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A big difference between Glazer and Abramovich is that the latter is a football (soccer) fan. Is Glazer?

Biggest difference between Glazer and Abramovich is that the latter's fortune is 20-30 times greater than Glazer's.

Couldn't we use Karl Marx about now?

:P

Gunit They are all lawyers around here. hehehehe

I like neither man very much. I hope Glazer does for Man U what Abramovich did for Chelsea.

Glazer takeover doesn't make financial sense

Bobby McMahon / Fox Soccer Channel

Even though we have just experienced a weekend when all three Premiership relegations spots were decided on the last day of the season, and a potentially classic FA Cup Final is set for this Saturday, the story that continues to dominate is the takeover of Manchester United by the NFL Tampa Bay Buccaneers' owner Malcolm Glazer.

The deal cannot be stopped unlike in 1998 when the club was "saved" by a ruling from the Monopolies Commission. Back then, the Commission ruled against a takeover bid from BSkyB on the basis that it would be against the public interest and would have an adverse effect on competition amongst broadcasters.

United fans — through Shareholders United — mounted an extremely sophisticated and media savvy campaign designed to influence that earlier decision, but there is no hope this time of pulling off another win.
This time the supporters groups are in favor of a scorched earth approach designed to hit the new owners where it hurts most — in the bank account. Sponsors, replica shirts, and concessions might all be targeted along with game-day boycotts.

The anger of United fans appears to be limitless but the "it's not my club anymore" comments are disingenuous and are more worthy of a drama queen. The fans had their one chance back in 1991 to truly own the club when it was floated on the stock exchange.

Few chose to buy shares when the opportunity presented itself and therefore set in motion the reality that the club would always be just one (or two) extremely wealthy speculators away from falling under the control of what the fans would consider an unworthy owner.

The stock exchange exists to allow investors to buy and sell shares in companies in the hope of making a profit. That is what Manchester United signed on for when they went public in 1991.

In this case J.P. McManus and John Magnier — who were both introduced to the club by SAF — skillfully positioned themselves as the dealmakers and when the opportunity offered itself at a price they would have been insane to refuse, they sold out and in the process trousered a tidy profit of around $145 million.

Conversely, the move by the Glazer family to take the business private means the club will revert to what it was under the Edwards family for the years before the stock market flotation. (A flotation, it should be noted, that eventually made Martin Edwards around $170 million.)

Of course the difference is 14 years and a Mt. Everest volume of debt that will be inflicted on the club. Using a conservative interest rate of 8% to average the two differing types of debt, the club will have to produce $80 million just to cover interest and that doesn't take into consideration the family investment of an additional $462 million.

Wealthy people normally get that way by making their money work hard for them, so clearly the Glazer family will want to see a return on their direct investment. Add the two pieces together and around $110 million will be needed just to tread the financial water.

Since 1991, Manchester United has been the exception amongst European football clubs in that it has been financially sound and largely free of debt most of that time. Even so, the club still only averages a return of around 15% on operating revenues each year. In the last financial year, United generated a profit of $50 million on revenues of $310 million.

It would seem that in order to achieve a break-even position each year, Glazer needs to generate another $60 million in net profit each year which means he has to at least double the present rate of return through cost-cutting and/or increasing revenue.

The cost-cutting doesn't seem like a viable option given that United is a team currently second — or third — fiddle in the Premiership and requires a substantial transfusion of talent, particularly in goal and in midfield where a long-term replacement for Roy Keane has yet to be found.

United's financial stability has largely been a product of success on the field since the advent of the Premiership era. That success came at the same time as the Premiership became the most-watched league around the world and that in turn brought on an explosion of global interest in United. It is now estimated that United has a worldwide fan base of 53 million and a great number of these fans have known nothing but success.

United, through the Busby Babes era and then Charlton, Best and Law in the '60s, have always enjoyed a broad base of support and that support stuck with them through relegation in the '70s and 26 years without a league championship. You wonder if times turn tough how many of the 53 million will still be buying merchandise and watching on television?

Doubtless Malcolm Glazer has a business plan for Manchester United but without major trophies being lofted at Old Trafford on a regular basis the plan will be as much use as screen doors on a submarine. The Glazer family's sport experience is in the socialist environment of North America where failure isn't punished but actually rewarded.

Failure doesn't cut it in the shark-invested waters of top-class European football where you are only as good as your last season. If United win successive FA Cups on Saturday the truth is still that the last two seasons have not been very good.

