www.manutdzone.com : McCleery's A to Z of Manchester United

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Gibson, James
James W Gibson is the man who saved Manchester United from financial collapse and ultimately extinction. In 1932 he gave £2000 of his own money to pay the players wages. A wealthy local businessman (who made his fortune manufacturing army uniforms), he took over the club and turned it around, contributing over £40,000 to help pay off the club's debts huge debts which had arisen during the Great Depression.

He also funded the rebuilding of Old Trafford after WWII and the United youth system which went on to produce so many great players. Most importantly of all perhaps, Gibson brought 36 year old Matt Busby to the club in 1945 as manager. Unfortunately he died in 1951 before the Busy Babes phenomenon took the club to the top. Gibson is commemorated by a plaque on the players tunnel at Old Trafford and outside the stadium on the railway bridge on Sir Matt Busby Way.

Gill, David
The current Manchester United Chief Executive joined the PLC in 1997 as Finance Director and in 2000 became Managing Director. In September 2003 after Peter Kenyon left for Chelsea, Gill was promoted yet again to Chief Executive. United fans were largely neutral about Gill until the Glazer takeover.

At first Gill strongly dismissed the Glazer approach in October 2004: “The level of debt required is not in the best interests of the Club. The Club has 126 years of history and is recognised as one of the most successful football clubs in the world. I don’t think any sensible person would think we could recommend a proposal that could jeopardise something that has been built up over so many years.”

Yet by May 2005 Gill had done a massive u-turn and was onboard the Glazer bandwagon claiming the takeover plans were in fact workable and there was nothing to fear. Many Reds have never forgiven him for this and say he should have resigned the Ł1 million a year position instead of staying on.

Giggs, Ryan Current Squad player - in depth profile and pictures

Glazer family

With a fortune of $1.1 billion (Ł600m), making him the 244th richest man in the USA the 78 year old is the man whose pursuit of yet more money, could destroy Manchester United. Born into a Lithuanian, Jewish family who emigrated to the USA, Malcolm Glazer inherited his father's watch making firm in Rochester, New York in 1943 and made it into a business empire, thanks to a series of investments in trailer park rentals, a TV station and a fish oil company.

In 1984, he launched an unsuccessful $7.6bn (Ł4bn) bid to buy the bankrupt freight rail company, Conrail and also failed with takeover's of kitchen designer Formica and motorcycle manufacturer Harley-Davidson. When Harley took out an injunction against Mr Glazer, the judge at the court hearing called him a "snake in sheep's clothing". His reputation is that of a ruthless, penny-pinching, money obsessed scrooge. Even though he is worth hundreds of millions he still sued his sisters over their dead mother's $1 million will.

In 1995, he paid $192m for the Man City of the NFL, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 8 years followed without success during which Glazer threatened to move the team to another city unless Tampa authorities built him a new stadium. In 2003, he finally spent big to sign top coach, Jon Gruden. The gamble paid off as that same year, the Buccaneers went on to win the Superbowl. The team is said to have quadrupled in value. Glazer then tried and failed to buy the LA Dodgers baseball team before shifting his sights across the Atlantic.

In March 2003 Glazer paid Ł9m to buy his first United shares but few suspected the nightmare ahead. His stake steadily rose, hitting 28% by October 2004 but he lay in the shadows as the Coolmore shareholders of John Magnier and JP McManus took the headlines. However when Coolmore sold their 29% worth of shares to him in May 2005 Glazer was free to launch his takeover which happened with lightning speed. The Ł790 million takeover by the Red Football Company (A front for the Glazers) was completed in June 2005 and the club delisted from the Stock Exchange on 22nd June.

It was estimated that Glazer took out Ł580 million in loans (including legal costs) to finance the takeover with annual interest payments of just under Ł90 million. Crucially the loans are secured against United's assets so if he is unable to make the payments (which seems the likely outcome) the Glazer family will not have to fork out a single cent.....and Manchester United could go the way of Leeds United.

In July 2006 a refinancing package cut annual interest payments by Ł28m in a deal which saw loan charges fall from Ł90m a year to Ł62m. However, overall borrowings will rise from Ł580m to Ł660m. Chief executive David Gill reassured fans the move was "good housekeeping".

The Glazer clan http://www.glazerfamilyfoundation.com is made up of old man Malcolm and his six children who all sit in the Manchester United boardroom. The current United board consists of joint chairmen Joel and Avram Glazer. Bryan Glazer, Darcie Glazer, Edward Glazer, and Kevin Glazer all hold seats along with chief executive David Gill and Michael Bolingbroke as chief operating officer.

The family are notoriously secretive and private in all their business dealings. Joel Glazer is the only one to have ever done a public interview since the takeover and that was on MUTV, who gave him a very easy ride. On 16 April 2006, Malcolm Glazer suffered a stroke causing impaired speech and loss of mobility in his right arm and leg. Glazer suffered a second stroke in May, 2006 however he still seems to be hanging in there.....

Whilst the words "Malcolm Glazer, owner of Manchester United" will never seem to sit right but the American and his crazy, debt-ridden, evil master plan is here to stay for the foreseeable future. And as to what that future holds one thing is certain, to follow United you better be prepared to open your wallet.

Greenhoff, Brian: 1973-1979

Brian Greenhoff joined United as an apprentice in August 1968 and made his debut in August 1973 at Ipswich. In his first season, Greenhoff played in midfield along side Sammy McIlroy but by 1977 Greenhoff had found his role in central defence, alongside Martin Buchan.

He was in the Manchester United team that got relegated at the end of the 1973-74 season and lost the 1976 FA Cyp final. However he won a Second Division Championship plaque in 1975 and an FA Cup winners medal in 1977 after beating Liverpool 2-1. In 1979 he was sold to Leeds United for Ł350,000. Greenhoff won a total of 18 caps for England.

Greenhoff, Jimmy: 1976-1980

One half of the Barnsley born Greenhoff brothers, Jimmy Greenhoff was a forward at United from 1976-80. He'll be remembered most as a classy centre-forward, whose spectacular volleys soon made him a favourite with the Old Trafford crowds. He won the supporters player of the year in 1979.

He also helped score the winner in 1977 FA Cup Final against Liverpool, providing the assist for Lou Macari. In addition to this Jimmy also won the Fairs Cup and League Cup in 1968 and 1972 with Leeds and Stoke City.

Gregg, Harry: 1957-1967

Gregg joined United in 1957 with a world record fee of £23,750 for a goalkeeper at the time. He was a great keeper and his bravery led to him picking up a series of serious injuries in his career but he always fought back to recovery. This did mean however, he missed out on medals in United's successful 1963,65 and 67 seasons.

Harry won 25 caps for Northern Ireland helping them reach the quarter-finals of the World Cup in Sweden in 1958, where Gregg was voted the tournament's best keeper. A survivor of Munich in 1958, Gregg was a hero who went back into the blazing wreckage to rescue those who were trapped. He later was awarded an MBE in 1995. He played on at Old Trafford until 1967 when he was transferred to Stoke City. Gregg later managed Shrewsbury, Swansea, Crewe Alexandra and Carlisle United.