Glazier launches take-over bid for Man Utd

[monutdfc]

See the head of Shareholders United is ripping up his season ticket. What a protest, doing that after the last home game of the season!

[Closed Account 2]

When is the SKY Contract up for renewal? That is when it is going to get interesting, as United, Arsenal etc. will now be negotiating their own TV deals, leaving the smaller clubs with a pittance. the rich will get richer and the poor get poorer....

It will be interesting alright, but im not so sure individual TV rights will happen. There are probably only 3 teams (Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester Utd) who could command significantly more by going seperately, but will the other 17 teams let this happen ?

[hamish]

Lads, is it true the Glazer's Tampa grid iron team are doing badly? Is he losing money on them? Is he trying to recoup this by bagging Utd? Just wondering.

[tiktok]

Lads, is it true the Glazer's Tampa grid iron team are doing badly?

Yeah, though I'd imagine that they're still worth more than he paid for them

[Eire06]

Lads, is it true the Glazer's Tampa grid iron team are doing badly? Is he losing money on them? Is he trying to recoup this by bagging Utd? Just wondering.

Thats what is being reported..
He's met to be up to his eyes and debt too..
And as Paul McGrath said it last night 'He's trying to balance the books'...

It is predicted that he'll tighten Man U's purse strings even tighter matbe sell off a few players to make more money...
It could all be speculation though and jumping to conclusions!! He could do a Roman Abramovich on it!! And they could start another cold war!!

[tiktok]

He's met to be up to his eyes and debt too..

This is the main point.
United are currently free of debt.
The way the buy out deal is structured if Glazer takes over the club will automatically have a debt of £300m.
Before he can start turning a profit (being the great business man so many on here think he nust be) he has to clear that debt while servicing the interest on it £20m p.a.

So since he's in debt and he'll put United in debt, how can that possibly be good for the club.

[anto1208]

whats the big fuss companies are taken over every day , for utd fans that have forgotten ye have nt been a football club for years , its manchester united PLC !!!


plus its the same people people that created uproar when the club was floated on the stock market and ye see how bad that turned out for utd

[Metrostars]

I have to disagree with a lot of what tiktok says about Glazer and Tampa. The Bucs were always the laughing stock of the league. Constantly having losing seasons, they were really bit of a joke. The previous owner was quite a penny pincher. But when Glazer took over, he did put money into the team and revamped their image. And they did bring in good players. Trading picks for coaches is a common thing in US sports. The point is that he has done a great job with Tampa and they are not in any sort of trouble. They are still one of the top 7-8 teams in the NFL and has been consistantly good the last 5-6 years. And being good consistantly in the NFL is a lot harder to do than in the Premiership due to parity and the salary cap.

I have been a life long fan of United since the early seventies. Really, United sold its soul to the devil a long time ago when the turn the club public. A situation like this was always a possibility. However, I think a lot of fans are going way over board with their reaction. noone really know how Glazer will run the club. How can they know that the debt will be automatically transferred to United. All of this is pure speculation.

And if it was so f-king important to them, why is there no englishman willing to put his money up and rescue the club from a 'yank'?

[tiktok]

The Bucs were always the laughing stock of the league. Constantly having losing seasons, they were really bit of a joke. The previous owner was quite a penny pincher. But when Glazer took over, he did put money into the team and revamped their image.

I never said he didn't improve the Buccaneers, in fact I said they were probably worth more than when he bought them. But United aren't a laughing stock within their league (present situation excepted ), their image is fine, apart from the possibility of his opebning up the US market to MUFC, I don't see how he's going to improve the club.

Really, United sold its soul to the devil a long time ago when the turn the club public. A situation like this was always a possibility.

I agree. But you don't have to mortgage your soul to the devil too.

noone really know how Glazer will run the club.

That's true, he could be good for the club, it's a done deal now anyway, so we just have to hope that this is the case.

How can they know that the debt will be automatically transferred to United. All of this is pure speculation.