The Toronto Maple Leaf business model of gouging fans while showing no ambition to win the Stanley Cup will not work at United or any another self-respecting European football team.

Malcolm Glazer has vastly overpaid for a team that needs investment, not debt in order to compete with the likes of Chelsea, Milan, Juventus, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Barcelona.

The move to buy Manchester United doesn't make financial sense and it doesn't make football sense. It will turn into a disaster.

The Toronto Maple Leaf business model of gouging fans while showing no ambition to win the Stanley Cup will not work at United or any another self-respecting European footbal team

//SIGH//

He could have inserted the Chicago Blackhawks and have the same effect. But what's the NHL anyway.

The No Hockey League

Sad......

The Queen is in Canada for a 10-day visit. Her 22nd visit here.

Hey G-Unit, she was asking for you ...lol

Beckham and Owen to miss USA match

Copyright Press Association Ltd. Thursday, 19 May 2005

Sven-Goran Eriksson is resigned to being without skipper David Beckham and Michael Owen for England's opening match of their tour of the United States.

Beckham and Owen are almost certain not to be freed by Real Madrid to play against the host nation in the Soldier Field Stadium in Chicago on May 28.

It is a surprise move given that Real's final league game against Real Zaragoza is a meaningless fixture as they cannot overhaul runaway champions Barcelona and also are guaranteed runners-up spot.
The Football Association had been considering making an official representation to Madrid to allow Beckham and Owen to be part of the England squad from the early stages of the eight day trip.

But they are now not attempting to go down that route as the feedback received from Real is they want the duo to complete their club commitments.

Instead Beckham and Owen will fly out to America on Monday week for the final game of the tour against Colombia in The Giants Stadium in New Jersey on the following day (May 31).

Owen's absence - along with Wayne Rooney - will increase the chances of Peter Crouch winning his first England cap and Andrew Johnson making his first start for his country against the United States.

It will be a perfect pick-up for the duo after experiencing the disappointment of relegation from the Premiership with Southampton and Crystal Palace respectively last weekend.

Johnson hit 22 goals for the Eagles in 2004-2005 while Crouch was on target 16 times for Southampton after being sold by Aston Villa for £2million last summer.

Johnson won his first cap for England as a substitute in the friendly international with Holland at Villa Park in February in an unaccustomed wide role.

Man Real Madrid are a bunch of cabrons.

:P

FA Cup Final

I missed the first half but the second half and ET were pretty exciting. United were definitely the better team but their finishing let them down. RvN missing that header and Freddie Ljunberg's goalline clearance pretty much cost United the game. Not to mention that handball in the box that wasn't called.

As for the PK's, granted Scholes' shot was too centered but Arsenal really took their PK's well.

bah.

Congrats to Arsenal. Now I am never going to hear the end of it!

Nice touch by Arsenal fans who had American flags with them. I'm sure that made some blood boil. I was definitely supporting United today.

hehehehe My heart breaks.....

Cheers, Pabs. It just wasn't to be. I can't really complain; we didn't take our chances and as you say, they took their penalties really well. I was wrong yesterday; they DID miss Henry and weren't the attacking force they normally are.

It's worrying from a fan's perspective. I'm so accustomed to us being able to score at will, yet this season our strikers and attacking midfielders (apart from Rooney) haven't stepped up to the plate.

When Arsenal are there for the taking, you HAVE to beat them. We played better than we did when we beat them 2-0 at OT earlier in the season. If you create 25 shots on goal, then you must convert one of them.

Arsenal fans are entitled to wave American flags, I guess. Winding up the opposition is part of the game here, as classless as it may be.

Oh well, on to next season and best wishes to Milan. Liverpool fans have piped in (what's new?) on various message boards around the web. They take great delight in our defeat and I will in theirs

Yeak marko, I was even a MUFC fan. Too bad Scholes had to do a Roby Baggio.

Yeak marko, I was even a MUFC fan. Too bad Scholes had to do a Roby Baggio.

Not sure how Scholes' PK reminded you of Baggio's. Care to explain ?

He missed.

Oh did he ? I thought the GK saved it. 8)

I didn't see it. Just heard he missed. Clarification noticed

I guess what I was getting act is that Scholes has been a fundamental player for ManU as Baggio for Italy.

Anyone know what time is the final tomorrow? Just want to know if I would be able to watch it or not.

