The Glazer takeover is perhaps the biggest crisis of all to rock Old Trafford. When the 78 year old American owner of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced in May 13th 2005 he was launching a takeover it sparked riots, season tickets' and Glazer effigies being burnt, mass protests and even the foundation of a new club called FC United of Manchester.
Fans were livid at a greedy outsider "buying" their club, but it was the fact that the Glazer's would plunge the financially healthy United PLC into £540 million debt to fund their takeover that brought the most fury. How would United find nearly £80 million a year to fund interest payments when the club only made £20 million profit the season past? No doubt the fans' would be asked to fit the bill as well.
In March 2003 Glazer first paid £9m to buy into United and his stake steadily rose, hitting 28% in October 2004. Once shareholders John Magnier and JP McManus sold their shares to him in May 2005 Glazer was free to launch his takeover which happened with lightning speed. Shareholders United fought a brave battle against Glazer but in the end where unable to stop the American from completing the £790 million deal.
The Glazer row takeover eventually faded away with the majority of fans, whilst unhappy, putting the ownership issue on the backburner. But the question of how the debt will be paid has still to be answered and unless Glazer can pull off a money-making miracle, the volcano is still waiting to erupt again.
The Sir Alex Ferguson vs John Magnier/JP McManus row theatened to blow Manchester United apart in January 2004. The Irish racehorse millionaires known as the 'Coolmore Mafia' became good friends with Fergie in 1998. Magnier used Ferguson to promote his horse, Rock of Gibraltar, and in turn Ferguson believed he would get stud farm fees when the horse retired. It was a deal done over a handshake, but the horse turned out to be far more successful than anyone expected, winning race after race. The Rock was worth anything up to £200m at stud. Ferguson, who had paid nothing for his half-share of the horse, thought that he would receive half that cash.
But Magnier quickly changed his story saying they never agreed anything and Ferguson was only entitled to a tiny fraction of that money. In the meantime Magnier and McManus had bought shares in Manchester United to become the biggest single shareholder.
Things quickly deteriorated as an angry Fergie took Coolmore to court and Magnier and McManus brought their shares up to 28.89%. It all turned nasty as the Irish duo started to use their power as major shareholders to discredit Fergie's character - they were hoping he would back down and it would help their case if they could make the Govan man look untrustworthy. Using corporate investigators to look into United's affairs and Ferguson's son who is a football agent a flurry of stories appeared in the press. Attacks were made on the board, United's transfer deals over the last 5 years and Ferguson's dealings with agents. They also issued the club with 99 questions' about the club's internal affairs, including Ferguson's contract, the Rio Ferdinand affair and a conflict of interest between agents. In particular Ferguson's son Jason and his Elite agency, and the top people at Old Trafford.
Fergie would not back down though and it looked like his United days could be numbered as rumours began of Coolmore forcing him out of Old Trafford. Fans and supporters' groups rallied to his cause and threatened to fight back by disrupting horse racing events. Yet, the Coolmore millionaires had the upper hand on Sir Alex, given they could sit back in the shadows in hteir Bahama's HQ and attack the United manager - whereas he could not do the same to them and had to run the world's biggest football team all the while.As pressure mounted on Fergie both on the pitch as well as off it, eventually a deal was made to end the feud giving the United boss a £2.5 million payout. It is unlikely that the matter has been fully resolved.
Rio Ferdinand's FA ban for eight months by the FA after being found guilty of missing a drugs test is the latest in a long line of headline grabbing incidents. An independent tribunal found the defender guilty of misconduct and the ban, which provisionally starts from 12 January, would see him miss the rest of the season and Euro 2004. United have already indicated they will appeal against the punishment
"It is a particularly savage and unprecedented sentence which makes an appeal inevitable. We can confirm that Rio has the full support of Manchester United and the PFA and there will be no further comment at this stage."
The judgement came 86 days after Rio had been ordered to take a test at Carrington on 23 September, but left without undergoing the procedure. Ferdinand later contacted the club to offer to take the test, but was told it was too late. He provided a negative urine sample within 2 days and has never previously tested positive in his entire career.
Sir Alex Ferguson gives Beckham the boot February 2003 marked the beginning of the end for the England star's Old Trafford career. "He could have been blinded" roared the headlines - strange considering the game of football involves boots, elbows and heads smacking into every limb, every game. The consquences of Beckham's head wound after Sir Alex kicked a football boot in his face will not be known for a while, until the transfer window opens again at least. Even then what club would want to pay out Becks near 100 grand a week?
Sir Alex Ferguson's visit to South Africa in November 2002 left his cheeks redder than ever before. Ferguson had been in South Africa to explore the possibility of Manchester United linking up with the Cape Town Football Academy. After a accepting a lift home late one night from a 21-year-old woman, she claimed Fergie touched her leg as they travelled in a car from a jazz club in the city.
