A priori, Glazer devrait prendre le controle de MU si les Irlandais ont vendu...

Quand je pense que chelsea a des fonds illimités depuis qu´ils se sont fait racheter et que nous on risque d´avoir des dettes illimitées...

Glazer stunner for United

American business tycoon Malcolm Glazer has bid £790 million for Premiership giants Manchester United.

Glazer is the majority shareholder at United after buying Irish racing tycoons JP McManus and John Magnier´s 28.7 percent stake.

The owner of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFL team now owns 56.8 percent of The Red Devils after adding to his existing 28.1 percent share in the club.

It is bad news for the supporters who have strongly opposed the takeover and threatened to boycott matches and sponsors associated with the club in protest.

Glazer had been given until May 17 to ´put up or shut up´ but his ability to persuade McManus and Magnier to sell their Cubic Expression stake has completely altered the picture regarding ownership of the club.

With that obstacle out of the way, the path seems clear for the American businessman to take over the Old Trafford outfit.

The Irish duo stand to receive an estimated figure of up to £60 million for their stake and the shares in the club rose substantially on Thursday in the wake of the major development.

Analyst Dr Bill Gerrard told Sky Sports News that he shares the fears of the United supporters.

" They certainly have every right to be very, very concerned," stated Gerrard. " The only redeeming argument to make is that anyone coming in to any sports team, if they are going to make it successful in the medium to long term has got to win the fans over.

" But Glazer is no Roman Abramovich - he has borrowed much of the money to buy United."

Glazer needs 75 percent stake to tie up the financial loose ends of any takeover.

12/05/2005
Foot - ANG - MU : Nouvelle offre de Glazer

L´homme d´affaires américain Malcolm Glazer a lancé jeudi une offre formelle de rachat de Manchester United, valorisant le club anglais de première division à 790,3 millions de livres ( 1,156 milliard d´euros), selon un communiqué adressé à la Bourse de Londres.

Cette offre intervient après que Malcolm Glazer, via la société véhicule Red Football, eut acquis la participation de 28,7 % détenue par la société Cubic Expression, propriété des hommes d´affaires irlandais JP McManus and John Magnier, dans le capital du club.

Après cette acquisition, Malcolm Glazer détient 56,9 % du capital de Manchester United et entend acheter le reste au prix de 300 pence par action, ce qui valorise le club le plus riche du monde à 790,3 millions de livres.

La direction du club a fait savoir a plusieurs reprises qu´elle ne soutiendrait pas l´offre de rachat de l´homme d´affaires américain, à laquelle les supporters du club sont également hostiles.

( AFP)

Fans rage at Glazer takeover move

Manchester United fans are furious that US tycoon Malcolm Glazer has launched a formal takeover for the club.
Glazer has a 57% share after securing the 28.7% stake of Irish racing tycoons JP MacManus and John Magnier.

Nick Towle, chairman of fans pressure group, Shareholders United, claimed he has ripped up his season ticket.

He said: " I am very sad - I still love the club but I refuse to put a penny into the company. And I believe as many as 20,000 fans may also leave Man Utd."

Supporters are concerned about the level of debt involved in Glazer´s bid and fear for the club´s future.

Oliver Houston, also a member of Shareholders United, told BBC Radio Five Live that Glazer is " no Roman Abramovich".

He said: " He´s not turning up with a suitcase full of his own cash.

" He is, in effect, asking Manchester United fans to pay for his takeover, to pay for increased ticket prices and increased merchandising."

A protest has been hurriedly organised to take place outside Old Trafford at 1700 BST on Thursday.

Fans are being urged to take with them their season ticket renewal forms and burn them in a gesture of defiance.

Michael Crick is another who believes Glazer´s " hard-nosed business record" spells danger.

He said: " He is going to be much keener to boost profits, particularly as he´s going to have to borrow so much to buy the club.

" I can only see that it´s the fans who are going to lose out here in a big way."

Fans are also flooding the BBC Sport message boards.

One United supporter said: " Glazer buying us is just another nail in the coffin of football as we know it.

" Football should be for the normal man in the street, not for rich business men to play with like toys."

bon les deux irlendais on on donner leur part maintenant on va etre endetter a cause de glazer

Il faut qu´il ait 75% du club pour pouvoir reporter ses dettes sur le club mais a priori c´est ce qui devrait se passer.

