Caoimhin O’Muraile ⚽ Back in 2005 Manchester United was the subject of an ‘aggressive’ takeover by shareholder and US multi-billionaire, Malcom Glazer.
Glazer has since died in 2014 and his sons Avram and Joel have taken the reins with Bryan, Kevin, Darcie and Edward serving as directors. Glazer, once he had in the eyes of many illegally, acquired United at 75+1% of the shares immediately delisted the club from the stock market and was soon to control 100% of Manchester United. The former football club is now a conglomerate with a football side attached to it. No longer are the words ‘Football Club’ incorporated onto the team crest which now simply reads ‘Manchester United’.
Twelve months ago, November 2022, the Glazers put Manchester United up for sale much to the joy of most supporters. At last, it seemed, the hated Glazers were going after years of unsuccessful campaigning to get rid of them: now they were going. The main two bidders for the business were Jim Ratcliffe the Chairman of INEOS Petrochemicals, and Britain’s richest man, the other being a Qatari Sheikh, Shiekh Jassim bin Hammad Al Thani. Both these mega rich barons have been bidding and counter bidding for the ownership of United. The Qatari consortium led by the Sheik wanted to buy the business lock, stock and barrel even being prepared to clear the huge debts incurred by the Glazers over the years. The Glazers, who know fuck all about football, have been taking money out of the club in the form of ‘consultancy fees’. Consultancy for what? Does the manager go to Avaram Glazer for a ‘consultation’ before picking a team? Do the fans have regular ‘consultation’ meetings with Joel Glazer about the future of the club? No, on the contrary, the Glazers for years refused to meet any supporter’s organisation. They were elusive to say the least.
Over the last twelve months the two main bidders in this auction of what was once upon a time our football club have been serving and counter-serving bids like a game of tennis and it became a farce. Sheik Jassim tabled a bid of £5 billion for the club, vastly inflated according to many ‘experts’ for the whole club. He offered to repair the ground, Old Trafford, which the hated Glazers have allowed to fall apart over the years, and clear the deck completely of financial burdens. This, on the surface - ignoring the Qatari record on human rights which count for little when it comes to money - appeared a good offer.
Twelve months ago, November 2022, the Glazers put Manchester United up for sale much to the joy of most supporters. At last, it seemed, the hated Glazers were going after years of unsuccessful campaigning to get rid of them: now they were going. The main two bidders for the business were Jim Ratcliffe the Chairman of INEOS Petrochemicals, and Britain’s richest man, the other being a Qatari Sheikh, Shiekh Jassim bin Hammad Al Thani. Both these mega rich barons have been bidding and counter bidding for the ownership of United. The Qatari consortium led by the Sheik wanted to buy the business lock, stock and barrel even being prepared to clear the huge debts incurred by the Glazers over the years. The Glazers, who know fuck all about football, have been taking money out of the club in the form of ‘consultancy fees’. Consultancy for what? Does the manager go to Avaram Glazer for a ‘consultation’ before picking a team? Do the fans have regular ‘consultation’ meetings with Joel Glazer about the future of the club? No, on the contrary, the Glazers for years refused to meet any supporter’s organisation. They were elusive to say the least.
Over the last twelve months the two main bidders in this auction of what was once upon a time our football club have been serving and counter-serving bids like a game of tennis and it became a farce. Sheik Jassim tabled a bid of £5 billion for the club, vastly inflated according to many ‘experts’ for the whole club. He offered to repair the ground, Old Trafford, which the hated Glazers have allowed to fall apart over the years, and clear the deck completely of financial burdens. This, on the surface - ignoring the Qatari record on human rights which count for little when it comes to money - appeared a good offer.
