It has been 19 months since Joel Glazer publicly repented on Manchester United's official website, where he apologized for his desperate dalliance with the European Super League and assured fans that moving forward, things would be different.
United intended to implement a variety of measures as a response to the protests against their attempts to enter the ESL, but improved communication was going to be the driving force behind everything they did. In point of fact, any form of communication was an advancement.
Glazer stated that "we also realize that we need to improve communication with you, our fans, because you will always be at the heart of the club." "We also realize that we need to improve communication with you, our fans."
Since that time, the co-owner of United has participated in the fans' forum, but efforts to implement a share scheme for the club's devoted followers have not yet been successful. The regulars at Old Trafford are still in the same mindset, despite the slow progress that has been made. After each goal that United scores, fans can be heard chanting, "We want Glazers out."
Now, it appears as though those supporters will have their wish granted. It was confirmed in a statement released by the Glazer family on Tuesday that they were looking for new investment or a sale of the team, and it would be surprising if this process did not end with the reviled owners giving up control of the club.
But the Glazers' treatment of United's fans has left them with a bitter taste in their mouths. They staged demonstrations against the takeover in 2005, and the mutiny has only occasionally subsided since that time; however, they were fundamentally unable to prevent the transfer of power 17 years ago.
Gary Neville made the point this weekend that match-going fans and those invested in the club and the city beyond the idea of being the richest club in the world will take a diligent view of whoever comes next as owners. Although they do not have much more power now, we can expect those fans to take a careful look at the new owners.
According to what Neville said in an interview with Sky Sports, "I think what the fans of Manchester United need to see is a manifesto from the new owners." "There is no way that Manchester United can be sold to an owner who pretty much screams against what the club stands for and what the club wants," the statement read.
"There are manifesto pledges that I think are really important, such as the fan voice, the fan experience, and possibly even positions for fans on the board," the speaker said. "So let me explain what I mean by that."
United fans will expect them to take the best offer for them rather than the club given their history with the Glazers; however, in their final months in charge, they could break the habit of an era and begin to communicate a little more. This would be a change from the way things have been done in the past.
United supporters deserve the club to be sold to owners who have a clear plan, on the pitch, financially, and in terms of supporter engagement, a point that was made by the Manchester United Supporters' Trust (MUST) in an open letter to the Glazers last week. There will be confidentiality clauses and plenty of reasons for not disclosing offers as the takeover progresses, with The Raine Group overseeing the process.
"Fans will want to carefully scrutinize any new prospective owner—most of all, we implore them not to repeat the mistakes you did—of alienating the fans who represent the greatest asset of Manchester United," the statement said. "Fans will want to carefully scrutinize any new prospective owner."
"Your involvement with Manchester United has resulted in the accumulation of enormous wealth. Hundreds of millions of pounds were taken out, but not a single pound was put back in as an investment. We have a strong suspicion that whatever commercial goal you set for 2005 you have already accomplished.
"So now that you have this opportunity, you have two things that you can do to leave a lasting legacy. The first thing you can do is put the interests of Manchester United Football Club ahead of the financial interests of the selling shareholders. Our club, at this moment in time more than ever before, requires the appropriate ownership, and that should be the priority rather than simply the highest bidders and the highest return for you.
Given the absence of governing regulations and watchdogs in the game, this is an important point that MUST felt compelled to make. Protests are the only tool supporters have to stop the Glazers from selling to whoever they want, but the reality is that the Glazers can sell to whoever they want.
The sale of Chelsea to a consortium led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital was an issue that required approval from the government and was complicated, but it did give supporters a little bit more power. In response to Islamophobic remarks made by Joe Ricketts, the Chelsea Supporters' Trust came out against the Ricketts family's attempts to buy the club.
This demonstrates the influence that fans and the trusts of supporters can have. It would be in the best interest of the Glazer family to select an owner who has the welfare of United in mind rather than accept any offer that will simply put more money in their own pockets.
