Manchester United is a term known to football fans around the world. It’s a football club, an English football club to be precise. He is based in Old Tafford, UK. They are also known as the “Red Devils” of England. It is one of the most famous and popular football clubs with more than 300 million fans around the world. 300 million can be roughly estimated as 5% of the total population! They are the most successful and influential club and since the 1990s they have been rumored to be the richest clubs in existence. The club had humble beginnings during the initial stages and was even shut down on several occasions due to mounting debts.
Initially named Newton Health Y&R, it was said to be sponsored by a health club. They have been credited with five European trophies since the club was created. This included one international cup, one European super cup, two European Champions Cups, one cup winners’ cup. They were awarded 12 domestic cups and 16 major league cups as well. They were also relevant to finding and establishing Europe’s G-14 football club. Malcolm Glazer, who was an American businessman, had invested in Manchester United in 2005. He had paid a staggering $1.47 billion for just a 28.7% stake in the team. It was after a year-long battle in the courts that he was finally able to get his hands on the team.
He had faced difficulties in claiming the club, as the takeover had depleted the club by $850 million. Also, being a businessman, the fans did not like the idea of a businessman taking the reins of one of the most successful football clubs in the world. They were hoping someone who had the right knowledge about the sport would invest in the club. The increase in ticket prices also angered the fans, as the club often received large sums of money from advertising and endorsement deals. The vast majority of fans even went so far as not to renew their subscriptions for the next Manchester United matches. Songs disrespecting Glazer and his sons can still be heard in many games played by Manchester United.
Fans around the world have been largely unhappy over Malcolm Glazer’s takeover of the club. He had not played a significant role in the future of the football club. His sons were the ones who enjoyed the management positions of the club for some time. Despite these shortcomings, the club has succeeded under his leadership. He had spent quite large sums of money on the club and even more on attracting the best soccer players in the world to the club. The club had won two important cups in 2008, the English Premier League and the UEFA Champions League. It should be noted that the Glazer group does not interfere with Manchester United’s day-to-day business and has left such activities to David Gill, Manchester United’s chief executive. The sharp increase in ticket prices had caused many loyal supporters to stay away from the club’s matches.
