Reports coming from the media term this bid to be serious and something could happen very quickly.

Whether it'll be good or bad for the club is up for argument!

 

Its bad for the club, no arguement. Only a deluded muppet will think this is good for the club. Become a member of Shareholders United if you love your club so much. Its only £10(Surely if you pay £30 or £40 for the shirt, you should have no trouble affording that), and you get a free share.

He treated Tampa Bay Buccaneer fans like crap and he'll do the same to us.

http://www.mufcnotforsale.com/thefacts.php

 

The club confirmed today, that someone has made an enquiry about buying the club and after the club give that person the info that he asked for, he will decide if he will want to make a bid.

 

What would be the problem with a takeover? I remember when Sky tried to buy the club and the bid was ultimately derailed. I knew a couple of people that were busy recruiting fans and shareholders, and their argument was that such a takeover would shift the focus of the board from football to business.

But I think that's the way it was even with "Fartin" Martin Edwards, for whom the finances were always the top priority. Ever since the club was made public, the PLC has been in charge, even trying to turn the club into a brand (remember when it used to be "Manchester United Football Club"?).

I doubt Glazier being in charge would bring about drastic, negative changes.

 

What would be the problem with a takeover? I remember when Sky tried to buy the club and the bid was ultimately derailed. I knew a couple of people that were busy recruiting fans and shareholders, and their argument was that such a takeover would shift the focus of the board from football to business.

.

That's a rather amusing argument for them to make, given that that is the way they are NOW, and have been for a while. The main change would be that Man U would be a money generating PLC under a different chairman. It's not like a change at the top will alter the business practices of the club.

 

What would be the problem with a takeover? I remember when Sky tried to buy the club and the bid was ultimately derailed. I knew a couple of people that were busy recruiting fans and shareholders, and their argument was that such a takeover would shift the focus of the board from football to business.

But I think that's the way it was even with "Fartin" Martin Edwards, for whom the finances were always the top priority. Ever since the club was made public, the PLC has been in charge, even trying to turn the club into a brand (remember when it used to be "Manchester United Football Club"?).

I doubt Glazier being in charge would bring about drastic, negative changes.

None of his money is going to the club. If he or any investor were to buy the club, they would be buying someone else's shares to do so -- NO MONEY ACTUALLY MAKES IT INTO UNITED'S COFFERS as a result of this transaction. It's not an Abramovich style "Sugar Daddy" deal with his rent boys.

Out of all our potential " suitors" Glazier represents the biggest threat of all.
He can offer nothing to United, but United can offer a hell of as lot to him.
At least Maxwell, Murdoch, Magnier etc were very wealthy, where as it appears Glazier isn't ( not in real terms).
He knows that United are the biggest brand in global sport, and he wants to milk it for all it's worth. No wonder he is prepared to mortgage himself to the hilt to do so.

Any loan made to Glazer to buy the club would be secured against the club itself. Hence "borrowing against the club's assets" which include the deeds for the ground, the players values, the deeds for Carrington - every United asset would be mortgaged. Resulting in interest payments of anything over £25m per year.....In effect, we are paying for his takeover.

Obviously due to this we'll have to get all bids for new players approved by the banks. And any offers for our players will have to be considered.

And it would obviously be better for his pocket to pay everything off ASAP so that he can avoid interest payments. And to do that you either put ticket prices through the roof (as he did at Tampa), or you sell off your assets(as he did at Tampa).

If he comes then nobody is safe. If we get a £20m bid for Ronaldo he'll be licking his lips and seeing dollar signs in his eyes. Same with Ruud, Rio and anyone else.

Also, don't forget, he's not a football fan. Far from it. He's a rich American businessman. If he doesn't see immediate success it will be Fergie out, players out......He won't wait around on the "3rd generation" materialising over the next year or two. If there isn't silverware, and therefore money, he won't be happy.

If United suffered a dip in form, profits fell and Glazer couldn't pay the interest and capital on his loan, the value of the club and therefore the price of shares would fall.
The only way to pay back the lenders (as the shares would be worth less than Glazer paid for them) would be to sell fixed assets such as players, Old Trafford and Carrington.


Get down to Shareholders United - Every little helps. We managed to fook off BSkyB, let's hope we can with Fat Malc.

 

I wish the best of luck to all members of Shareholders United. I wish I could provide any support, but I live in Egypt and I don't have a credit card. However, I willl try to obtain one in the coming days for United.

