The Manchester United Supporters Trust has issued a list of ultimatums for potential bidders looking to buy Manchester United.
With the Glazer family’s announcement that the club could be sold in whole or in part, there has been much speculation as to who will take the helm at Old Trafford.
Some of the parties mentioned include Sir Jim Ratcliffe, sovereign wealth funds, and a host of American tech companies.
To avoid the risk of another Glazer-like owner, fan group MUST has written an open letter to those vying to acquire United outlining their wishes.
MUST issued a series of demands in its 12-point ultimatum.
Most of these contentious issues revolve around what supporters have been calling for since the Glazer family took over in 2005.
The open letter reads: “We believe Manchester United is the world’s foremost sporting institution and look forward to a new owner who will encourage, invest in and above all recognize that your role as Manchester United Trustee is to manage the club in association with fans in a way that recognizes that a football club is much more than a commercial asset.
“As you contemplate the nature of any offer you may wish to make to current owners, we believe it may be helpful for you to understand what supporters want from any new owner, to ensure fan support.”
MUST adds: “The principles below build on our principles established over more than two decades as the Supporters Trust and regular open consultations with our fans.”
Some of the principles included in the statement include debt, equity, investment, return, fan ownership, owner liability, and a commitment not to participate in the Super League.
The United fan group wants any future owners to commit to replacing any existing debt and not buy the club on leveraged terms like the Glazers did. The new owner must also finance future capital expenditures by issuing new shares.
Reinvestment, like MUST, is paramount. Significant funds must be pumped into modernizing the club’s infrastructure and improving United’s teams across the board: men’s, women’s and youth teams.
Fans must also be allowed shared ownership and prominent representation on the board.
A key ultimatum in the statement is the restoration of the words “Football Club” on the club’s crest.
Finally, MUST calls for maintaining the affordability of match tickets while ensuring the growth and development of other parallel revenue streams. Any proposal to change the format of the club competitions in which the team participates must go through seeking the final and general approval of the fans.
OPEN LETTER TO PROSPECTIVE BIDDERS FROM MANCHESTER UNITEDhttps://t.co/5TfvHqWmje pic.twitter.com/4NAFeLEsIW
— MUST (@MU_ST) December 3, 2022
It will be interesting to see how potential bidders react to this claim and whether they take its content into account.