Jim Ratcliffe, on the other hand offered to purchase around 80% of the business thus allowing the Glazers to remain as minority shareholders. This offer, and despite ‘Big Jim’ claiming to be a ‘lifelong supporter’ of Man Utd, was not acceptable to the supporters as it allowed the Glazers to remain, but since when did we matter? Jim Ratcliffe, ‘lifelong supporter’ - coming from Failsworth, Greater Manchester - of United and multi billionaire, where have I heard this before? Oh yes, I remember, Maurice Watkins, one of the directors along with Roy Gardner and Martin Edwards, who sold out to the Glazers once the price was right. He, like Jimmy baby, claimed his ‘lifelong’ love of Manchester United FC even recalling that night on 29th May 1968 at Wembley when he sat with his father watching that great team lift the European Cup. Watkins' support for the club he claimed to love was only as genuine as the highest bidder and when Malcom Gazer offered an enormous amount for the club, good old loyal supporter Maurice sold his beloved club down the river Irwell. What a lying devious bastard and in the modern game he is and he is not alone as the game of Monopoly involving former football clubs, now big business, gathers more and more momentum. Liverpool and City fans beware of bandits at four o’clock. City fans may feel comparatively safe being owned by Sheikh Mansour with a personal wealth of around £17 billion and a family fortune of $1 trillion. This may make City fans, or those who pose as City fans, safe but if the situation in the Middle East escalates and an Arab/Israeli war erupts, much of that money could well go to finance the Arab states for arms. Manchester City, a mere hobby to the Sheikh, will be hung out to dry in favour of pan Arab nationalism!
The Qatari bidders led by Sheikh Jassim have now pulled out of the bidding claiming, with some justification, the ‘Glazers are messing them about’ and they got sick of waiting. The Glazers kept increasing their demands for the business, already inflated at £5 billion, and this bidder just got pissed off with waiting. His final offer was £5 billion and he has now taken himself off the stage. This leaves the way clear for Jim Ratcliffe, the ‘lifelong’ United fan to take his 80% share and get on with things. Or did it? suddenly the Glazers and Jimmy boy came to a deal in which he would now purchase 25% of the shares for around £1,4 billion. This deal would involve Ratcliffe taking over the ‘football side’ of the business, suggesting there are more than one facet at Manchester United these days. Where then would this leave the manager, Erik Ten Hag? Perhaps ‘Big Jim’ will be managing the team affairs as well. A truly remarkable man who Matt Busby would not have entertained for even a second. As the man who put Manchester united on the map once said; “if the interests of big business ever take priority over those of football we will be in a very sad place”. Well, Matt, this is exactly alas what has happened.
The question must be asked why a money grabbing gang like the Glazers would take £1.4 billion when they fucked around and eventually turned down £5 billion from Sheikh Jassim? Why would Jim Ratcliffe suddenly drop his demand for 80% and settle for a mere 25% even though he would, on paper, control the ‘football side’ of things? The answer to this question could be found in Saudi Arabia. In recent years the Saudis have taken a keen interest in the financial rewards of the English ‘game’ starting with the acquisition of Christiano Ronaldo which led to a flood of stars heading to the land of oil and wealth. With this sudden interest by the Saudis could it be possible the Glazers with the connivance and interest of INEOS are waiting for a perhaps £10 billion or higher bid from the Saudis? Could this be why they fucked Sheikh Jassim around for so long, they had one eye on Saudi Arabia?
According to many reports Jim Ratcliffe is buying the 25% of shares with a view to a full takeover at some unspecified future date. Could this be a ploy to pacify the restless supporters and keep 75,000 of them coming through the turnstiles? Could the reality be that both the Glazers and ‘lifelong’ United fan, Jimmy boy, are waiting for this mega bid from Saudi Arabia and the spoils of this ill-gotten gain will be shared? Stranger things have happened in the not too-distant past. After all, when Malcolm Glazer bought his majority shares at the 2004 AGM corruption was apparently rife. Why was the group representing him allowed to cast their votes ‘after the meeting’ and not under the rules, before? This was a ploy by United to ensure the maximum safety of Glazers representatives, even though it was against all protocol for an AGM. Many United fans from the Red Army days had come out of retirement that night to attend the AGM and were a menacing sight. So, to ensure the sale, corrupt as it was, went ahead and the ‘lifelong‘ United fan Maurice Watkins et al, received their fortune the Glazers' representatives were allowed to secretly cast their votes after the meeting when most who had been present had dispersed. Outside awaited a souped-up van to whisk the criminals away with reportedly a special-forces trained driver. Why, if nothing untoward was going on, go to all this trouble?