Here you go Buzzz, the various telecasts in North America according to soccerTV.com:

UEFA Champions League - Final
AC Milan (Italy/Italia) vs Liverpool (England/Inglaterra)
Istanbul, Turkey/Turquia

Wed May 25 02:30PM Eastern
Length: 2 hr 30 min LIVE

ESPN Deportes
ESPN2 (US)
Le Reseau Des Sports (RDS) - Canada
The Sports Network (TSN) - Canada
TLN - TeleLatino Network - Canada (2:35PM)

Thanks Falc. That time does present a problem, but hell the final only comes once a year!

Who would have thought Michael Owen would have to leave Real Madrid for Liverpool to have a chance to win a trophy

I was watching SkyItalia yesterday and they were reliving some past 0-3 scores where the losing team went on to win.

One of which occurred a few years ago, Basel Vs Liverpool.

Liverpool was down 3-0. I forget who scored the first goal, but the second goal was scored by Smicer on a rocket (sound familiar, read on), and the third goal was on a PK. Owen has his initial shot saved but hammers in the rebound.

Who would have thought Michael Owen would have to leave Real Madrid for Liverpool to have a chance to win a trophy

Pabs, that's right on--too ironic to say the least.

by the same token, too bad Zola couldn't stay with Chelsea just a little longer. If anybody deserved to win a League title with the Blues it was him.

A pre-game take on the US-England match from my provincial town paper

THE LAST ROW

Embrace your inner hooligan
English soccer fans--it's their game, we're just watching it with them. But here's how to be one, even only for a day, according to our David Haugh

By David Haugh
Tribune staff reporter
Published May 27, 2005
1. THE WARDROBE

All the people running around with red crosses on their clothing Saturday at Soldier Field are not necessarily medics.

The flag of St. George, England's national emblem since 1277, resembles the symbol for the international organization that cares for the sick and the emblem of choice for English fans afflicted with the football bug.

The red crosses come out in full force whenever the national team plays--on flags, shirts, coats, backpacks, skin . . .

"It's a flag-waving experience," said Rob Maul, a sports reporter for the London Times.

The shirt of choice figures to be the red England road jersey, just one piece of clothing in what will look like an Umbro warehouse.

The typical fan's costume? "A team jersey, with sneakers and jeans--and probably a good number of people with their faces painted," predicted David Asquith, president of Umbro USA. "Soccer's very tribal in England."

2. THE SONGS

If watching soccer indeed compares to a religious experience for many English fans, you might say the event comes complete with hymns sung throughout the match.

After a traditional opening rendition of "God Save The Queen," the impromptu concert in the stands that lasts throughout the game might take several different directions.

It can turn patriotic: "England till I die, I'm England till I die, I know I am, I'm sure I am, I'm England till I die," is an old stand-by.

It can wax poetic, "Oh England the fans, the fans are calling, from the Yorkshire Dales to old London Town, red, white and blue, the colors we keep flying, oh, England, England, we love you so."

Or it can simply go for ribald laughs, specific for players on the national team.

In a city that brought the world "The Super Bowl Shuffle," the complaints should be few.

3. THE INTENSITY

No Americans should be startled by boos that could follow the "Star Spangled Banner," Saturday any more than they should be by cheers after a goal.

"That's just the way it is," Maul said. "Nothing personal. They're just passionate."

That is to say that fans at English football matches are such that an athlete such as Ron Artest might not be suspended for going into the stands during a game as much as pitied. As a writer once put it in the Daily Telegraph, "If manners maketh the man, many English football fans would remain locked in permanent puberty."

Conditions have improved, however, in the 20 years since visiting Liverpool fans attacked fans of the Italian team Juventus in Belgium, causing a wall to collapse and killing 39. And since 1989 when hooligans rioted at a game in Sheffield and left 96 dead.

Still, most descriptions of a typical English football fan sounds like a rabid Bears fan on steroids.

4. THE PRE-GAME FARE

Somebody calling himself "BigSoccer," from Camden, England, on an English national team message board offered this food for thought on the American sporting tradition of tailgating. "Why the [expletive] does anyone have to pay [for parking] for the privilege of sitting around a car park with a bunch of fat Yank weirdoes in beards listening to country music and shouting things like "Woooooo-hooooooo!!!!!!"

In England, most soccer stadiums sit too close to housing areas to have large parking lots, so they come up with an alternative to tailgating. "It's called a pub," Fire CEO/President John Guppy said.

