Man Utd set for new ticket record
<img src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/40618000/jpg/_40618918_oldtrafford203.jpg" alt=" - " />
It was feared that fans would stay away from Old Trafford
Manchester United expect to sell a record 42,500 season tickets before the new campaign begins in August.
United have put an extra 2,500 season tickets on sale and have already eclipsed last year's mark of 40,072, despite an average price rise of 10%.
It had been suggested fans might vote with their feet following Malcolm Glazer's takeover at Old Trafford.
But a club spokesman said: "The likelihood is we will sell out before the start of the season."
Meanwhile, the Manchester Evening News reports that United have seen a minimal increase in the number of season tickets not being renewed for next season.
An average of 200 are not retained each year for a variety of reasons, and the increase this summer is understood to be in the tens, and not hundreds.
Mani nixes Glasto
He cancels DJing slot over Man U row
11 June 05 - Primal Scream bassist has pulled out of Glastonbury in support of Man United fans ongoing offensive against new owner Malcolm Glazer.
The ex-Stone Roses bassist and fervent Man U supporter said heâ??d pulled out of his DJ slot at the festival after he discovered that the venue he was due to play, The Crown tent, is sponsored by Budweiser.
Talking to 6 Music last night at Manchester's Club Blowout, he said: â??Iâ??m not having anything to do with Budweiser or any of the other United sponsors like Vodafone and Nike until they stand up to Glazer and help get him out of our club.â?
He also revealed that heâ??s lending his support to a new football club thatâ??s been set up by disillusioned Man United fans.
The new club â?? going under the working title FC United - will begin life next season and Mani is hoping to put together a super group of Man United supporting musicians to release an anti-Glazer/Pro FC United single.
He continued: â??Iâ??m gonna get me, (John) Squire, (Richard) Ashcroft and Terry Hall together to knock out a tune and give all the proceeds to the new club. Itâ??ll be superb.â?
However, Mani will still play with Primal Scream on Glastonbury's main stage on the Sunday night.
He cancels DJing slot over Man U row
11 June 05 - Primal Scream bassist has pulled out of Glastonbury in support of Man United fans ongoing offensive against new owner Malcolm Glazer.
The ex-Stone Roses bassist and fervent Man U supporter said heâ??d pulled out of his DJ slot at the festival after he discovered that the venue he was due to play, The Crown tent, is sponsored by Budweiser.
Talking to 6 Music last night at Manchester's Club Blowout, he said: â??Iâ??m not having anything to do with Budweiser or any of the other United sponsors like Vodafone and Nike until they stand up to Glazer and help get him out of our club.â?
He also revealed that heâ??s lending his support to a new football club thatâ??s been set up by disillusioned Man United fans.
The new club â?? going under the working title FC United - will begin life next season and Mani is hoping to put together a super group of Man United supporting musicians to release an anti-Glazer/Pro FC United single.
He continued: â??Iâ??m gonna get me, (John) Squire, (Richard) Ashcroft and Terry Hall together to knock out a tune and give all the proceeds to the new club. Itâ??ll be superb.â?
However, Mani will still play with Primal Scream on Glastonbury's main stage on the Sunday night.
You Buccaneers fans are a tempermental lot!
What's the FC stand for….F*cking C*nts United?
What's the FC stand for….F*cking C*nts United?
Owen: I want to join United
Michael Owen has revealed he wants to join Manchester United. The England striker is starting to accept his Real Madrid career is drawing to a close. And a source close to the former Liverpool star, 25, said: "It looks like Real are ready to sell. If that is the case, he has a hankering to play for United. He does realises it wouldn't go down too well with the Anfield fans who used to idolise him but that is something he is prepared to live with. He enjoys partnering Rooney with England and would love to link up with him at club level." A move to Old Trafford would enable Owen to live in his £5 million luxury mansion Lower Soughton Hall in Flintshire with his bride-to-be Louise Bonsall and their two year-old daughter Gemma. United are thought to be closing in on Owen with a £15 million bid â?? though Real Madrid would like Ruud Van Nistelrooy to be part of an exchange package. But the sale of United striker Louis Saha to Everton is the deal which could open the way for Owen to bolster Sir Alex Ferguson's strike force.