En tout cas c´est clair que cet été, on aura pas d´argent a depenser puisqu´il faudra rembourser 300M£ ou 400M£.

Glazer wins control of Man United

Mr Glazer had until 17 May to make his intentions known
US sports tycoon Malcolm Glazer has won control of Manchester United in a £790m ( $1.47bn) takeover bid.
The American has secured the 28.7% stake owned by Irish racing tycoons JP MacManus and John Magnier, giving him almost 57% of the Premiership club.

Red Football Ltd, acting on behalf of Mr Glazer, said the Irishmen had sold their stakes for 300p a share.

Club fans have vehemently opposed Mr Glazer´s ambition all along and fear that ticket prices will soar.

The bid comes five days ahead of the 17 May deadline when Mr Glazer had to make known whether he planned to bid.

Mr Glazer is now 18% short of the 75% of shares he needs for the offer to go unconditional - essentially for the ownership of the club to be secured.

´Aggressive´

If he gets 75% plus one share, United could be delisted from the stock exchange and Mr Glazer could transfer his debt onto the club.

TIMELINE OF A TAKEOVER
March 2003 - Glazer buys 2.9% stake in club
March 2004 - Glazer says he has " no current intention" of making a bid
June 2004 - Glazer´s stake in club nears 20%
October 2004 - United confirms bid approach from Glazer, as his stake nears 30%
November 2004 - Glazer ousts three directors from United´s board
December 2004 -Glazer makes revised bid
February 2005 - Glazer makes new bid approach, valuing United at £800m, the club later opens its books to the tycoon
14 April 2005 - Glazer formally launches £800m bid for club
28 April 2005 - Takeover Panel sets 17 May deadline for Glazer to announce whether he intends to buy United
May 2005 - Glazer launches formal takeover bid for United after upping his stake in the club to almost 57%

If he can get 90% plus one share, he can make a compulsory purchase and scoop up the other 10% of the club´s shares.

United´s shares rose 34.25p, or 12.9%, to 299.25p shortly after the announcement.

" A further announcement containing more detailed terms of the offer will be made shortly," Red Football said in a statement.

Mr Glazer first showed an interest in buying the club last autumn and tabled a formal proposal in October, which was rejected by the board.

Two weeks ago the club board said it could not recommend Mr Glazer´s second takeover proposal to shareholders because his business plan appeared to be too " aggressive".

His offers were rejected on the grounds that his plans relied too heavily on borrowed money.

However, members of the board did agree that some shareholders might think the offer was a good one.

" The board recognises, however, that the price of 300p per share is a fair one and may be attractive to some," the board said in last month´s statement before the Takeover Panel gave Malcolm Glazer his bid deadline.

´Game over´

The owner of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is thought be keen to exploit the strength of the Manchester United brand in the US.

Fans rage at Glazer bid
See Man United´s share price
Manchester United fans are angry at the latest news. Last year, they formed a shareholders´ association to buy club shares and try to protect it from Mr Glazer´s clutches.

A spokesman for Shareholders United, which represents 17% of the club´s shareholders, told the BBC that Mr Glazer was " no Roman Abramovich".

" He´s not turning up with a suitcase full of his own cash and he is, in effect, asking Manchester United fans to pay for his takeover, to pay for increased ticket prices and increased merchandising," said spokesman Oliver Houston.

" I´m giving up my season ticket," said Shareholders United president Nick Towle.

" I´m not putting a penny of my money into this guy´s pocket."

Mr Towle said Shareholders United still hoped to stop the tycoon getting a 75% stake.

" If we can get to that 25% of the remaining shareholders, that would be great," Mr Towle added. " But it´s looking like an uphill battle for us."

Analysts are convinced that Mr Glazer is unstoppable.

" I think it´s pretty much game over now as the key to all this was always going to surround what the Irish duo would do with their stake," said Richard Hunter of stockbrokers Hargreaves Lansdown.