 

this is starting to get serious, i didnt post yesterday cose these bids do come and go. however this is starting to have some ground

 

Guardian:

Manchester United fans are to launch a series of protests aimed at getting the message over to Malcolm Glazer, or any other potential bidder, that they are vehemently opposed to any takeover plans.
Fans are even organising anti-Glazer demonstrations at Tampa Bay Buccaneers matches, and claim to have backing from supporters of the NFL team.

The protests are being organised by the same people, calling themselves the Manchester Education Committee, who disrupted a race meeting at Hereford earlier this year because it involved horses owned by JP McManus and John Magnier, United's majority shareholders who were involved in a legal battle with Sir Alex Ferguson.

A second, larger, demonstration had been arranged for the Cheltenham festival but was called off after Ferguson made a personal plea to the organisers.

The depth of anti-Glazer feeling was summed up by a message on the mufcnotforsale.com website last night, describing its campaign as keeping the club "out of the hands of parasitic, profit-minded individuals".

"Our intention is to take the fight to Glazer," said Oliver Houston, a spokesman for the Shareholders United pressure group, which is backing the protests. "United's team are famous for their policy that the best form of defence is attack, and that goes for the supporters too.

"This is not an ordinary company he is dealing with; this is people's lives. We will not sit back and allow this to happen and I've no doubt we will see extreme public demonstrations, not only in Manchester but in Florida too."

Two supporters were ejected from Old Trafford during Sunday's match against Middlesbrough when they tried to unveil a huge banner, United Not for Sale, in front of the directors' box. The next home game is not until October 24 when they play Arsenal and there is expected to be a mass demonstration.

"We don't want our club to be the plaything of a single individual," said Vasco Wackrill, of the Independent Manchester United Supporters' Association.

"Glazer has been likened to a Roman Abramovich-type figure, but he is having to borrow millions to fund his bid and is essentially mortgaging our future. We think it's inevitable that with him in charge there will be increased ticket prices and exploitation of the supporters.

"He is extremely unpopular with the Tampa Bay supporters and one way or another he will get the message that he is not wanted here."

He cited Rupert Murdoch's attempt to buy the club in 1998 and the crucial part the fans played in having it blocked: "United's supporters love their club and they will do everything they can to make sure it stays independent."

 

Just reading in the FT that Glazer has appointed a PR man to..
soften up fans opposition to him/launch a charm offensive. They quote someone as saying "Malcolm and his sons love the club and want to invest." Why did Malcolm not bother going to see his beloved United in the States then?
Oh, he is descibed by the FT as a corporate raider.

The FT also confirms that any bid would be funded by "income from securitised future ticket sales" and questions where income would then come from for future player purchases/contracts. The final paragraph reads "With Manchster United spending tens of millions a year acquiring stars such as Wayne Rooney, it is unclear whether Mr Glazer has the financial resources to keep the club in the style to which it has become accustomed.

Of course, City and Leeds borrowed money on future ticket sales in order to buy players. Glazer would be doing it to buy our club.

 

Any loan made to Glazer to buy the club would be secured against the club itself. Hence "borrowing against the club's assets" which include the deeds for the ground, the players values, the deeds for Carrington - every United asset would be mortgaged. Resulting in interest payments of anything over £25m per year.....In effect, we are paying for his takeover.

Obviously due to this we'll have to get all bids for new players approved by the banks. And any offers for our players will have to be considered.

And it would obviously be better for his pocket to pay everything off ASAP so that he can avoid interest payments. And to do that you either put ticket prices through the roof (as he did at Tampa), or you sell off your assets(as he did at Tampa).

If he comes then nobody is safe. If we get a £20m bid for Ronaldo he'll be licking his lips and seeing dollar signs in his eyes. Same with Ruud, Rio and anyone else.

Also, don't forget, he's not a football fan. Far from it. He's a rich American businessman. If he doesn't see immediate success it will be Fergie out, players out......He won't wait around on the "3rd generation" materialising over the next year or two. If there isn't silverware, and therefore money, he won't be happy.

I like him already.

Go Glazer!!!!!

 

Some reactions to the posts above:

1. Glazier is not a fool. He will untimately do what he thinks is good for the club. And the fact that he isn't a football fan will probably work in the club's favor because he will hopefully then try to learn a bit more before making strong decisions.

2. Glazier will probably also improve the way the club is marketed, not to say that the current management is not doing a good job. MUFC is being run as a business even now. I can't see why any takeover is prima facie bad.

3. We can't comment on the effect of the leveraged position proposed by Glazier until we learn the specifics of the deal. He might decide to retire debt early too. However, its quite unlikely that information will be made public.