David Harrison, News of the World
Glazer gives green light for Owen bid
The Glazer family have told Sir Alex Ferguson: 'Go and sign Michael Owen.' New Old Trafford owner Malcolm and son Joel, the driving forces of the takeover, are determined to help deliver a transfer coup which they hope will deflect some of the criticism which has come their way from angry Manchester United supporters. The Glazers have been made aware that Ferguson is an admirer of England striker Owen, whose immediate future is up in the air at Real Madrid. Now the Glazers are backing Ferguson to actively step into negotiations to bring Owen back to the Premiership after just one season away in Spain. That would mean United coming up with the £11million to activate a clause in the player's contract - the fee which any club would have to pay to open negotiations with Real Madrid if owen said yes to a swift return to the English game. Ferguson knows Owen and £27million striker Wayne Rooney have hit it off at international level. He also believes Ruud van Nistelrooy can fit into the equation with Rooney playing wide.
John Richardson, Sunday Express
Michael Owen has revealed he wants to join Manchester United. The England striker is starting to accept his Real Madrid career is drawing to a close. And a source close to the former Liverpool star, 25, said: "It looks like Real are ready to sell. If that is the case, he has a hankering to play for United. He does realises it wouldn't go down too well with the Anfield fans who used to idolise him but that is something he is prepared to live with. He enjoys partnering Rooney with England and would love to link up with him at club level." A move to Old Trafford would enable Owen to live in his £5 million luxury mansion Lower Soughton Hall in Flintshire with his bride-to-be Louise Bonsall and their two year-old daughter Gemma. United are thought to be closing in on Owen with a £15 million bid â?? though Real Madrid would like Ruud Van Nistelrooy to be part of an exchange package. But the sale of United striker Louis Saha to Everton is the deal which could open the way for Owen to bolster Sir Alex Ferguson's strike force.
David Harrison, News of the World
Glazer gives green light for Owen bid
The Glazer family have told Sir Alex Ferguson: 'Go and sign Michael Owen.' New Old Trafford owner Malcolm and son Joel, the driving forces of the takeover, are determined to help deliver a transfer coup which they hope will deflect some of the criticism which has come their way from angry Manchester United supporters. The Glazers have been made aware that Ferguson is an admirer of England striker Owen, whose immediate future is up in the air at Real Madrid. Now the Glazers are backing Ferguson to actively step into negotiations to bring Owen back to the Premiership after just one season away in Spain. That would mean United coming up with the £11million to activate a clause in the player's contract - the fee which any club would have to pay to open negotiations with Real Madrid if owen said yes to a swift return to the English game. Ferguson knows Owen and £27million striker Wayne Rooney have hit it off at international level. He also believes Ruud van Nistelrooy can fit into the equation with Rooney playing wide.
John Richardson, Sunday Express
Originally posted by Mr Dodgy Slapper:Reminds me of a joke Billy Bragg told in the days before Wilco and Woodie Guthrie turned him into a complete twat!
You Buccaneers fans are a tempermental lot!
What's the FC stand for….F*cking C*nts United?
What three English football teams have swear words in their names?
sCUNThorpe
ARSEnal
manchester FUCKING united!
:D
From Manchesteronline.co.uk
Saturday, 25th June 2005
Glazer: Is it Bust?
Stuart Brennan
MALCOLM Glazer has done just one thing for Manchester United - destroyed its dwindling soul and filled the gap with a shed-load of debt.
For the first time in the club's history, it is in the hands of a man whose sole interest is how much cash he can squeeze out of the name and reputation of Manchester United.
United were a club with a great tradition, a tragic and beautiful history, the club of Billy Meredith and Duncan Edwards, of Eric Cantona and George Best, the Stretford End and the Manchester Blitz.
What is it now? A means for a very rich man to make himself even richer, by driving up ticket prices, exploiting the "brand" and marketing United to people who think Munich is just another German town and that Nobby Stiles is a hairdresser's in Collyhurst.
My dad helped to rebuild Old Trafford after Adolf Hitler had done his worst in 1940 - he was born a bomb-burst away in Ordsall. Like hundreds of thousands of ordinary Mancunians, he could no longer afford to go to watch United, had he still the desire to do so.
And it will get worse.
Glazer will complete the United transformation from a club made by the people and for the people into a preserve of the middle classes, driving in from Cheshire and all points south on matchdays, consuming and spending, but knowing nothing of support.
A lot like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in fact.
United began life when a group of railway workers got together to form a club, and they soon became a central point in Manchester life.
Hijacked
In the 127 years since the club's formation, that noble ideal has been hijacked and turned into something callous and calculating, where balance sheets are the bottom line. It is a club that knows the price of everything and the value of nothing. No one is claiming that this is all the fault of the Glazers. The process began years ago, when the Edwards family realised the potential and began buying up shares in the club.
The switch to a plc in 1992 freed up money to improve the ground and the team, but it also laid it wide open to predators like Rupert Murdoch and the Glazers. At least Louis Edwards had supported United - his first interest was in the football, not the dosh.