5. THE KNOWLEDGE

Boos cascaded Soldier Field last July after Manchester United and Bayern Munich battled to a 0-0 tie. Of course they did.

"In England, a draw is just as fascinating as a victory but Americans don't know anything about the game. They think, `What's the point in having a draw?' " Maul said.

English fans understand nuances often lost on American spectators, much the way a hit-and-run will excite a baseball purist but bore a Brit. Some English fans Saturday might rise to cheer soccer subtleties such as a heavy tackle or taking a corner kick while the Americans around them will look on, seeing a different game.

"You always hear the bad thing about soccer is no scoring," Guppy said. "Well, a 3-2 game in soccer is like a 21-14 game in the NFL."

Guppy compared the extended buildup to scoring a goal to a "long courtship before you're married."


[That Bayern-ManU was one of the worst pre-season friendlies ever!]


Football fanaticism

By David Haugh
Tribune staff reporter
Published May 27, 2005
If English soccer fans often act like they invented the sport, it might be because they did. Some legends date the sport to the Middle Ages when English kids kicked around a pig bladder inflated with peas, with historians marking its beginning in 1848 in Cambridge.

That must be why the English not only know so much about the game they call football but demand that others in their company keep pace with their passion.

"It's a cultural mandate," said John Guppy, CEO and president of the Chicago Fire and native of Winchester.

Guppy signed a pro contract to play his country's national sport at 14 but was not born when England won its only World Cup title in 1966.

That's still much more recently than any Cubs or White Sox pennant but does not mean English football fans are any more patient or demanding.

A glimpse of their devotion will be on display Saturday (2 p.m., ESPN) at Soldier Field, when England plays the United States for the seventh time and first since 1994. Come prepared


[Calamity James:]

By Bob Foltman
Tribune staff reporter
Published May 26, 2005, 11:13 PM CDT
Sitting in a hotel room in Chicago, David James was about as far away from Istanbul as one could be Wednesday, but perhaps no one knew better the feelings of Liverpool goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek.

Few know better how hot the bright lights can be on a goalkeeper when the world is watching, as Dudek realized early Wednesday when he and his Liverpool teammates fell behind three goals in the first half in the Champions League final to AC Milan.

Liverpool would stage a shocking, historic comeback and it would be Dudek who would go from goat to hero—stopping a penalty shot to clinch the victory.

"It's a testament to perseverance," James said.

James should know something about perseverance. Saturday, when England faces the United States in a friendly at Soldier Field, his should be rewarded.

Once England's first-choice keeper, James hasn't earned an international cap since Sept. 4, 2004, when he felt the hot lights that being a goalkeeper for England can attract.

It was on that night in Vienna when, in a World Cup qualifier against Austria, England was cruising with a two-goal lead before the Austrians scored twice in a three-minute span midway through the second half to earn a draw.

The first goal would be hard to blame on James, an expertly taken free kick that changed direction with a deflection. It was the second that raised questions—a seemingly stoppable shot that managed to squeeze between James' arm and body.

With another match four days away in Poland, James was anxious to put that match behind him.

"It's good that there is another game coming up so quickly," he said at the time.

He's still waiting.

England has had seven matches since that September qualifier and James hasn't played in any of them. England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson chose Paul Robinson for that match in Poland, which England won, and has stayed with him as James has been relegated to a backup role.

England leads its group in qualifying for the World Cup in Germany next summer with 16 points, one ahead of Poland, with qualifying to resume in September. If England fails to qualify for the World Cup , that September night in Vienna will return to the forefront.

"I shouldn't be shocked [Robinson] took my place," James said before Thursday's training session.

After being set aside on the national team, James led his club team, Manchester City, to a respectable eighth-place finish in the 20-team Premier League.

"I've been very, very happy with my season at Manchester City," he said. "It's a bit disappointing that I wasn't on the England team playing … but that's football."

Robinson—along with every other first-team choice for England—is home resting after the end of the English domestic season. The English media have billed the two "friendlies" England will play—Saturday here and Tuesday at the Meadowlands against Colombia—as a "low-key" tour.

But it's not low key to James.

"I said I would play for England anywhere against anyone and that's a reality," James said. "I want to be involved."

Saturday is an opportunity for James to prove to Eriksson he still can excel on the world stage, which he first entered in March of 1997 against Mexico, earning 30 caps along the way with the English senior team.

"Given the opportunity, which is now, I have to take it," he said. "This game comes at a great time because it's an opportunity to prove what I have."