To be fair, it's the reason that the board did not recommend him to the shareholders. This is a hostile takeover.

[4tothefloor]

It will be interesting alright, but im not so sure individual TV rights will happen. There are probably only 3 teams (Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester Utd) who could command significantly more by going seperately, but will the other 17 teams let this happen ?

How would Chelsea command significently more when they have no international or nationwide fan base? There are hardly no Chelsea fans outside London, while their international fanbase isn't even worth discussing. Granted they might get a lot of 7 yr olds supporting them now, but 7 yr olds don't pay the satellite bill! You're forgetting Liverpool, who are second only to Man U when it comes to their world wide fan base. Liverpool would be able to command bigger money than Arsenal or Chelsea simply due to the huge audiences that they can command from their own fans. I don't think you're going to see many neutrals subscribing to Chelsea TV just to watch Chelsea because they're flavour of the month.

[REVIP]

How would Chelsea command significently more when they have no international or nationwide fan base? There are hardly no Chelsea fans outside London,.

I grew up in Somerset, way down in the West Country, in the 1960s and 1970s and was a Chelsea supporter - and there were plenty more of us. I was in Tanzania in 1998 and our driver was able to name the Chelsea players. There wouldn't be the base that Man Utd have, but there are plenty of fans outside of London

[hamish]

Anyone see Top of the pops tonight? Noel Gallagher had a triangular piece of paper taped on to the upper right hand corner of his amp with :
"Bye Bye Man U "
on it.
I suppose he couldn't resist it!

[4tothefloor]

This was in the Mirror today....a mock up letter from Malcolm to the fans. I seen an illustration somewhere as well. There's the Utd Fans, The Club, and 'Malcolm in the Middle'


Dear Soccer fans,

As you all know, i've been looking to buy the United's of Manchester for
a little while now. I've also heard that some of you may not be
too happy about me using, sorry, buying the club in order to reach new heights and
also, that I may not be a fan.

Well fear not, as i'm writing this personal letter to let you know that
i'm a genuine fan of you blue devils.

I began rooting for the United's back in 1992 when our little Malcolm JR
was practising those Soccer home runs out in the yard. I loved the way
you turned defence into offence, and the way that Bobby Shearer used to
top half it into the goal bag. Oh man, that play was hot. My son
tells me that you even out-zoned your City rivals Southampton in the 4th quarter
of the FA World series.

As for your current team, that Rude guy is awesome!!!! I see a
profitable future at the United, with the young talent of Cristiano Rooney (man,
that guy can dance!) and Peter Shilton giving us hope in defeating the
evil Russian tyranny which assaults the freedom of our beloved Soccer.

With the marketing potential of those Neville brothers and that Pearce
dude leading the team, we can all look to acheiving our beliefs of a
better future. Especially when I add Alexei Lalas and Cobi Jones to the
starting 15.

Now to you, the fans.

I've been to see the United's play once before, and the respect you pay
your team in silently admiring the play out on the pitch was
overwhelming. Because of this, i've just purchased a new £45
million
mansion in the Manchester to be close to you guys. And more good news is
i'm planning to add an extra 10,000 seats through corporate boxes
so more genuine blue devils can experience the play.

What's with the prawn sandwiches I had to eat when I was there?
Well, rest assured, it'll be super size prawn baguettes when I take charge.
I can't wait to come over to the Manchester isles, as I love the
country, especially the beaches and the hot chicks.

I hope you can all see my vision of this future, with new shirt sponsors
(Dunkin Donuts) and new team name (The Manchester Gloom) i'm sure things
are looking bright.

*Further good news for you guys is that i've just agreed a partnership
deal with McDonalds, who will help in promoting the Manchester brand.
This will involve re-naming the stadium to 'McTrafford' as well as
an exciting launch of Manchester Gloom plastic fan toys in every
happy meal. Cristiano Rooney will be the face of this campaign and during this, he
will be marketed globally as Roonald McDonald.

Take care dudes.

Regards

Malcolm