The Glazer Era: Fans vs. Finance

Manchester United supporters are not entirely happy with the current condition of their club, more specifically the ownership of American businessman Malcolm Glazer.  In 2005 Glazer seized control as owner of Manchester United F.C. in a leveraged buyout totaling almost £800 million. Effectively, the takeover was financed primarily by loans which were secured against the club's assets. And while a leveraged buyout of this kind is common practice in the corporate business world, the huge amount of debt that has been subsequently incurred by Manchester United has left many Red Devils supporters seething.

But what is there to complain about? Manchester United has continued to experience on field success since Glazer took over and remains one of the elite teams worldwide. The business side of the club has prospered as well. Increased revenue from TV rights and sponsors such as Nike, AIG, AON, and DHL has fueled profits and the value of Man U has only continued to rise in recent years. From an outside perspective it would seem that Manchester United as a football club is thriving.

Taking a closer look and evaluating the recent dissatisfaction Manchester United fans have expressed it become apparent that the problem lies not so much in the success of the team as much as in other more intangible qualities of the club. Many supporters feel that the destiny of their team has fallen out of their control in the hands of Malcolm Glazer. A chant of "stand up if you hate Glazer" resulted in three-fourths of the 76,000 supporters rising, according to reports at a recent match. They cry that Manchester United is more than just a business venture and should be operated as such. Ticket prices have risen in past years to the point where many lifelong supporters can no longer afford to attend games and the significant amount of debt that the club has taken on has many fans extremely alarmed.

Red Devils fan are just not in alignment with the Malcolm Glazer on the way a British football club should be run. Glazer, who also owns the Tampa Bay Bucaneers, is of the mindset that Manchester United should be run as a viable business venture in which profits are not compromised in lieu of club success. This goes against all traditional British ownership perspectives which lean more toward the attitude of the football club being a community institution instead of an asset.

"The way sports is looked at in America is slightly different than it is in the UK," says Sean Bones, vice chair of the anti-Glazer movement called the Manchester United Supporters Trust (MUST). "In the UK, it's part of your identity. … Some view Old Trafford as their church."

Manchester United fans have made numerous attempts to organize themselves to overthrow Glazer ownership and reclaim their club. Recently the above mentioned Manchester United Supporters Trust met with a group of wealthy fans with an interest in buying out the Glazers' controlling interest in the club. Fans have also enthusiastically participated in the “Green and Gold Movement” where at matches Glazer haters will wear the green and gold colors of Manchester United's precursor club, Newton Heath, in support of the traditional roots and values of the club.

At this point it seems that the differences between Malcolm Glazer and Manchester United fans have become irreconcilable and that the struggle over control of the club will continue to wage on.


http://www.soccernews.com/why-do-united-fans-hate-the-glazers/31207/