Business in Football
Throughout the world of football, the involvement of business and the takeover of clubs is one of the most controversial happenings. This and the argument of modern technology being involved in football are becoming the two biggest involvements other than the football itself. Business probably being more involved than the technology argument perhaps this being because of two key controversial takeovers. The most recent takeovers are the one of Manchester United with the big American tycoon Malcolm Glazer. That one raised a lot of suspicion over how he was going to pay back the loan. The other takeover is Chelsea with the Russian oil tycoon owner Roman abramovich.
The battle for control of Manchester United between the board of shareholders and corporate invader Malcolm Glazer has reached a standoff. But the struggle for Britain's most popular and valuable and famous football club has raised major issues of company law. It has also seen one of the most dramatic cases of consumer intervention through share-buying, as fans have rushed to the supporters' trust to vote against the takeover. There are many views on this subject many of them saying ‘just let it be’ but a few people and fans share a very different view. There view is that the fans should have a say on who takes over what they call the supporters club. This is view that quite a few fans support, we know this from various protests in which many thousands of fans have shown up around Old Trafford to express there disgust towards Malcolm Glazer. Fans have done such things as burn season ticket renewal forms and walked around old Trafford with a banner saying ‘Manchester United R.I.P’. The main reason they fear Manchester united will be destroyed is because Glazer has apparently got ideas to raise ticket prices by as much as 54% by 2010. The reason Mr Glazer will have to raise ticket prices is because he has been loaned £275million of the final £790million he paid for the club.