PROMINENT Manchester United fans' groups have called for supporters to boycott Saturday's Premiership clash with West Brom.
The 'Not For Sale Coalition' comprising the Independent Manchester United Supporters Association, Shareholders United, plus the Red Devils' three major fanzines, are backing the move as they crank up their campaign against Malcolm Glazer's takeover bid.
Apart from sending a signal to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers owner that they do not want to be part of a club he owns, the group also believe they will be sending out a message to the current board, led by chief executive David Gill, emphasising the widespread disgust at recent ticket price rises.
"This is the last Saturday matchday opportunity for supporters to let any potential new owners and the current board know that supporters' loyalty can not be taken for granted," said IMUSA chairman Jules Spencer.
"We realise it's asking a lot for people who have bought tickets not to use them, but we feel we have to take a stand, not only on Glazer but also on the current board's obscene ticket price rises."
Supporters who do not wish to take the ultimate step of refusing to enter Old Trafford have been asked to join a protest march to the stadium which leaves the nearby cricket ground 45 minutes before kick-off.
Two previous marches, prior to the Arsenal and AC Milan games this season, have been major successes, showing the depth of opposition to Glazer's potential amongst rank and file Red Devils supporters.
What the demonstrations have not managed to do is put the 78-year-old's ambitions to own the club on hold.
Glazer is currently in discussions with major backers JP Morgan and NM Rothschild over whether to proceed with a formal '800million offer prior to the 'put-up-or-shut-up' deadline on May 17 imposed by the Takeover Panel last Thursday.
Although the American has yet to comment publicly on the matter, it is widely expected he will plough on despite the major reservations of the United board who believe Glazer's business plan is 'aggressive' and the deal requires too much debt.
However, having also described the potential 300p-per-share offer as 'fair' any bid would have to be presented to shareholders.
Shareholders United are already working with investment back Nomura in an effort to block Glazer, although the future of the club is eventually set to be determined by Irish racing tycoons John Magnier and JP McManus, who through their Cubic Expression investment vehicle, own a 28.9% stake in the club.
Do you back a boycott at United? Have your say.
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Surely Shareholders United should be finding out from Magnier/McManus whether they're intending to sell out. If they're not then there will be no takeover. If they are then there will be. That's what it boils down to. Protest marches and boycotts are a waste of time and effort.
Here's my cunning plan. A total boycott of matches (home and away) every week. Don't buy any merchandise either. In six months the clubs share price will collapse, bankrupting Glazer and costing Magnier & McManus a fortune. The club will then be valued at say B#20m, well under the B#100m that SU are supposedly raising meaning that we can buy it for next to nothing. We will have then have B#70m plus to spend on players which is more than adequate to rebuild the team to its former glories. We then start going to matches and buying merchandise again and very soon our investment will be worth B#700m and everyone will have increased their stake around 30 times. Who's got the bottle? Not the 67000 that will turn up on Saturday for a start.
The big word out here is that Sheikh Mohammed has hinted that he will making a bid to buy united, no debt paying cash upto 900 million. Now this guy is very different to the us leprechaun and one of his sons is a mad keen united supporter. You only have to look at what he has done dubai, fearing the oil will eventually run out has now turned his country ( yep his country) into a multi billion dollar resort.
So if there is to be a takeover let it be this guy, he will most definitely take united into a very bright future.
Davey Boy, take my word for it - these rumours of a bid by the Sheikh are being put about to try to persuade M & McM to hold on to their shares in the hope of a better all-cash bid rather than sell to Glazer. It's the figure of B#900m that gives the game away as Utd are only valued at just over B#700m. If he was planning a cash bid then he would only have to match Glazer at best and could probably afford to bid around B#750m as there is no competition. He is also one of the biggest investors in the London stock market and you can be sure that the City would have got hold of this by now, sending the share price well over the B#3 mark. Now, what you have to ask yourself is why should people resort to such extreme and crude tactics to try to persuade M & McM to sit on their shares unless they reason to believe that they were seriously tempted to take Glazer's mighty dollar. In fact if it wasn't for the threat of disruption at the cup final it would probably be a done deal by now in my opinion.
Boycotting a meaningless end of season match against a bottom of the league team. Oooooooh that'll show 'em eh. Why not boycott the cup final if you want real effect. In fact i have been boycotting cup finals since 1982, trouble is nobody noticed!
What dont you all understand? We are a PLC, we are always open to being bought out, whether its Glazer or somebody else, and there will be somebody else. Are you going to boycott games after every potential take over? the PLC has helped us raise the finances for our success, now we may have to pay the price for that. You cant have your cake and eat it.
These are the same "fans" that boo Rio when our own manager and captain held out for bigger and better contracts when it was their time.
What a joke.
Yes let's all boycott a meaningless game. 'AMUSE' and other red fans groups really bring a smile to my face. As one of the previous posts says,why don't you boycott the cup final if you want to make an impact? Shareholders united,another joke. If,as they keep telling us,"united not for sale" could they enlighten us as to how they acquire their stock??? Just a thought!
Thats right, make a big protest and really get listened to. When will people learn that protests DON'T make a difference. It's the same every time. The shareholders are only interested in money and NOT the club or supporters. They will sell when the price is right no matter what the fans say or do. Boycotting the cup final is a better idea if you are really going to try but this is your only real chance of silverware again so that won't happen. Arsenal 4 the cup
Vincent, I think your missing the point somewhat. This is not only a protest to say we dont want the ginger prat at UTD, but this is what will happen, and more besides, if god forbid he gets his grubby little hands on the club. I believe the ticket price increase by the board, was impart, to try and persude MaC & Mag, that there is no point in selling because the dividend they will get, will over time be better than selling their shares to a bloke who will kill the club. Lets face it the board has to appeal, to their wallets, because their hearts and not in the club.
I am not the greatest fan of the board, or of these shareholders who have no emotional attachment to the club, but I would rather see the shares being held independently, rather than by Glazer owning the club outright or by 75%. I will still by tickets to the games I can get to, even at a slighty higher rate. But I wouldn't by a ticket or any merchandising if the Ginger one owned the club. I would find another team to support outside of the UK.
Anything that might derail or send a message to the looser in Tampa can only be a good thing!
imusa fans take note[all iooo of you] stay away saturday, and then the 67,000 loyal reds will be able to sit down and watch the game, this outburst has nothing to do with glazier [the board has already turn him down],but your two minutes of fame,it,s embarrassing,they claim they want more children at the game, why ,they can,t see because of you clowns.standing.and it was,nt you who stopped sky.but the monoples commision
I don't think boycotting our home games are going to do the team any favours and with the race for second spot in the P.L coming to a close, I think this could harm our chances of automatic qualification for next seasons C.L. Don't get me wrong, the supporter's groups have been an inspiration to the rest of us United fans everywhere with their fight against the Glazer takeover. They have been brilliant and should be fully supported in anything they do. But I would sincerely ask them to reconsider boycotting our last few games this season. The team needs us now more so than ever before in their pursuit of that last automatic qualifying position. As we are all United fans, we should all get behind them and help them reach their objective.