The Qatari bidders led by Sheikh Jassim have now pulled out of the bidding claiming, with some justification, the ‘Glazers are messing them about’ and they got sick of waiting. The Glazers kept increasing their demands for the business, already inflated at £5 billion, and this bidder just got pissed off with waiting. His final offer was £5 billion and he has now taken himself off the stage. This leaves the way clear for Jim Ratcliffe, the ‘lifelong’ United fan to take his 80% share and get on with things. Or did it? suddenly the Glazers and Jimmy boy came to a deal in which he would now purchase 25% of the shares for around £1,4 billion. This deal would involve Ratcliffe taking over the ‘football side’ of the business, suggesting there are more than one facet at Manchester United these days. Where then would this leave the manager, Erik Ten Hag? Perhaps ‘Big Jim’ will be managing the team affairs as well. A truly remarkable man who Matt Busby would not have entertained for even a second. As the man who put Manchester united on the map once said; “if the interests of big business ever take priority over those of football we will be in a very sad place”. Well, Matt, this is exactly alas what has happened.
The question must be asked why a money grabbing gang like the Glazers would take £1.4 billion when they fucked around and eventually turned down £5 billion from Sheikh Jassim? Why would Jim Ratcliffe suddenly drop his demand for 80% and settle for a mere 25% even though he would, on paper, control the ‘football side’ of things? The answer to this question could be found in Saudi Arabia. In recent years the Saudis have taken a keen interest in the financial rewards of the English ‘game’ starting with the acquisition of Christiano Ronaldo which led to a flood of stars heading to the land of oil and wealth. With this sudden interest by the Saudis could it be possible the Glazers with the connivance and interest of INEOS are waiting for a perhaps £10 billion or higher bid from the Saudis? Could this be why they fucked Sheikh Jassim around for so long, they had one eye on Saudi Arabia?
According to many reports Jim Ratcliffe is buying the 25% of shares with a view to a full takeover at some unspecified future date. Could this be a ploy to pacify the restless supporters and keep 75,000 of them coming through the turnstiles? Could the reality be that both the Glazers and ‘lifelong’ United fan, Jimmy boy, are waiting for this mega bid from Saudi Arabia and the spoils of this ill-gotten gain will be shared? Stranger things have happened in the not too-distant past. After all, when Malcolm Glazer bought his majority shares at the 2004 AGM corruption was apparently rife. Why was the group representing him allowed to cast their votes ‘after the meeting’ and not under the rules, before? This was a ploy by United to ensure the maximum safety of Glazers representatives, even though it was against all protocol for an AGM. Many United fans from the Red Army days had come out of retirement that night to attend the AGM and were a menacing sight. So, to ensure the sale, corrupt as it was, went ahead and the ‘lifelong‘ United fan Maurice Watkins et al, received their fortune the Glazers' representatives were allowed to secretly cast their votes after the meeting when most who had been present had dispersed. Outside awaited a souped-up van to whisk the criminals away with reportedly a special-forces trained driver. Why, if nothing untoward was going on, go to all this trouble?
Perhaps the most disturbing sight that night back in 2004 was the United Board sending down, to face the crowd, the one person the supporters, no matter haw angry, would not attack. They sent out to face the music and try to pacify the crowd Bobby Charlton, the one person in their midst the supporters would not attack. Sickening really looking back, none of the criminals themselves would come out, fear of being torn to shreds, so they sent down an icon, the late Bobby Charlton.
Are we now witnessing another round of corrupt business, not that there is any other kind, at Manchester United involving the Glazer family and INEOS waiting for a possible mega bid from the Saudis? Nothing would surprise me at Old Trafford these days, and meanwhile, amid all this uncertainty, the manager has to try building a team to challenge City and Liverpool! They do not ask for much do they? Sheikh Jassim perhaps tabled a bid which maybe ‘never was’ going to be a runner, once the Saudis expressed an interest in English football!! Once they had acquired Cristiano Ronaldo their interest rocketed. Time will tell?
Are we now witnessing another round of corrupt business, not that there is any other kind, at Manchester United involving the Glazer family and INEOS waiting for a possible mega bid from the Saudis? Nothing would surprise me at Old Trafford these days, and meanwhile, amid all this uncertainty, the manager has to try building a team to challenge City and Liverpool! They do not ask for much do they? Sheikh Jassim perhaps tabled a bid which maybe ‘never was’ going to be a runner, once the Saudis expressed an interest in English football!! Once they had acquired Cristiano Ronaldo their interest rocketed. Time will tell?
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| Caoimhin O’Muraile is Independent Socialist Republican and Marxist. |
L F C could do with a # Sugar Daddy # Sell
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