At least Manchester United takeover as support for Glazers protests grows
Manchester United fans will give their thoughts on the Glazers’ possession of the club in the first two home games of the season.
Joel Glazer and Avram Glazer, co-chairmen of Manchester United. (Image: OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)
Manchester United fans are just days away from the start of the Premier League season when Wolverhampton Wanderers visit Old Trafford.
The season opener will also be the first protest of the season against the Glazers’ ownership of the club. The 1958 fan group is calling on fellow supporters to join them at the Trinity Statue on Monday night to express their feelings for the American family. The 1958s are calling on the current owners to leave United altogether and have promised that these protests will continue as long as the Glazers remain at the club. As the countdown to the first game begins, another group of fans have supported The 1958’s actions. MEN Sport summarizes the latest acquisition titles below.
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Raphael Varane statement ahead of Premier League season
Supporters Trust claim Glazers are holding the club hostage
The Manchester United Supporters Trust (MUST) understands the Glazer family is holding the club “hostage” as progress on the takeover continues to stall. In November, the Glazers announced a strategic review of United ownership with two favorites to buy the fledgling club – Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani and Sir Jim Ratcliffe. However, no official communication followed to express the latest state of affairs.
Co-owner Avram Glazer was asked for an update by reporters during United’s pre-season clash with Arsenal in New Jersey but he declined to answer. Instead, he insisted that he was only there to watch the game.
This sparked anger among fans, with the Reds group MUST share their feelings about the current situation in the memo to fans earlier in the season. They wrote: “It’s August again and another season is just around the corner.
Woodward “benefits” from being taken over by Sheikh Jassim
According to The Times, if Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani completes a takeover of United, former CEO Ed Woodward is ready to cash in on the deal. It is argued that depending on who buys the club, Woodward could make a significant amount of money.
The latest available documents show Woodward owns 551,486 Class A ordinary shares, worth around $12.75m (£10m) if he were to sell them on the New York Stock Exchange, should Sir Jim Ratcliffe take over. If a £5bn bid from Qatar for 100% of the club proves successful, the shares could be worth up to £26m each, making WoWood more than £14m.