Talks on Friday marked the first engagement by the Glazers with fans since buying United in a leveraged takeover in 2005 that loaded debt onto the club and sparked years of protests. The dissent reached unprecedented levels last month when unrest around and inside Old Trafford led to United's game against
United, which is controlled by the Glazer family, is listed on the
“Fans are the lifeblood of
United plans an advisory board to consult with the club’s senior leadership and owners that will be made up of fan representatives.
“The club has been in discussions with (the
MUST described the share scheme as a “potentially revolutionary” idea, but cautioned that the “devil is always in the detail” about offering shares with voting rights.
“Despite Joel Glazer’s assertion that this will be ‘the largest fan ownership group in world sport’, MUST is concerned that there is a risk that the scheme will limit the number of such fan shares made available so reducing the opportunity for this to achieve a meaningful collective fan ownership stake — and ultimately with the potential to result in a change in control of the club,” MUST said.
Glazer, who has declined to give media interviews, told fans that investment in redeveloping Old Trafford would be accelerated and spending would continue on the team, which has not won the
United was among the six
The English clubs backed out inside 48 hours after a backlash from the fans and British government but still faced punishments from
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