A VERY UNHOLY ALLIANCE

Last updated : 06 October 2004 By Editor

Red Issue understands that Glazer’s bid will be financed in part via the securitisation of future TV revenues. The suggestion has been made to us that to this end Glazer would have to be in league with Sky and Rupert Murdoch. If at first this didn’t seem very likely, evidence is now emerging that it might not be so far fetched.

Part of this is revealed by Mihir Bose in today’s Telegraph:

Glazer, in turn, has recruited the former sports editor of The Sun, Paul Ridley, to help him with his United moves. Five years ago when Rupert Murdoch bid for United, Ridley worked for the club as chief executive of MUTV which he helped launch. Now he runs his own PR consultancy and is assisting Glazer's PR firm Brunswick with his specialised knowledge.

Note too the Sun’s reports that Glazer’s takeover will provide millions for United to spend on transfers, an echo of their report when the Sky bid was announced in 1998. When the bid was eventually ruled out by the MMC that speculation was proved groundless by David Gill amongst others, and later on by Murdoch himself. Gill was quoted of the Sky bid:

“It was never designed to give us millions more to spend on players.”

The same is true today. Any money paid by Glazer will go to buy the shares off Coolmore and the like, NOT to the club for transfer fees.