|
If you fancy penning an article for the site - and as long as it's topical or entertaining it will go up. Just send it to me.
Saturday, May 14, 2005
Why Malcolm Glazer is bad news for us too - By Richard Lillicrap
Don't get me wrong. I've never been a great fan of Manchester Utd (to put it mildly). This morning, the United fans have woken up to find that Glazer has taken control of their club. This is a man who knows nothing about football but has a sharp eye for a fast buck.
For the committed United fans, this is their worst nightmare. In the new reality, their wishes for the club will be right at the bottom of the heap. Glazer won't give a damn what they think or whether they stay or go. His motivation will be elsewhere and as long as that delivers a cash return (for him) he will be very happy.
The first reaction of the rest of us is one of glee. We've all met the long-distance fans, we've baulked as United has seemingly tried to take more and more of the pot of TV and other money, we've groaned when they turned their back on of the FA Cup for a marketing tour, and we've despaired as kids in Man U shirts started to appear on our own terraces. So there is some delight in seeing their discomfort today.
So what's the problem? Let me try and explain. We all now recognise that the English League has become less and less competitive. Only one of two clubs, and, post Abramovich, three, can possibly win the league. Where's the joy in that? What is the hope for the rest of us? The pinnacle of achievement for a promoted club is 17th place and a second chance to hang on next year.
None of this will change until the TV and European money is distributed more evenly. At the moment, the TV money is sold by the Premier League under a collective basis and then distributed on a formula basis. This at least retains some semblance of 'fair shares for all' but now this is under threat.
Glazer's main ambition is to gain the rights to sell TV rights individually, club by club. If successful then the Man U take of TV money would be vastly increased simply because there are more Man U fans and they can make a fortune through subscriptions here and overseas.
By definition the amount that many of the other clubs could raise would be greatly reduced. Sadly, it's difficult to imagine Swans TV pay-per-view raising more than a brass farthing. So if Glazer succeeds, the money distribution gets worse, not better. And the football league as we know it will be the real victim and we all lose.
But 'real' Manchester United fans have been fighting back. They saw off Murdoch when he tried to buy into the club some years back (and who's to say he hasn't got a finger in this somewhere?). Shareholders United is a Trust just like ours. Except it has 26,500 members and this is sharply rising.
They have 7% of shares already. Sadly this is well short of the magical 25% figure that would enable them to block Glazer's plan, which is to take United private and mortgage it up to the hilt. Like us, they understand the traditions and values of the game and what is important. Like us they want football run by fans, for fans. Like us they want a competitive and vibrant football league from top to bottom.
They have run a series of imaginative campaigns against Glazer over the past year. They are even talking about starting an 'AFC' Manchester United. How spectacular would that be? Most importantly they are at the forefront of a battle for the soul of our game. Is it for money-mad businessmen or is it our game?
For the first time in my life I am now fully behind the Manchester United supporters.
You can comment on this article by visiting the Guestbook.
Previous articles:
Click here to go back to main page
|