Ma modeste réaction. Le club devrait donc appartenir désormais à un seul homme. Toujours risqué...D´un autre côté les ennemis de Sir Alex s´en iront ( Mc Manus etc), et il n´y aura qu´une personne aux commandes. Il reste suffisamment de petits porteurs pour que Glazer ait des comptes à rendre, de toute façon le club est côté en Bourse donc la gestion sera transparente.

D´un autre côté, un seul homme aux commandes, un business man...ça brise un peu la tradition de Manchester et le côté familial.

Mais il a amené un Superbowl à Tampa Bay. Il sait que pour réussir et ne pas se ruiner il faudra que le secteur sportif soit au top, donc des victoires...

J´attends les réactions des fans et des analystes pour voir comment la dette sera gérée...

GLAZER BUYS MORE SHARES

Malcolm Glazer has taken another major step towards taking overall control of Manchester United by buying more shares from Harry Dobson.

The American tycoon followed up his buy-out of Irish duo J.P.McManus and John Magnier´s Cubic Expression vehicle by splashing out on the 17 million shares owned by Dobson´s Mounbarrow Investments Ltd.

With Dobson selling his 6.45 percent stake in The Red Devils, it is surely only a matter of time before Glazer has the 75 percent total that rubber-stamps his takeover.

After taking control earlier on Thursday, the American has paid 300p per share to Dobson, according to a statement released on the Regulatory News Service. If confirmed, the news means he now owns 63.25 percent of United.
Some sources are indicating that the 75 percent threshold could even be breached within 24 hours, although it may take a little longer before the Tampa Bay Buccaneers owner gets his way.

Glazer has overall control, in any case, and could make sweeping changes within 60 days - including alterations to the current board.
United supporters are planning to protest at Old Trafford on Thursday evening as they continue to fight the takeover.

Real admiration for Ronaldo

Real Madrid coach Wanderley Luxemburgo has conceded that he would like to take Cristiano Ronaldo to the Spanish capital.

The Portuguese wide man has enjoyed another excellent campaign down Manchester United´s right flank and is not short of admirers across the continent.

With Real looking for a long-term successor to Luis Figo, who looks certain to leave in the summer, Luxemburgo is ready to step-up his search for fresh attacking options.

Real Betis forward Joaquin remains an alternative to Ronaldo, but news of Luxemburgo´s growing interest is unlikely to be well received in Manchester.

´´Of course I like players such as Joaquin or Cristiano Ronaldo,´´ Luxemburgo told Real Madrid TV.

Despite his apparent interest in both players, Luxemburgo believes their respective club bosses are limiting their potential by playing them on the wings - and not in a free role.

´´I believe that leaving them to play out on the wing limits their capacity to perform,´´ he concluded.

´´Who is more skillful, Joaquin or Ricardo Oliveira? Joaquin.

´´However, who has scored most goals? Oliveira.

´´That is because he plays more centrally and is not wasted on the wing. I like my strikers to participate in the game from the wings.´´

D´après ce que Glazer avait dit auparavant, Fergie devrait avoir 20M£ pour les transferts et peut-etre meme plus parce que maintenant il doit convaincre les fans de continuer à acheter les produits MU sinon ça va lui couter très cher ainsi qu´au club d´ailleurs.

Alors que nous annoncions dans nos colonnes le 18 avril que le président Caizzo avait déclaré Didier Zokora instransférable, des rumeurs persistantes nous laisserait penser que le " maestro" ivoirien pourrait quitter le club mythique.

Alors que seuls des clubs français s’intéressaient a lui, il semblerait désormais que toute l’Europe du football veuille arracher l’international ivoirien à St Etienne. Manchester United, Chelsea et la Juventus se serait renseigné sur le joueur et Lyon et l’AS Monaco n’aurait pas dit leur dernier mot. Le joueur, interrogé par la presse a déclaré avoir encore 3 ans de contrat avec le club stéphanois et qu’il était convaincu qu’il pourrait y faire de grandes choses. mais que si il avait une opportunité de signer dans un grand club, il aviserait.

Le président Caizzo pourra t’il résister à une belle offre d’un club étranger ? Le joueur acheté 1,5 M € au club belge de Genk restera t’il une saison de plus dans le forez ? rien n’est garantie. Une réunion est prévu le 17 mai entre le joueur et les dirigeants stéphanois sur sa future situation, nous en saurons plus d’ici la.

je suis au bord du désespoir . le club a changé . glazzer va le reprendre le club qu´on a connu ne sera plus apreil . ..

de plus il n´ a pas la surface financiére de l´autre escroc . .

que vont faire les joueurs et fergie maintenant eux qui se sont opposé a ce rachat ? ?

