The Independent:
'Opposition to Malcolm Glazer's proposed takeover of Manchester United took a menacing turn last night when a militant fans' group issued veiled threats of violence against anyone - including United's board and Glazer's advisers - who assists the American in his buy-out attempt.
A statement from the "Manchester Education Committee", which has been involved in previous "warning off" attacks on those it considers to be predators of the club, said: "The consequences of any takeover bid need fully spelling out for all parties concerned." Using jargon more akin to a paramilitary edict than a fanzine, the MEC warned United's directors that supporting Glazer would be considered "treachery" and that "collaborators ... will be punished."
In a message to Glazer's son, Joel, who is a key figure in the bid, the statement said: "No matter how large the phalanx of bodyguards you bring, Joel, we will always outnumber you."
Financial institutions supportive of Glazer were warned: "The Committee will hunt down all key fixers and backers of any successful bid and demonstrate the folly of their greed . . . It is our club, and we will be ruthless in protecting it."'
The Guardian:
'A militant group of Manchester United fans last night threatened a renewed and potentially more violent phase of its campaign to keep Malcolm Glazer from taking control of the club.
The group, which calls itself the Manchester Education Committee and has been responsible for "direct action" against those it suspects of involvement in any takeover, warned that it would target Glazer and his family, the financial institutions who are backing the proposals and the current board of directors should they commit an "act of treachery" by selling the club.
The threats were made in a statement to the Guardian as it became clear that the United board is virtually certain to allow Glazer, the holder of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFL franchise, to conduct due diligence, the process of checking a company's financial books.
The MEC has been condemned in the past by many United supporters and by the club but was undeterred yesterday. "It is our club and we will be ruthless in protecting it. Our previous symbolic actions have been disregarded; we have no choice now but to act with our full capabilities," its statement said.
United will have to take the threats seriously given that the club's solicitor, the former main board director Maurice Watkins, was targeted in October after he indirectly sold one million shares to Glazer. Two cars belonging to him were daubed with red paint outside his home in Stockport.
The same group was responsible for a pitch invasion that disrupted a United reserve- team match, and it has compiled an extensive database of home and work addresses of people involved in the takeover attempt.
One of Glazer's former PR executives is said to have received a home visit. The group also claims to have a severed horse's head which it is waiting to send to anyone who provokes its ire.
The statement continued: "Malcolm Glazer's continued pursuit of Manchester United indicates that he has paid no attention to the wishes of the overwhelming majority of ordinary supporters of the club, or to the warnings he has been given. It is therefore clear that the consequences of any takeover bid need fully spelling out for all parties concerned."
The group warned that directors would be placed "in an extremely vulnerable position for years to come" if they failed to maintain their opposition to Glazer.
"Any board member who may be coveting a place in the management structure of a Glazer regime is advised immediately to abandon such hopes. Collaborators will be treated as such. The movements and whereabouts of all board members will continue to be of the utmost interest to us."
The organisation went on to state that it would "ensure a warm welcome" if any of the Glazers visited England "no matter how large the phalanx of bodyguards".'
The Times:
The battle for control of Manchester United took on a sinister edge last night when militant fans issued threats to the club’s directors, the Glazer family and their financial backers in the event of an £800 million takeover by Malcolm Glazer, the American billionaire, and his sons.
The Manchester Education Committee (MEC), whose preferred attire is a balaclava and black combat suit, stepped up its campaign as the United board prepared to discuss the Glazers’ second proposal in three months. The board is considering whether to grant them a period of due diligence, during which they would have access to the club’s accounts.
In a message to the directors, the group — whose tactics are rooted in the Loyalist paramilitary movement — gave warning of "consequences" if the latest offer was approved. "Any failure to maintain a rejectionist position in the face of Glazer’s overtures will be regarded as an act of treachery — treachery that will place board members in an extremely vulnerable position for years to come," the MEC statement said. "We trust that this is clear enough: offering either due diligence or a bid-recommendation to Glazer will be punished."
……….the militant fans are not prepared to sanction any takeover, no matter how it is structured. Some people have already had a taste of their displeasure. Maurice Watkins, United’s lawyer, had two cars daubed in red paint last year after selling shares that were subsequently bought by Glazer, causing Greater Manchester Police to consider offering protection to the club’s directors.
Brunswick, the PR firm formerly advising Glazer, was the subject of a nuisance campaign that saw it plagued with phone calls, e-mails and the mass delivery of pizzas. Yet this was thought to be the work of disparate groups of supporters.
The MEC, whose website features a picture of a machinegun, does not rule out acts of violence. Last October, members invaded the pitch during a reserve-team match and burnt the American flag as they promised to wage a "dirty war" against a takeover. It was these actions that prompted the lead partner at Allen & Overy, the law firm advising Glazer, to employ a bodyguard.
Revealing details of a meeting between Joel Glazer, Malcolm’s son, and two United directors last year, the MEC said: "Do the Glazers really think they will ever be allowed to enter Old Trafford to take possession of their prize? If so, then they are as stupid as they are greedy. And no matter how large the phalanx of bodyguards you bring, Joel, we will always outnumber you."
Glazer’s financial backers were also warned. "Anyone seeking to profit from any takeover of Manchester United will be viewed as a legitimate target and will be held fully accountable. The Committee will hunt down all key fixers and backers of any successful bid and demonstrate the folly of their greed."