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It has been 18 years that Manchester United fans have had to put up with the Glazers as owners. Almost two decades of decline and decay of his club. Nearly two decades of protests and vitriol.
The American family has saddled the club with debt, lined their pockets in the process and overseen one of the most regrettable chapters in the club’s history as their fall from the pantheon of European heavyweights continues to accelerate.
It is anything but fun for those who fill Old Trafford week after week. It is curious, then, that his reign should have come courtesy of a private joke between Sir Alex Ferguson and shareholders John Magnier and JP McManus.
That’s just one of the astonishing revelations in a new book detailing the Glazers and their time in charge of United. The World’s Largest ATM is written by Chris Blackhurst, a former journalist who has dug into the details of the last 20 years and more to understand how one of the world’s biggest brands ended up in the hands of a little-known family. in Florida.
The book explains how, after an initial rejection from the lofty world of horse racing, Ferguson and his colleagues devised an elaborate ruse to allow the then United manager to speak at an owners’ meeting.
New book details how the Glazers came to power at Manchester United 18 years ago
Sir Alex Ferguson won his last title with the Glazers and unknowingly helped them take power.
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That plan included singling out Sir Alex as the owner of the Rock of Gibraltar, the legendary horse whose success would eventually lead to an irreparable feud between the Scot and his Irish acquaintances.
It was this dispute that created the perfect storm, allowing the Glazers to attack and take control of United.
“The Glazers essentially seized on a moment in time,” Blackhurst says. ‘The story of how they got the shares is an incredible story.
‘The more I looked into it, the more unbelievable it became, you know, what started out as a real joke.
‘In order to give the after-dinner speech, (Ferguson) had to be registered as a racehorse owner. It began with a bit of amusement from John Magnier, who was upset that Ferguson had been rejected as speaker.
‘So they set out to find him a horse. And the problem was, of course, that the horse was too good.
Blackhurst’s extensive research for the book led him to search for the thoughts of United’s most fervent and vocal supporters, as he sought to understand their disdain for the Glazers and their lack of success in getting their message across.
Blackhurst points to the fact that there were many other owners within the Premier League of a similar profile who enjoyed strong links with the fan bases of the clubs they had purchased.
Sir Alex Ferguson was a close friend of shareholders John Maigner and JP McManus (left)
The Glazers have been the target of protests from United fans, almost since the day they arrived.
But there was one key element that set them apart in the eyes of the Old Trafford faithful.
“When you get down to it, one fan just told me, ‘They don’t give a damn, they don’t care.’”
“That really gets to the heart of the matter: not attending games. Roman Abramovich had financing not very different at Chelsea and they had debts but he went to the games. He was there.
The largest ATM in the world is available now
‘It is true that football occupies a place, a special place in the community. Every city in Britain, every town in Britain has a football pitch. It may be just a field, but children play on the field and adults play on the field.
‘The Glazers have never made that connection. They never understood that, but they also never bothered to take it seriously. They never bothered to find out.
While supporters have their own issues with the owners, Blackhurst does point out one area where he feels the Glazers have certainly let the club and themselves down.
Avram, Joel and their brothers have been successful in many areas of business, but their inability to seek advice from those already immersed in the world of football is a decision that the author finds difficult to accept.
‘Let’s say I have a five-star hotel available and I thought, “Yeah, I’ve always wanted to have a hotel.”
“I have no idea how to run a hotel, so what’s the first thing I would do? Appoint people who know how to do it. Don’t assume I know how to do it myself.
That’s where the Glazers went wrong. It was the football side. Why didn’t the Glazers say, “Guys, we don’t know anything about football”?
Better late than never, it seems that the Glazers are finally giving way to a more experienced hand in the football aspect.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe is expected to take a 25 per cent stake in Manchester United in a deal worth £1.25bn.
The British billionaire has a lot of experience in the world of sport and already owns Ligue 1 club Nice and Swiss side Lausanne.
Not that his record with those clubs should inspire much confidence among United fans, Blackhurst points out.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe is expected to see his purchase of a stake in the club ratified imminently
“If you look at his sporting record, it’s poor, really poor,” Blackhurst says.
‘Less people would have already packed it and thought. I made a mistake in one place, I’m not going to keep doing it.
“Nice and Lausanne do not exist in football. Buy the best cycling gear and it’s no longer the best cycling gear.
‘At some point, I hope Ratcliffe will own Manchester United. What state will the club be in then? I don’t know.’
The World’s Largest ATM: Manchester United, the Glazers and the Fight for the Soul of Football, by Chris Blackhurst, published by Macmillan and available now, £22