NOT FOR SALE
"Most United fans have been feeling very uncomfortable about takeover talk for a long, long time, and this is also destabilising the club at the commercial level," said the former business studies lecturer.
"Malcolm Glazer and his people have no history of interest in English football - he sees United as an asset to be exploited.
"Most supporters, and people who recognise the importance of football as part of the British way of life, don't want to see United turned into a cash machine for private owners."
Two conservative MPs have tabled a motion that expresses concern over the
prospect of the club being in the hands of Glazer and several other MPs have
asked Glazer to back off unless he can prove it would make United stronger and not weaker. The MPs want to collect the names of other MPs and then present
the list to Sports Minister Richard Caborn with a question in the House of
Commons.
prospect of the club being in the hands of Glazer and several other MPs have
asked Glazer to back off unless he can prove it would make United stronger and not weaker. The MPs want to collect the names of other MPs and then present
the list to Sports Minister Richard Caborn with a question in the House of
Commons.
Lloyd has already urged for football clubs to be made special cases under
corporate law
He said
"Takeover law is there to protect shareholders, and not supporters who, in this
sense, are the customers of the business," he said.
"The law doesn't recognise the rights of customers as stakeholders which, in
football, they are.
"A football supporter isn't just a customer - people's lives are made better or
worse by Manchester United on a weekly basis.
"And it is not a case of preference, like drinking Coca-Cola or Pepsi.
"Those in Parliament interested in United want to see what powers can be used
to make sure the interests of all stakeholders are respected, but the law is weak."
And in a final swipe at Glazer Lloyd reiterated the right of United fans to have
their say in any takeover.
"I do hope Mr Glazer and his advisers are looking very closely and take on board the emotion surrounding Manchester United," he added.
"It isn't the same as the things you buy in a supermarket.
"The club was built on the hard-earned pennies and shillings of ordinary United
fans before the wars, and was rebuilt from the rubble of a bombed-out Old
Trafford the same way, long before there were international asset-strippers on
the scene.
"The people who built these football clubs have a right to have their say."