The fact that she immediately sold the story to all the British papers and her boyfriend was a highly dodgy media agent made it obvious it was a cynical set-up to make money. Fergie fiercely denied the allegation, which was quickly rubbished by the authorities.
Roy Keane's admission to injuring Alf Eng Haaland deliberately in August 2003 was yet another story to knock Saddam Hussein off the front page. After his World Cup earth-shatterer Keane decided to lie low by bringing out an autobiography in which he slagged off everybody that ever pissed him off in the most furious use of the f-word seen outside of The Osbournes. Keane had been injured in 1997 after a challenge involving Haaland and in April 2001 he saw his chance for revenge.
"I'd waited long enough. I f*cking hit him hard. The ball was there (I think). Take that you c*nt,
"And don't ever stand over me again sneering about fake injuries" and "Even in the dressing room afterwards, I had no remorse. My attitude was, f*ck him. What goes around comes around. He got his just rewards. He f*cked me over and my attitude is an eye for an eye." Just when the storm was at boiling point Keano gave more ammo for the media by elbowing Jason McAteer to get himself sent off at Sunderland. For the millionth time Keano was branded a "psycho" by the media. But Fergie stood by him as always as the FA gave him a six game ban for bringing the game into disrepute.
Roy Keane and Mick McCarthy May 2002 was pretty much the equivalent of 9/11 in Ireland. It split the shocked Irish into pro-Keane/anti Keane camps and caused much pints of the black stuff to be thrown in anger. After a long simmering feud developed into some of the most fantastic vitriolic swearing witnessed in football ever, Keane was kicked out of the Irish squad HQ in Siapan and returned home to a media hurricane in which much dog walking was done. There was vast speculation that he would return but despite the entire Irish nation's begging, an emotional TV interview and even the Irish Prime Minister offering to negotiate, Keano couldn't bring himself to apologise to "English c*nt" McCarthy. In fact soon after he said of hapless Mick, "He can rot in hell for all I care".
Beckham breaks his metatarsal wasn't quite a JFK moment, as in where were you when you heard Beckham had broken that wee bone in his foot? But it was enough to condemn war and famine to "And finally" stories at the end of the news. That the villainous creator of the crisis, Aldo Duscher was an Argie, only added to the story. But would Becks be fit for the World Cup? Would it take 5 weeks or 6? The nation was asked to pray for the small bone and everybody became experts on foot injuries. With daily updates on the healing process ad-nausem it became clear he was going to make it. Not that it mattered much as England did their usual trick of getting the nation's hopes up then failing miserably.
Martin Edwards spying on a ladies crapper in August 2002 was the final straw for the United board. Edwards landed a caution by Police after having peered under a toilet cubicle at a health club. A woman, who was on the shitter at the time, complained to staff.
A source said: "Apparently Edwards just walked past the health club reception desk and straight into the ladies toilets". Edwards soon resigned from the United plc board will step down as club chairman at the end of the season, after 22 years in the job.
Sir Alex Ferguson and David Beckham Part 1. Becks and Fergie famously fell out for the first time in Feburary 2000 when Beckham missed a practice session to look after his sick son, Brooklyn. When he appeared a day later the two exchanged abuse and Ferguson ordered him from the training ground. He was also dropped for the next match away to Leeds and the media whores were absolutely convinced the midfielder was on his way out of Old Trafford to Barcelona/ Madrid/Arsenal/ both Milans. But Beckham and Fergie patched it up and United went on to win the League that year at a canter.
Dwight Yorke is an expert at Newspaper scandal, caught by the Sun in August 1998 for
having secret camera's to film himself and Mark Bosnich with a couple of birds. Yorke
was at Villa at the time and nobody gave a monkey's yet the first week he arrived
at Old Trafford the story was splashed across the front pages. It was later followed
by lurid muckiness about him and Andy Cole and some bird but this was only the start. It soon became a weekly feature of the sunday papers, an ongoing article in which models, dancers and slappers, would tell how Yorkie shagged them in semi-pornographic detail. Yorke went on to be called the "King of Pornography" by some United fans, not that he'd ever need to use any.
Martin Edwards adventures in Brazil were a fantastic bit of publicity for the PLC and its family image. Caught by Mirror reporters, we were told how Edwards spent the night with prostitute Maria Elves, 35, in Rio de Janeiro. Hilariously she told "It took him four hours to make love and, in the end, it wasn't very good," she "He kept on about the newspapers being after him for months, being caught and how bad it would look for him. It really affected his performance". He had been in Brazil when United took part in FIFA's World Club Championships in Brazil (see below)
Manchester United pulling out of the FA Cup in December 1999 sent a rocket right up the football world's arse. The FA put intense pressure on the Reds to take part in the inaugural World Club tournament, held in Brazil, January 2000 in the belief that it would help England's bid to host the 2006 World Cup. Outrage flowed throughout Britain as United where declared evil worshippers of Satan intent on ruining the greatest cup competition in the world. In the end it all went wrong, the FIFA tournament was a farcical waste of time - a one off event never to be repeated and United were rubbish. To cap it, England's 2006 bid never stood a chance up against the cunning Germany. Still, even to this day, pundits will pull out the old "I think Manchester United damaged the FA Cup" routine when everyone gets bored with it (usually around the 5th round).
