Angry fans of Manchester United were threatening massive protests on Friday after United States tycoon Malcolm Glazer neared success in his bid for the celebrated English football team, a takeover supporters say is unwanted and will saddle the club with massive debt.
The 76-year-old multimillionaire, who owns National Football League franchise the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, has been stalking the club for months, but looked set to complete the takeover later on Friday.
The breakthrough came on Thursday, when Glazer’s bankers announced he had bought a 28,7% stake in the club from Irish racing millionaires JP McManus and John Magnier, formerly the biggest single investors.
This acquisition took Glazer’s holding in Manchester United, the best-known and richest football club in the world, to 56,9%, triggering a takeover bid for the remaining shares.
By the end of Thursday, Glazer was understood to have built up his stake to almost 70%, just shy of the 75% required to let him purchase any remaining shares and take the publicly listed company into private ownership.
The 300-pence-per-share cash offer values English Premiership side at a massive £790,3-million (R9,2-billion), but it has been greeted with concern by United’s board of directors and outraged anger by the vast majority of supporters.
Five fans were arrested on Thursday in angry scenes outside the club’s 68 000-seat Old Trafford ground, as they waved banners and burned season-ticket renewal forms and effigies of Glazer.
Fan groups have pledged direct action against Glazer and his bankers JP Morgan, and say they will urge a boycott of the club in the event of a takeover to devalue the brand and reduce revenue.
Supporters say Glazer has to borrow so much money to finance the takeover that he will burden the currently financially liquid club with massive debts, meaning higher ticket prices and less spending on players.
They also point out that Glazer has no apparent interest in the heritage of the club, which has won 15 English league titles and two European Cups, claiming he will simply use the world-famous brand as a cash cow.
Supporters’ umbrella group Shareholders United has labelled Glazer ”a parasite” and promised ”extreme measures” to thwart his plans.
”There will be protests tomorrow,” spokesperson Oliver Houston said late on Thursday, with possible targets including the London Stock Exchange or the offices of JP Morgan.
Manchester United’s board of directors has also been wary of Glazer’s overtures, refusing to recommend a recent takeover plan late last month, labelling it ”aggressive”.
Britain’s Sports Minister, Richard Caborn, warned that while the takeover is a ”commercial decision”, it would be ”foolish” of any prospective buyer not to take account of fans’ views.
”I hope Mr Glazer sets up constructive discussions with the club, its supporters and employees, as well as the footballing authorities, as soon as possible,” Caborn said. ”It is important that the club continues to play its central role in English football in the years to come.”
The club have won an astonishing eight league titles, five FA Cups and one European title during manager Sir Alex Ferguson’s 19-year tenure with the club.
Fans fear that he, along with a string of the club’s leading players, could depart if Glazer takes over, although some reports on Friday said the US businessman wants the manager to remain.
Newspapers on Friday largely sympathised with the fears of United fans, but some noted that the club has made a lot of money by floating on the London Stock Exchange, and thus has to face the consequences.
”Manchester United ‘belongs’ in a real sense to its fans, for it is they who are the ultimate soul of a modern football club,” The Guardian said. ”The trouble is that the club itself mortgaged its future to the vagaries of market forces by going public 14 years ago.” — Sapa-AFP