He will be facing a U.S. team that also is in the midst of qualifying for next summer's World Cup finals. Saturday is the last tuneup for the Americans before a pair of qualifiers within the next two weeks.

The United States will host Costa Rica on June 4 in Salt Lake City before traveling to Panama on June 8. The United States is second in its final-round group with three matches played. The top three teams in the six-team group will advance to the finals.

Saturday will be the eighth time the two nations have met and the first since September 1994. It is a much different U.S. program from the one England faced then. The United States is ranked 10th—along with Italy—in the FIFA world rankings, while England is sixth.

"This game won't be easy," James said from the English perspective. "I would love to go 90 minutes and not do a lot, then I wouldn't have done anything wrong, [but] I'm not expecting an easy game."

Easy or difficult, James is just looking forward to being back in the game.

And since 1989 when hooligans rioted at a game in Sheffield and left 96 dead.

??????? What a disgusting thing to say! The man is either a sick liar or didn't bother to inform himself that Hillsborough had nothing to do with hooliganism.

Hmmm, I might be able to catch this game if ABC has it on their main network.

Funny enough that they were talking about England keepers in that piece. I was talking to a ManU supporting friend of mine on Wednesday and you have to figure that goal is probably Englands only weak spot. From Lampard, Terry, Gerrard, Rooney, Owen, Cole X2, get Beckham back to his form of 2 years ago, and this is probably England best team since about 1996. I'm not exaggerating when I say Brazil and England are the favs to win the next WC.

It's actually too bad (for England at least) that this year wasn't the WC because there are quite a number of in form English players.

David Haugh - Welcome to my "Uninformed Wanker Talking Bollocks About Something You Don't Understand" list.

Pabs - It'd be a year too soon.

Ali, what do you mean by that ? Meaning by next year all these players will probably lose their form with England's luck ?

Pabs - Lampard has had two good seasons, no reason to think he'll not have another.

Owen is just now getting playing time and Beckham, as you say, hasn't been the player he was for a while. Maybe they'll get their form back.

As far as Terry goes we're lucky enough to have Ferdinand and Campbell as well. Hopefully two out of the three will be in form and/or fit. Of course the "other" Cole you mention is huge for the NT on the left while a hugely under appreciated Gary Neville does a decent job on the other side.

The likes of Joe Cole and Terry haven't been regulars in the NT and the extra year will help them fit in. Terry is the finished article but Cole has some learning to do, another plus for the extra year.

I agree though, best team England have had in a long while. If Beckham can learn that he plays on the right and Gerrard can maintain form along with the others mentioned above they could do well.

Problem is SGE doesn't see that he has a squad that should be attack minded and if he persists with the cowardly tactics we won't see the best of any of them.

Pabsy, without a doubt, this is the finest England team I have seen in my time. Alot more quality imo then the Euro 96 squad. IMO ,player for player, we match up very well against any team in the world. The introduction of Joe Cole into the team is huge. Yes I hear snickers from the other posters, but his flair and ability to pull defenders out of position, beat people one on one was badly missed in Portugal. Plus unlike Scholes in Portugal he is disciplined enough to stay out on the left .You are correct however, goalkeeping could be a problem and there is no clear first choice. Assuming no injuries (knock on wood) we could do some damage in Germany next year. BTW all I'll be at the Colombia match on Tuesday. I must say when I shelled out for the tix, I didn't expect to see such a second string side. Had I known it would be like this, not sure I would have bought them.

Grammy,

Italy Vs Serbia next Wednesday at the Skydome is pretty expensive too. Up to $150. Add in outrageous ticketmaster charges, taxes, parking, a few drinks and it becomes an expensive night out.

I was at a BBC message board yesterday and heard James made some mistakes late in yesterdays game.

150 per ticket? That is crazy. Hopefully Italy will at least bring their better players. I only saw highlights of the US friendly and James did flap and miss a cross pretty badly.

Marko, FYI Diego Forlan is La Liga's top scorer this season after getting 2 in Villarreal's 4-1 whooping of Levante. Villarreal are now in the Champs League and Levante and Ian Harte are relegated. Hopefully Fergie and Glazer will make a bid to Barca to get Juan Roman.

I saw an interview with Micheal Owen recently. And the focus of the interview was him switching clubs and going over to Real Madrid only to see Liverpool win the Champions League. He just missed it. That has got to hurt but not that he ever admitted that.