 

Some reactions to the posts above:

1. Glazier is not a fool. He will untimately do what he thinks is good for the club. And the fact that he isn't a football fan will probably work in the club's favor because he will hopefully then try to learn a bit more before making strong decisions.

2. Glazier will probably also improve the way the club is marketed, not to say that the current management is not doing a good job. MUFC is being run as a business even now. I can't see why any takeover is prima facie bad.

3. We can't comment on the effect of the leveraged position proposed by Glazier until we learn the specifics of the deal. He might decide to retire debt early too. However, its quite unlikely that information will be made public.

What a horrible thing to say, I liked SuicideDD's post prophecising the end of the club a whole lot more.

 

good one to the guy who dumped the read paint over the board director :howler:

 

Glazer set for charm mission

MALCOLM Glazer is to launch a charm offensive to persuade fellow major Manchester United shareholders to back his proposed takeover bid.

Since the takeover approach was formally announced on Monday, Glazer has been slow to mobilise in the propaganda war. But the Tampa Bay Buccaneers owner, who has a 19.2 per cent stake in United, is aware he needs other shareholders behind him if his £700m takeover is to be successful.

Irish racing millionaires John Magnier and JP McManus are United's largest stakeholders with 28.9 per cent and they would have to sell their shares to Glazer, or link up with the 76-year-old, for him to succeed in his quest. No contact has yet been made between the two major shareholders and it is understood that the Coolmore duo's stance remains as long-term investors.

Magnier and McManus are also believed to be being courted by a rival consortium. Former Football League chairman Keith Harris is reported to be trying to galvanize a counter bid to head off Glazer.

Whatever consortium or business has eyes on running United, they know that winning over the shareholding Reds fans is critical.

But Shareholders United are keener to listen to Manchester or London-based bids, if any, and are suspicious of Keith Harris's efforts.

"The idea that the fans would be used as some kind of fig leaf for a different set of asset strippers won't wash," says spokesman Oliver Houston.

"We won't be forced to make a decision between the devil and the deep blue sea. Fans want to be at the heart of this."

 

United fans fight handed boost

The attempts from Manchester United fans to fight a threatened takeover by Malcolm Glazer have received a major boost.

Fans group Shareholders United (SU) are opposed to any takeover by American businessman Glazer, who is widely believed to be the man behind the approach to buy the club.

The group are hoping to recruit 100,000 members and acquire more than 10% of the club's shares to put Glazer off making a takeover bid.

They have now been handed a major financial lift with one wealthy fan putting forward £750,000 to aid their bid to gain some control of United.

The unnamed supporter is previously known to SU and has agreed to lodge the shares he intends to purchase with the organisation and they hope other supporters will follow suit.

"This is the most significant one-off share purchase we have had," said SU spokesman Oliver Houston.

"We would urge the Manchester business community and any other United fans around the world to do what they can to safeguard the future of the club they love."

SU have also tried to enrol the help of Fifa president Sepp Blatter in the dispute to strengthen their case against any takeover.

 

Reds wait for identity of buyer

MANCHESTER United not likely to find out if Malcolm Glazer intends to launch a takeover bid until next week at the earliest.

The American business tycoon is widely believed to be pondering a bid for the Old Trafford outfit, who confirmed to the Stock Exchange on Monday they received a 'preliminary approach' to buy the club.

United chief executive David Gill has demanded clarification on a number of issues contained within the approach and while speculation has been rife that Glazer is about to make a move, it is understood that this almost certainly will not happen this week.

Red Devils fans are continuing to mobilise support against Glazer and news that the influential lobby group Shareholders United (SU) has received an approach from one wealthy fan willing to bring his £750,000 shareholding under the organisation's banner has given supporters genuine hope they can resist the American's overtures.

SU have also written to Gill to remind him of previous statements about the club, including a particularly pertinent point about United's debt free status which he made at the beginning of the season.

"We could borrow money but it would not be good business for a football club," Gill told an SU gathering in August. "Borrowing large sums of money is the road to ruin."

United fans believe any Glazer bid would require a vast bank loan and consequently huge increases in ticket prices, such as the ones he forced on Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans when he took over the NFL franchise in 1995.

And, in their letter to Gill, SU have expressed their fear for the future of the club should Glazer be allowed into the club with massive debts.

"If any 'possible offer' contains or is conditional on a leveraged element," the letter read, "in that assets or income streams of the company will be mortgaged or securitised in order to repay acquisition funding, then in our view this would be potentially disastrous for our club and should be reason enough alone to recommend rejection of the bid whatever the price offered."

Thus far Glazer, and his sons Joel and Avi, have maintained a total silence on the matter, refusing even to confirm they are the interested parties.

