Panorama used to be the pinnacle of investigative news reporting. We did not see those giddy heights scaled in this week’s program on the Glazers. Although I very much liked the allusion that our American owners look somewhat like garden gnomes, it was definitely cheap television. Richard Dimbleby must be spinning in his grave.
What the program did do quite positively was harpoon some of the rubbish that has been in the papers of late. Headlines such as ‘Red Knights Doomed’ and ‘Bid Falters’ have been doing the rounds and there can be little doubt these originate from the American’s PR manoeuvrings.
As far as I can see the situation has not changed, we simply have a little more information about it. More specifically it is now clear the Glazers are indeed broke and that is why they are ripping us off.
What they are doing is the equivalent of paying off one credit card debt with another’s balance, our balance. Personally if I were in a similar financial mess I would sell off an asset, e.g. a car, in order to service my debts. The Glazers appear to be too greedy to do so.
The message from the lawyer was most chilling; “They are businessmen and will not give in.” I would suggest that we must meet such determination with similar zeal. Fergie said after the 2008 Champion’s League final, “we had a bit of a cause, and people with a cause are difficult to barter with.” That is precisely the position we are in now.
Again, it is imperative that we hit them in the pocket. I would urge all United season ticket holders not to renew and all fans to abstain from official merchandising for the time-being. These parasites must go.
Many of us will feel that with no immediate pay-off our efforts are in vain. I would like to remind you of the story of the Wright Brothers. They were told that flight was impossible, that greater men than they had tried and failed to get man airborne. They did give in; they kept going and believed in their vision. The rest is history.
I believe in Manchester United, I have a vision of us as a fan owned club in the near future. Do not give in.
Photography courtesy of FadderUri at flickrCcoms.com
Mark is reporting on the World Cup for the Abc and you can follow him on twitter here or at TheDevilinMe