Manchester United thread

[mojito]

Number movements for the new season

Tony V - #7 (Well deserved)
Kagawa - #26
Powell - #25

 

[moomba]

Your club is now apparently trying a flotation on the New York Stock Exchange, trying to raise $100m. A few interesting/concerning things from the prospectus (and commentary of it)

Manchester United's flotation document states that the Glazers were paid £10m in April, to repay £10m loan taken out previously - David Conn on twitter

We intend to use the net proceeds from this offering to reduce our indebtedness - flotation document

Some warnings were including in the filing, with the team saying "our indebtedness could adversely affect our financial health and competitive position" and "recently approved UEFA restrictions could negatively affect our business"

In short, it's not been received well. Also apparently United are hoping to move the clubs registration to the Cayman Islands (very dodgy), but it's the admittance that the debt is screwing up chances of buying players, and the potential that FFP (presumably) could have an impact on United is a bit of a surprise. And of course the Glazers trousering another £10m of football money will come as no surprise to anyone.

In all seriousness, for all Platini's bluster about Man City and how owners like Sheikh Mansour are putting money into clubs is bad for the game, surely the priority of UEFA should be to rid football of leeches like the Glazers.

 

[moomba]

This from http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/jul/04/manchester-united-debt-cayman-islands

The US-based Glazer family who own Manchester United have signalled their intention to move the club's registration to the tax haven of the Cayman Islands and float its shares on the New York Stock Exchange.

The principal intention, set out in a US Stock Exchange registration statement, is to sell enough shares to new investors to pay off an as yet unspecified portion of United's £423m debts, which the Glazers loaded on to the club when they bought it in 2005. To date the Glazers' takeover has cost United more than £500m in interest, bank charges and fees, after they borrowed £525m to buy the club, then made it responsible for servicing their debts.
The registration statement makes it clear that the Glazers have reorganised the ownership of United, via the Cayman Islands, so they can realise cash from investors while retaining control of the club. The United shares will be split into two classes, A and B; the A shares will be offered for sale to investors on the New York Stock Exchange while the Glazer family will retain ownership of the B shares, which carry 10 times the voting rights of the A shares.
Manchester United Ltd, reorganised to be a Cayman Islands company, will, the document says, remain owned by the "linear descendants" – the five sons and one daughter – of Malcolm Glazer.
Not only will investors have diluted voting rights but there is no intention even to pay them a regular dividend, so the investment would be to realise some future gain via the Cayman Islands if they sell the shares.
The registration statement does not set out yet how many A shares will be sold on the market, nor the price which will be set, and therefore the total by which the family is seeking to reduce United's huge debt.
In part a sales pitch aimed at enticing investors to buy the shares in United, the document talks up the club's popularity and commercial reach, claiming it has 659m "followers" worldwide. Coming after a season in which United were pipped to the Premier League championship by Sheikh Mansour's lavish-spending Manchester rivals City, and were knocked out of the European Champions League in the group stage, the document boasts of a massive global TV audience and that "over 5 million items of Manchester United branded licensed products were sold in the last year".
The "strategy" for United is also set out, specifying how the family intends to "increase our revenue and profitability, by expanding our high-growth businesses that leverage our brand, global community and marketing infrastructure".
The Glazers state they intend to develop areas including "global and regional sponsors, retail, merchandising and product licensing, exploit new media and mobile opportunities, enhance the reach and distribution of our broadcasting rights [via United's MUTV channel] and diversify revenue and improve margins".
The document states confidently: "We believe that we are one of the world's most recognizable global brands with a community of 659m followers"; and it predicts that football's popularity and profitability around the world will continue to grow.
As required by Stock Exchange regulations, the document also sets out risk factors which investors should take into account before buying shares. These feature generalised warnings about maintaining football's popularity and crowds at Old Trafford holding up despite the recession. There is, however, a formal warning that United's debts, wholly imposed by the Glazers' original takeover, "could adversely affect our financial health and competitive position".
The document explains that the debt, still at £423m, despite the £500m United has paid out since 2005, could affect the club's ability to compete for players and soak up cash. That is the impact of the massive Glazer debts which their representatives and United's chief executive, David Gill, have always denied. This flotation of Manchester United, re-registered in the Cayman Islands and sold via New York, is intended finally to reduce that indebtedness, by finding outside investors willing to buy shares, while the Glazers remain in control.​

​

 

[A Bit High]

[quote="moomba, post: 24740808, member: 2319"

In all seriousness, for all Platini's bluster about Man City and how owners like Sheikh Mansour are putting money into clubs is bad for the game, surely the priority of UEFA should be to rid football of leeches like the Glazers.[/quote]

 

[moomba]

Just from reading a bit more:

- The $100m isn't set in stone, the amount raised will depend on the interest in the flotation.
- The shares on offer carry 1/10th of the voting power of the shares that will still be held by the Glazers.
- There are no dividends on offer. So people buying the shares could only hope that the value of the club goes up in time.

I'm sure there will be plenty more to come.