However, the trio are acutely aware of the adverse reaction the interest is receiving and efforts are now being made to ease supporters' fears.

"The fans are very important to the deal," a source close to the transaction told PA.

"Any plan would formalise the relationship with the fans and give them a voice."

It is now assumed Sir Alex Ferguson, and probably Gill himself, would survive a Glazer takeover, with Joel, a long-time soccer fan, taking a seat on the Old Trafford board.

Critical to the next move are the opinions of John Magnier and JP McManus, who through their Cubic Expression holding company, are the major shareholders with a 29.3% stake in the club.

It seems incredulous that Glazer could attempt to buy the club without having had some kind of informal contact with the Irish duo but there is an insistence from the Cubic camp this is not the case and they were as unaware as anyone about the American's intentions.

 

This is from the mirror:

MILITANT Manchester United fans stepped up their protest against would-be buyer Malcolm Glazer by trying to set fire to the American flag on television last night.

The sight of 30 supporters, many wearing hoods, invading the pitch at a reserve game was sent out live on the club's MUTV channel and will shock the US billionaire.

The protesters, calling themselves the Manchester Education Committee, held up a banner reading "United, Not For Sale" while an attempt was made to set ablaze the Stars and Stripes.

In a statement, they warned "Operation Havana" was the start of a "civil war" aimed at making United "ungovernable" and preventing its sale to a single shareholder.

Many in the small crowd watching the game against Birmingham City at Altrincham's ground applauded and chanted support.

The MEC complained it was "extremely disturbed" to see the platform MUTV offered to a Malcolm Glazer stooge on Tuesday and decided action was necessary to redress what they claim is a propaganda imbalance.

"This operation should also serve as a warning to any party interested in taking over Manchester United: they will not be allowed to succeed unless they take into account the wishes of Manchester United supporters."

Accusing United and other clubs of sacrificing "everything at the altar of commercialism" they added that should fans be ignored "we intend to initiate a civil war effectively setting the football club, the supporters, against the company".

The club's commercial activities would also be targeted, as would sponsors and business partners.

The incident comes two days after club director Maurice Watkins had his car vandalised in retribution for the one million shares he sold in February, ending up as part of Glazer's 19.1 per cent stake in Old Trafford.

Meanwhile, Louis Saha is ready to fight for his United place after returning for the reserves last night following a month on the sidelines with a knee injury.

Saha scored, but United lost 3-2 to Birmingham.

 

Glazer contacts United chiefs

It has been claimed that representatives of Malcolm Glazer have made contact with leading Manchester United shareholders John Magnier and JP McManus.

Although it has yet to be confirmed, it is widely believed that Glazer was behind the 'preliminary approach' to buy-out the club that United revealed to the Stock Exchange on Monday.

Glazer currently holds a 19 percent stake in the Premiership titans and would certainly require the consent of Magnier and McManus if he was to succeed with his move.

United fans have reacted angrily to news of Glazer's interest, and staged a demonstration at a reserve game this week.

To date Magnier and McManus - who through their Cubic Expression holding company own 29.3 percent of the Old Trafford club - have denied any contact with Glazer or his associates.

However, it has been claimed that an 'unsolicited call' was made by the Glazer camp to representatives of Cubic Expression on Thursday night.

Although there is no suggestion of negotiations having taken place, the news is sure to further frustrate United fans who have vowed to fight Glazer tooth and nail.

 

i say no 2 the takeover bid, the club is still in good shape

 

Well we can say whatever we want, but according to the reports, Glazier will buy the £3 shares of the Irish and we will be ****ed. According, to many reports, the guy won't give a **** about the club and just about making money. And if we don't win anything in the next few years, we will go in debt as the ****er will sell our assets to pay the loan back. And once he makes a killing, he will ditch us.

 

All power to the protesters. Can't let it be sold to that Yankee Doodle sugar daddy From what I've heard, Tampa Bay has gone down hill since he appeared on the scene. This season, they're bottom of their division having lost four games on the trot.

 

This is what I got from the Utd website...in the gossip bit.

Glazer's bid to win over United fans
Malcolm Glazer launched a charm offensive last night, coming up with a string of promises designed to placate unhappy Manchester United fans. The Glazer family are trying to win over supporters by vowing to give them a voice within the club, and there was a further promise that the takeover would be 'long term' and not 'hit and run.' In addition, the Glazers' plans to make Manchester United the global brand leaders ahead of Real Madrid will mean a big investment in new players and an attempt to persuade Sir Alex Ferguson to commit to a longer term contract. The whole package of promises accompanies the latest moves from Tampa to open talks with the Irish investors John Magnier and JP McManus over buying out their 29 per cent stake at £3 a share.