Club Convinced Mikel Has Joined

Manchester United are convinced that Nigerian prodigy John Obi Mikel has signed for the club, despite a whirlwind of confusion over the player´s future.

Communications director Phil Townsend said: " We remain confident we have reached an agreement with Lyn Oslo and the player, both of which are signed. We believe he has signed for us."

The Club announced the player´s signing on April 29, when it seemed United had beaten off competition from Premiership champions Chelsea for the highly-rated youngster.

However, news reports suggested that the midfielder had gone AWOL while watching his current side, FC Lyn Oslo, in a Norwegian cup game on Wednesday. Police later located Mikel hiding in nearby woods with his agent John Shittu amid rumours that the player covets a move to Stamford Bridge.

Mikel is quoted in the Manchester Evening News as saying: " I don´t want to play for Manchester United anymore."

Report by Steve Bartram.

We can kiss him goodbye now, we´ve as good as lost him.

The agents have gotten to him, and have been putting terrible pressure on him to sign for Chelsea... He was interviewed by Aftenposten in Oslo last night and he wouldn´t commit when they asked if he´ll be playing for United... ( not what you´d expect of a new signing!!!) also when asked if he´ll be playing for Chelsea he shrugged his shoulders in a ´"we´ll see" kind of fashion… and his leeching agent sat with him controlling things.

This is a BIG change from the “I’m so proud to sign and play for Manchester United” that he spoke on 2 weeks ago. ( minus the agent)

It´s a disgrace, it´s all about money and parasite agents wanting their cut of it. I thought African slavery was abolished over 100 years ago? Perhaps we should tell the other Africans about it then?

Can anyone put their hand on their heart and say that he’s better off signing for Chelsea? The only factor is money. He’ll have a better football education and lifestyle at Old Trafford than he’d ever have at Chelsea.

It´s as clear as mud at the moment as to how binding the contract United signed with him is.

< << et comme les bones nouvelles vont de pair mikel ne viendra pas jouer chez nous . Glazer nous endette mikel vue t plus venir chez nous . Que peut il y a voir de pire aujourd´hui

c´est la fin du manchester qu´on a connu . .

j´ai grave les boules ce soir . .

le foot me fait vraiment chier ce soir

Mikel veut plus venir si on veut c´est surtout ses agents qui l´ont convaincu de partir pour chelsea pour se faire plus de thunes.

Après Rio et son agent, ça devient vraiment lamentable le foot de nos jours...

J´aimerais quand meme entendre rapidement Glazer sur ce qu´il compte faire avec MU maintenant qu´il est majoritaire.

je susi abattu a . . de tout de facon il a signé mikel non ? ?

et puis je m´en fous le club que je supporte depuis toujours vient de mourir . .

pas sportivement et encore on ne sait pas mais dans l´esprit . . On était le seul club non endétté , le seul club qui faisait des profits . .

maintenant on appartient a un mec qui ne pense qu´au profit qui se fout du foot et du club et qui nous as endétté . .

d´un seul coup MU devient un club comme les autres . .

mais je continuerais a supporter malgré glazer .

ruud_0 Posté le 12 mai 2005 à 18:39:47
D´après ce que Glazer avait dit auparavant, Fergie devrait avoir 20M£ pour les transferts et peut-etre meme plus parce que maintenant il doit convaincre les fans de continuer à acheter les produits MU sinon ça va lui couter très cher ainsi qu´au club d´ailleurs.

Pas impossible que Glazer qui a deja emprunté pas mal inclue effectivement un emprunt pour des transferts. Rien ne le prouve pour le moment, mais une hypothése comme une autre...

En ce qui concerne Mikel il a signé son contrat d´ores et deja donc pas de probléme. Sinon la FIFA tranchera mais la loi est avec nous ^^ Il a reçu des menaces de mort depuis sa signature ( la mafia de Chelsea ? ^^) mais ça devrait pas remettre en cause sa venue.