And the plc, for all its faults, had the nous to maintain some contact with supporters groups, and was accountable to the thousands of ordinary shareholders as well as the cash-hungry millionaires and City institutions who owned most of it.
Now United, bar the shouting, are solely in the hands of a man who sees them as just another business gamble, and it is the last straw for many loyal supporters.
Even for those who will continue to go to games, things will never be the same. The atmosphere, which had started to recover in recent years, will die. The sound of Old Trafford will be of polite applause from the puzzled know-nowts in the corporate areas.
Glazer is throwing the dice, and United's future depends on the outcome.
He may just throw a double six, and the club goes on to win trophy after trophy. But it will be a private party, with the traditional support bounced at the door because they cannot afford the admission price.
On the other hand, Glazer's business plan, described as "damaging" and "aggressive" by the man who is now trying to implement it, chief executive David Gill, could easily crash and burn.
Success
The image of the Glazers as street-smart American businessmen with a portfolio full of success does not quite hold true.
The last time they moved into a business they did not understand it was an unmitigated disaster, as they began a dotcom business which lost millions before it crashed under the leadership of Avi Glazer who one leading dotcom commentator said was surrounded by "almost surreal incompetence". Avi is now on the United board, and you can bet he knows less about football than he does about the internet.
The Glazers are taking a huge risk with United, and if the risk fails, they will shrug their shoulders and walk away, their personal fortunes intact, as big businessmen do, leaving their creditors to squabble over the pickings from the carcass.
Players will be sold, Old Trafford will be sold, and United will end up as another Leeds.
Overnight, the Glazers turned United from a profit-making business into the world's most debt-ridden club - and with more and more red ink on the way, if business analysts are to be believed.
Perhaps they have been taken in by the boasts of the plc, that they have 74million fans worldwide, and have not realised that the core of United support is, and always has been, in the north west of England, and in Manchester in particular.
Too many supporters have begun to be taken in by the spin. "You never know, they might prove to be a good thing, we'll just have to wait and see" is the phrase of the moment in Manchester's bars and barbershops.
Poverty
These kind of people would lie in bed as a burglar breaks in downstairs, and would say to their missus: "Let's just wait to see what he does - you never know he might leave us a few quid."
Because that is the one thing Glazer and his family are interested in - your cash.
Squalid claims that Joel Glazer is "an avid Manchester United fan" only serve to underline the poverty of the pro-Glazer argument. I have never seen Joel on the away terraces at Ayresome Park, or singing his heart out on the Stretty.
Those supporters are the ones United will try to fall back on once the Japanese and the Javans switch their allegiance to Chelsea or Barcelona. For the first time in the club's history, they will find that many of them are no longer there.
Many United supporters, probably the majority, are unhappy about Glazer but are lost in a feeling of helplessness. They feel there is nothing they can do to alter things.
They need to wake up to their own power. As far as Manchester United isconcerned, you are no longer supporters, you are customers.
If that is what they want, act like a customer - and if you cannot shake the United addiction and stop going to matches, at least refuse to give the Glazers any more of your cash.
Some fans are afraid of doing this, claiming it would just help United to crash and burn, to bring about financial meltdown even more quickly.
They are dead right. But United would come again. They did it after 1940 when Hitler's bombs seemed to have ended the dream, they did it in 1958 when so many aspirations lay shattered and torn on a Munich runway.
With Glazer removed, and even with the club shattered, United would rise again - and hopefully next time it will be the supporters who are the heart of the club, as they are at Barcelona, and not men for who money means everything.
Saturday, 25th June 2005
Glazer: Is it Bust?
Stuart Brennan
MALCOLM Glazer has done just one thing for Manchester United - destroyed its dwindling soul and filled the gap with a shed-load of debt.
For the first time in the club's history, it is in the hands of a man whose sole interest is how much cash he can squeeze out of the name and reputation of Manchester United.
United were a club with a great tradition, a tragic and beautiful history, the club of Billy Meredith and Duncan Edwards, of Eric Cantona and George Best, the Stretford End and the Manchester Blitz.
What is it now? A means for a very rich man to make himself even richer, by driving up ticket prices, exploiting the "brand" and marketing United to people who think Munich is just another German town and that Nobby Stiles is a hairdresser's in Collyhurst.
My dad helped to rebuild Old Trafford after Adolf Hitler had done his worst in 1940 - he was born a bomb-burst away in Ordsall. Like hundreds of thousands of ordinary Mancunians, he could no longer afford to go to watch United, had he still the desire to do so.