Lets not forget Mark Bosnich's arrest at a lap-dancing bar in Birmingham
within a week of joining United in June 1999. Coke-snorting bunter, Bosnich got off to the worst possible start with his new career at United and lasted but a season before feeling Fergie's boot - on his arse.
Roy Keane's arrest for allegedly attacking two women in a Manchester pub only two days after United
won the Premiership in May 1999 was a right stinker. In an extremely embarrassing
situation, Fergie found himself having to bail out his captain in the middle of the club's
most important week ever, just before the FA and European Cup final's. Keane had
been completely set up of course and was innocent of any crime but given his reputation the cops had slung him in jail without hesistation.
Rupert Murdoch's BSkyB wanted to buy Manchester United for £623.4m in September 1998 and it was serious stuff. The biggest team in the world was going to be owned by the world's biggest media company. Fans were split between traditionalists opposed to the move and those who felt Murdoch would finance huge transfer signings. The whole of football was concerned at the thought of this unstoppable sporting beast as was the government who launched an enquiry. The monoply and mergers commission eventually killed the deal in the end declaring it against the public interest.
Beckham and Argentina World Cup 1998 - The stuff of legend, the media circus to end all circuses. It all seems so long ago but one
small flick of a boot and David Beckham became the most hated man in Britain. Not that it mattered it was harsh red card and that Diego Simone had milked it, it was written in stone that Beckham had cost England the World Cup. The media launched a hate campaign the like of which Adolf Hitler and Pol Pot would feel un-deserving. Beckham was a spoilt brat, Fergie was to blame, Why couldn't he be like Owen? England could have won the World Cup etc etc. A cut-out dartboard with Beckham as the bull's-eye was the Sun's contribution whilst in his native East End of London, Cockney savages danced around a fire, burning effigies in sarrongs. Of course, it was all conviently forgotten three years later when he hit that free-kick against Greece - but United fans will never forget.
Andrei Kanchelskis's agent threatened to kill Martin Edwards in 1995 when the player wanted to leave champions United, for
the mighty and highly successful Everton. The Russian agent also tried to bribe
Fergie with a huge £25,000 wad of cash to secure some sort of misguided
deal. In the end Kanchelskis and his agent got their way and United replaced him
with a little known player called David Beckham.
Eric Cantona's Kung Fu kick is up there with the moon landing of 1969. The French legend did what footballers have been wanting to do for years and jumped into the Selhurst Park crowd to whack an abusive fan. Crystal Palace loser Mathew Simmons claimed he shouted "Its an early bath for you Cantona!" when in fact he actually said "f*ck off back to France you french motherf*cker". Hysterical over-reaction followed as Cantona was deemed mentally ill and should be locked up. Many media experts called for a life ban, Eric was officially a psycho who should never play in England again and Fergie could not defend him. But Fergie did stand by him. An eight month ban by the FA and an assault conviction charge followed, as did an FA Cup and Premiership double in May 1996.
Technically George Best's life from age 17 to 2005 was one long scandal of booze, birds, more
booze and more birds. A famous George Best story goes something like this: He
was in Las Vegas and, having had a good night on the roulette wheel, went back
to his room. He spread his winnings out on the bed while his girlfriend, a former
Miss World, lay sprawled out in saucy underwear, on top of the money strewn sheets. A
bellboy arrived delivering bottles of champagne. Taking one look at the scene
in the room he turned to Best and said "George, where did it all go wrong?"
Even after his recent liver transplant in 2002 Bestie found new headline grabbing power with a series of
drink related incidents, including 18 hour benders, fights with his wife and being robbed by hookers.
Tommy "The Doc" Docherty was involved in an unfortunate unsavoury business when he got caught
secretly nobbing the United physio's wife. In the more restrained puritan times of 1977
the club decided to sack him despite having only months earlier taken United to FA Cup final glory against Liverpool. Which, when you consider that in 1999 Graham Rix
of Chelsea nonced-up a schoolgirl and still kept his job, is pretty unlucky.
Before Martin Edwards there was Louis Edwards. After a controversial ITV investigation
into alleged illegal share dealings in the late 1970's the then United chairman, Louis, croaked it
of a heart attack brought on by the pressure of it all.
