"Gold Trafford" screamed the Sun that September day back in 1998. The dirty war was under way. News International’s mouthpiece (prop. Rupert Murdoch) ran away with the implication that Sky (prop. Rupert Murdoch) would be good for Manchester United; that Sky would pump millions into Manchester United; and that Sky’s dearest wish would be for the greater glory of Manchester United.
At the time IMUSA and SUAM (Shareholders United Against United) begged people to see beyond the guff and realise what b*ll*cks this insane notion was. Many didn’t listen; they’d read it in the Sun after all - it must be true. Many didn’t care. Other listened, but adopted a "wait and see" attitude.
Fast forward to April 1999: United are racing towards The Treble (a feat unsurpassed, and achieved without the need of any help or guidance from the likes of Sky or Glazer) and the Monopolies and Mergers Commission had ruled out the possibility of Sky being allowed to takeover Manchester United. Martin Edwards and his cronies were apoplectic, their (further) riches had been denied them, whilst Rupert Murdoch publicly hit out against Blair’s government. With the war over, the bullsh*t was exposed, and by the very people who had fermented it. Just as IMUSA and SUAM had always insisted, the Sun’s promises to spend millions into making United the best team were hopelessly untrue.
David Gill (now United’s Chief Exec) was quoted in April 1999: "We were looking to grow our top line from a marketing perspective [through the BskyB bid]. It [the takeover] was never designed to give us millions more to spend on players."
Even Martin Edwards himself (now United’s, ugh, President), the high priest overseeing the sacrifice of United’ history on the altar of greed was forced to admit: "There were no figures mentioned as to how much Sky would pump into the club. Obviously no one is going to give you a blank cheque."
In other words they had NISH. Exactly as IMUSA and SUAM had claimed all along. And people were prepared to see Manchester United sold down a dark river on that basis. Murdoch himself later admitted that the purchase of United was aimed at a wider BskyB strategy solely designed to secure the next television rights to Premiership football - just as IMUSA and SUAM had suggested.
So to today and the threat to Manchester United’s independence from Malcolm Glazer. Amazingly there are those who claim he could be good for our club. Amazingly there are those who think he will invest in our club. Amazingly there are those who are deluded enough to believe that this BUSINESSMAN may have other aims for our club than making as much money from it as possible. Pah!
All over Europe there are clubs owned by businessmen looking to make a quick buck who are foundering hopelessly and yet somehow people think that the on-pitch success of the team will be either guaranteed by the arrival of Glazer or a priority for someone like Glazer. Well tell that to the fans of Paris St Germain, owned by Canal Plus for so many years. They’ve not much of a recent track record of success or holding on to star names. Tell that to the fans of Spurs or Rangers, owned in large part by the ENIC group - the key player behind which is Joe Lewis, a multi-BILLIONaire.
IMUSA and SUAM were consistently right, and later proved so, in every argument they put forward in the Murdoch War. Their record, and the plight of the likes of PSG, Spurs and Rangers, demands that they are listened to again. Every Red, everywhere should do whatever they can to help ward off the clutches of Glazer on our club the minute the likes of IMUSA, SU (Shareholders United) or the fanzines call for it. It may "only" be closing a bank account with those lining up the finance for Glazer but it all counts, it all makes a difference.
You may think "what does it matter", you may think "what difference can we make?". Don’t. That sort of attitude was prevalent amongst many back in September 1998. Amazingly there are those who believe IMUSA and SUAM had no impact on Murdoch’s failure to takeover Manchester United. Such rewriting of history would make Josef Stalin blush. Without IMUSA and SUAM’s pressure there would have been no referral of the bid to the Office of Fair Trading, and from there to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission. A lot of little effort makes all the difference.
It’s no good you sitting there moaning about what is, or what will be. You’re expected to pay £45 (50p per minute) to watch United play Birmingham. What have you done about it? Accepted the fact. Moaned about it perhaps? Well get used to it, unless you wanna make a difference, just like IMUSA and SUAM did back in 1998. Glazer would have to borrow in the region of £600m to buy United - that means £25m-30m worth of INTEREST payments alone each year. Equal to our entire annual profits. We’re all gonna be paying for this "purchase", both on and off the pitch.
This won’t be the same sort of fight as the Murdoch War. This will be played out with different tactics for a different enemy. The principle remains the same though - Manchester United fans acting together can stop Glazer’s advances. The independence and the future of OUR football club should be all that matters.
Unless of course you truly believe the destiny of OUR club is that it should be the private plaything of some right wing freak American c*&t who has treated fans and tenants in his own country with utter contempt and who would have no qualms about doing likewise to Manchester United supporters in his lust for ever greater wealth.
Manchester United was not built up over the decades by the likes of Ernest Magnall, James Gibson, Walter Crickmer, Matt Busby and Sir Alex Ferguson for this. People have not given their lives for Manchester United to expand the bank account of Malcolm Glazer. Manchester United is ours. Let’s keep it that way.
So, what you gonna do about it……..
"Far better to die on your feet than live on your knees"