And it will get worse.
Glazer will complete the United transformation from a club made by the people and for the people into a preserve of the middle classes, driving in from Cheshire and all points south on matchdays, consuming and spending, but knowing nothing of support.
A lot like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in fact.
United began life when a group of railway workers got together to form a club, and they soon became a central point in Manchester life.
Hijacked
In the 127 years since the club's formation, that noble ideal has been hijacked and turned into something callous and calculating, where balance sheets are the bottom line. It is a club that knows the price of everything and the value of nothing. No one is claiming that this is all the fault of the Glazers. The process began years ago, when the Edwards family realised the potential and began buying up shares in the club.
The switch to a plc in 1992 freed up money to improve the ground and the team, but it also laid it wide open to predators like Rupert Murdoch and the Glazers. At least Louis Edwards had supported United - his first interest was in the football, not the dosh.
And the plc, for all its faults, had the nous to maintain some contact with supporters groups, and was accountable to the thousands of ordinary shareholders as well as the cash-hungry millionaires and City institutions who owned most of it.
Now United, bar the shouting, are solely in the hands of a man who sees them as just another business gamble, and it is the last straw for many loyal supporters.
Even for those who will continue to go to games, things will never be the same. The atmosphere, which had started to recover in recent years, will die. The sound of Old Trafford will be of polite applause from the puzzled know-nowts in the corporate areas.
Glazer is throwing the dice, and United's future depends on the outcome.
He may just throw a double six, and the club goes on to win trophy after trophy. But it will be a private party, with the traditional support bounced at the door because they cannot afford the admission price.
On the other hand, Glazer's business plan, described as "damaging" and "aggressive" by the man who is now trying to implement it, chief executive David Gill, could easily crash and burn.
Success
The image of the Glazers as street-smart American businessmen with a portfolio full of success does not quite hold true.
The last time they moved into a business they did not understand it was an unmitigated disaster, as they began a dotcom business which lost millions before it crashed under the leadership of Avi Glazer who one leading dotcom commentator said was surrounded by "almost surreal incompetence". Avi is now on the United board, and you can bet he knows less about football than he does about the internet.
The Glazers are taking a huge risk with United, and if the risk fails, they will shrug their shoulders and walk away, their personal fortunes intact, as big businessmen do, leaving their creditors to squabble over the pickings from the carcass.
Players will be sold, Old Trafford will be sold, and United will end up as another Leeds.
Overnight, the Glazers turned United from a profit-making business into the world's most debt-ridden club - and with more and more red ink on the way, if business analysts are to be believed.
Perhaps they have been taken in by the boasts of the plc, that they have 74million fans worldwide, and have not realised that the core of United support is, and always has been, in the north west of England, and in Manchester in particular.
Too many supporters have begun to be taken in by the spin. "You never know, they might prove to be a good thing, we'll just have to wait and see" is the phrase of the moment in Manchester's bars and barbershops.
Poverty
These kind of people would lie in bed as a burglar breaks in downstairs, and would say to their missus: "Let's just wait to see what he does - you never know he might leave us a few quid."
Because that is the one thing Glazer and his family are interested in - your cash.
Squalid claims that Joel Glazer is "an avid Manchester United fan" only serve to underline the poverty of the pro-Glazer argument. I have never seen Joel on the away terraces at Ayresome Park, or singing his heart out on the Stretty.
Those supporters are the ones United will try to fall back on once the Japanese and the Javans switch their allegiance to Chelsea or Barcelona. For the first time in the club's history, they will find that many of them are no longer there.
Many United supporters, probably the majority, are unhappy about Glazer but are lost in a feeling of helplessness. They feel there is nothing they can do to alter things.
They need to wake up to their own power. As far as Manchester United isconcerned, you are no longer supporters, you are customers.
If that is what they want, act like a customer - and if you cannot shake the United addiction and stop going to matches, at least refuse to give the Glazers any more of your cash.
Some fans are afraid of doing this, claiming it would just help United to crash and burn, to bring about financial meltdown even more quickly.
They are dead right. But United would come again. They did it after 1940 when Hitler's bombs seemed to have ended the dream, they did it in 1958 when so many aspirations lay shattered and torn on a Munich runway.
With Glazer removed, and even with the club shattered, United would rise again - and hopefully next time it will be the supporters who are the heart of the club, as they are at Barcelona, and not men for who money means everything.
Originally posted by Mr Dodgy Slapper:what the fuck does this dumb fuck know about the NFL or the Bucs … this type of shit just pisses me off
A lot like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in fact.