 

Problem is that before every major takeover,the dominating firms always go for a charmed offensive in order to make the transition smoother.Glazers' are not doing things any differently.Charmed offensive or not,their handling of the Tampa Bay Bucaneers does not give one confidence and though the franchise won the SuperBowl once,their demise after that has been nothing short of spectacular.Will be a torrid time for the club if they took over.

 

Reuters.co.uk


Man U shares jump on bank buying
Fri 15 October, 2004 17:15



By Louise Heavens and Siobhan Kennedy

LONDON (Reuters) - Shares in bid target Manchester United have leapt in late trade, with dealers reporting investment bank CSFB buying up a 10 percent stake in the world's richest soccer club for an unnamed client.

The shares closed up 8 percent at 285 pence -- the price at which dealers said CSFB was offering to buy the stock -- having earlier traded down over 5 percent when takeover prospects looked temporarily to have faded.

Industry sources on Friday said they thought the unnamed buyer was U.S. sports tycoon Malcolm Glazer, a 19.2 percent shareholder who has been in talks with Manchester United over a possible takeover of the club.

Earlier on Friday, Manchester United said it understood Glazer, owner of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers American football team, was still considering a bid, despite a breakdown in talks between him and the club's biggest investors, Irish race horse owners John Magnier and J.P. McManus.

CSFB, Manchester United and Glazer all declined to comment.

Some dealers said CSFB was looking to buy as many as 26 million Manchester United shares, approximately a 10 percent stake. Others earlier said it was trying to buy 18 million.

If Glazer bought a further 10 percent, he would have a stake close to the 29.9 percent level above which he would be obliged under UK takeover rules to launch a bid for the whole club.

STATEMENT

"The board understands that the Glazer family continues to consider all its options in relation to its shareholding in Manchester United, including the possibility of making an offer," Manchester United said in a statement to the stock exchange earlier on Friday.

But the 126-year-old club also said it understood there were currently no talks being held between Glazer and the Irish investors -- confirming a Reuters report on Thursday.

Magnier and McManus own 28.9 percent through their investment vehicle Cubic Expression and hold the key to any successful takeover.

A spokesman for Glazer said earlier on Friday the U.S. business tycoon remained committed to the club.

"The Glazers think it's a great club and want to see it succeed," he said.

Industry sources had said Glazer was prepared to pay about 300 pence a share for Manchester United, or 787 million pounds.

"The (Glazer) offer was fully financed by J.P. Morgan. It was a good offer, a very good price which was above a share price that already had a takeover premium written into it, " said one source close to the talks.

Cubic Expression declined to comment on why the Irish duo decided not to pursue talks with Glazer. "Everything we've done in the last while has been consistent with our commitment as long-term value investors," a source close to Cubic said.

Andrew Lee, an industry analyst at brokers Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein, said a 300p-per-share offer for Manchester United would be overpaying. A fairer price was between 250 and 260p, but even that was a bit "punchy," he said.

PUT UP OR SHUT UP

A debt-free business with one of the best-known brands globally, Manchester United has been tipped by analysts as a takeover target because of its marketing potential.

But the club's fans are wary of a takeover which could reduce their influence, and have been particularly hostile to Glazer because of reports that he planned to put the club into debt to finance his takeover.

The UK Takeover Panel, a financial regulator for mergers and acquisitions, has been pushing both the Glazer and the Irish camps for clarity about their intentions over Manchester United, industry sources said.

A Takeover Panel official confirmed on Friday that Manchester United was still in a bid situation. One option for the club would be to request the panel to invoke a "put up or shut up" deadline regarding any potential Glazer bid.

But sources said the club might be reluctant to do this as it was dealing with its second-biggest shareholder and therefore in a delicate position.

Meanwhile, the head of UK brokerage Seymour Pierce plans to push ahead with a restructuring plan for Manchester United despite the deadlock in talks between Glazer and the Irish investors, a source close to the matter told Reuters.

"What we're working on has not changed as a result of the Glazer development," the source said.

Seymour Pierce's Keith Harris, a former chairman of the English Football League, emerged as another potential suitor for the 15-times English soccer champions last week.

Another source said Magnier and McManus were not in talks with anyone else and that Harris had not made any approach to them over a possible rival bid or restructuring.




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what do you think of this ? are you getting worried ? he now owns 25% :eekani:


anyone in favour ? he seems to be a pretty smart brain to me.