 

[SupportMe]

I can't see this ending well.

 

[DREAM TEAM BUFF]

Pierluigi Gollini, Tyler Blackett (pictured), Luke McCullough, Luke Hendrie and Tom Lawrence have all graduated from United's Academy set-up, while Reece James (younger brother of former Red Matty) signs following a successful trial period.
Blackett, Hendrie and McCullough were regulars for the Under-18s last term and featured heavily in the Reds' run to the FA Youth Cup semi-finals.
Goalkeeper Gollini and forward Lawrence, meanwhile, endured frustrating seasons due to injury, although both returned to full fitness before the end of the 2011/12 campaign.
James, who featured in the Under-18s' final game of last season, has previously spent time with Blackburn and Preston North End's Academies.

http://www.manutd.com/en/News-And-F...x?newsid=5BF60B2C-FEDD-410A-A562-8DB526B369BB

 

[SuperCats9]

Number movements for the new season

Tony V - #7 (Well deserved)
Kagawa - #26
Powell - #25

Yep, so happy that this has happened, one of my favourite players, a future star, will look good in the no.7

 

[A Bit High]

Yep, so happy that this has happened, one of my favourite players, a future star, will look good in the no.7

I would say he is already there, practically won us our last title when he returned from injury and nearly got us over the line this year.

In fact if Fergie played him in all matches at the end of the season it may have been a different story.

 

[DREAM TEAM BUFF]

Darren Fletcher's career is over if you can go by the press

 

[mojito]

Darren Fletcher's career is over if you can go by the press

Where are you hearing that? It's mean of me to say this, but at least it'll (hopefully!) force our hand on a midfield water carrier

 

[DREAM TEAM BUFF]

Where are you hearing that? It's mean of me to say this, but at least it'll (hopefully!) force our hand on a midfield water carrier

It is just spaculation from the UK media just google news Darren Fletcher.

Sorry best i could find

 

[PP34]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18869747

Great news. Hopefully we receive better news though with a big signing!

 

[DREAM TEAM BUFF]

Hope he can get back to his best.

 

[Hawthorn United]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/jul/18/luis-suarez-manchester-united

He clearly can't get over it.

This part is hilarious.

Speaking to RR Gol, Suárez said: "It was so hard what happened to me. I don't show my emotions on the field but outside I do – and I cried a lot with all the Evra stuff. The trial [disciplinary hearing] week was so complicated for me. My wife and I cried a lot during that week."

****ing campaigner

 

[Hawthorn United]

Not sure if posted already. The squad on preseason tour. Looks like Bebe is still alive and around.

Travelling squad​

: Lindegaard, Amos, Johnstone, Ferdinand, Veseli, Vermijl, Wootton, Blackett; Valencia, Anderson, Carrick, Scholes, Powell, Kagawa, Bebe, Tunnicliffe, Lingard, Brady, Petrucci; Berbatov, Chicharito, Macheda.​

 

[Zidane98]

How's that youngster from Brisbane Rhain Davis going these days? Was all over the news when he signed over here.

 

[Hawthorn United]

Should be 14 now I think. This is the latest news I could find.

http://www.englandfootballblog.com/2011/08/22/rhain-davis-of-manchester-united-an-update/

 

[beev]

We won our first friendly 1-0 against AmaZulu FC.

Kiko Macheda 20'

 

[DREAM TEAM BUFF]

Chris Smalling gone for 10 weeks with a knee

 

[Hawthorn United]

Kagawa scores in our friendly win over Shanghai. 1-0 and they didn't field Anelka and Drogba.

Bebe was apparently impressive too. Maybe we'll be able to sell him for some footballs.

 

[DREAM TEAM BUFF]

Keep it up Kagawa

Hope he kills City in a few weeks

 

[moomba]

I see your share offer has been postponed, maybe forever.

Given that your owners have admitted that without it you will struggle to compete in the market without the money from it you have to wonder where you go from here.

 

[Hawthorn United]

Newco United?

 

[DREAM TEAM BUFF]

Found this on redcafe

Shanghai (police) park the bus.

http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereven...s-lane-bust-up

Manchester United stars were left stranded on their coach on a busy road in Shanghai after their driver was hauled away by police.

He was marched off for questioning after apparently using the wrong lane.

The bus, emblazoned with the team name, was quickly surrounded by crowds of fans wanting to get pictures of their heroes.

After about 15 minutes, the driver was released and a United source told the M.E.N. that his arrival back onto the coach was greeted with cheers from the players.

The players then started singing: ‘We’ll drive where we want, we’ll drive where we want, we’re Man United, we’ll drive where we want’ adapting the words of a famous Old Trafford chant.

The club source added: “All the players and the manager thought it was hilarious. They couldn’t believe it.

“I think a lot of other traffic could not get past, so there was a bit of a situation.”

Security officers, who travel with United abroad, kept watch on the coach steps until the driver returned.

“I think the driver might have talked himself out of it with the police,” added the United source.

“He got back on the bus and everyone started cheering.”