Tweet
Duncan Drasdo, chief executive of the 200,000 strong Manchester United
Supporters Trust (MUST) said:
"Whether or not there is any truth in the story of a possible takeover of
Manchester United, and we remain sceptical at this stage, it has certainly
sparked interest amongst United fans. Undoubtedly the majority of fans
would like to see a better ownership model which put the club and fans
first rather than the profits of private owners.
As with the fans these special players have MUFC running through their
veins so you can understand why fans would warm to the idea of working
together with them on a better ownership model for United.
Gary Neville has recently voiced his admiration for the Bayern Munich
structure and that is also similar to the model which MUST would like to
see too. Munich benefit from shared ownership between fans and commercial
investors with people with real football backgrounds in positions of power
alongside the best professional executives. That combination is potent and
has turned Bayern Munich into the powerhouse we see today.
Like Munich, United don't need a Sugar Daddy. We just need to be released
from the shackles of the Glazer ownership and allowed to reinvest
Manchester United's own massive revenues for the benefit of the club and
fans.
Sir Matt Busby always saw Manchester United like a family with the owners,
board, players and fans all working together. That is very much our vision
too. We'd like to see every Manchester United fan in the world able to own
a stake in, and contribute to, their own football club.
The Glazers will sell at some point and that time may be fast approaching
as they realise that the model which worked so well for them under Sir Alex
is not sustainable now. If we want to compete with our main rivals
domestically and in Europe we'll need to match their investment over the
long term and that will squeeze profits and therefore bring the valuation
down. They must be looking at a possible exit so now is the time for the
global fanbase to come together. We're encouraging every United fan across
the globe to register with MUST through our website - www.joinmust.org - so
they can be part of any future plans involving supporters."
Supporters Trust (MUST) said:
"Whether or not there is any truth in the story of a possible takeover of
Manchester United, and we remain sceptical at this stage, it has certainly
sparked interest amongst United fans. Undoubtedly the majority of fans
would like to see a better ownership model which put the club and fans
first rather than the profits of private owners.
As with the fans these special players have MUFC running through their
veins so you can understand why fans would warm to the idea of working
together with them on a better ownership model for United.
Gary Neville has recently voiced his admiration for the Bayern Munich
structure and that is also similar to the model which MUST would like to
see too. Munich benefit from shared ownership between fans and commercial
investors with people with real football backgrounds in positions of power
alongside the best professional executives. That combination is potent and
has turned Bayern Munich into the powerhouse we see today.
Like Munich, United don't need a Sugar Daddy. We just need to be released
from the shackles of the Glazer ownership and allowed to reinvest
Manchester United's own massive revenues for the benefit of the club and
fans.
Sir Matt Busby always saw Manchester United like a family with the owners,
board, players and fans all working together. That is very much our vision
too. We'd like to see every Manchester United fan in the world able to own
a stake in, and contribute to, their own football club.
The Glazers will sell at some point and that time may be fast approaching
as they realise that the model which worked so well for them under Sir Alex
is not sustainable now. If we want to compete with our main rivals
domestically and in Europe we'll need to match their investment over the
long term and that will squeeze profits and therefore bring the valuation
down. They must be looking at a possible exit so now is the time for the
global fanbase to come together. We're encouraging every United fan across
the globe to register with MUST through our website - www.joinmust.org - so
they can be part of any future plans involving supporters."