THE DIRTY WAR
From the Guardian:
Manchester United are braced for a hostile reaction from the club's largest shareholders, John Magnier and JP McManus, after submitting an official response to their exhaustive list of questions about recent transfers and business dealings.
A seven-page document arrived at the Dublin offices of solicitors representing Magnier and McManus yesterday and the Irish billionaires were last night considering its contents in their winter retreat in Barbados.
United's directors are hoping it will satisfactorily answer the majority of the 99 questions posed by Magnier and McManus through their company Cubic Expression, which owns 25.49% of the club.
If the club's response does not satisfy them, the Irishmen will pursue one of three options: calling for an emergency general meeting, demanding a seat on the United board or reporting their concerns to the Financial Services Authority.
From the Mirror:
Defiant Manchester United fans have stepped up their campaign against rebel shareholder John Magnier by taking their battle all the way to the European Parliament.
Thousands of angry United supporters have vowed to write to Euro MPs to complain at the lucrative tax breaks enjoyed by racing tycoon Magnier and his business partner JP McManus.
The Coolmore Stud pair make millions each year through the Irish Government's tax exemptions for breeders and United fans have vowed to bring pressure to force a change in the law.
Supporters furious at Magnier's attempts to remove Fergie from Old Trafford
have even encouraged their counterparts to bombard Coolmore staff with bogus calls and internet porn in protest. A detailed list of Coolmore staff's personal telephone numbers and e-mail addresses have been posted on United fan websites as the club's followers intensify their support for the beleaguered Fergie.
Shareholders United spokesman Oliver Houston:
"You can't expect to shine a spotlight on something as big, famous and loved as Manchester United without that spotlight inevitably being shined upon you.”
Magnier and McManus spent yesterday scrutinising United's first response to their 99 questions into the club's financial dealings. The seven-page reply, with six attachments, is understood to not go far enough for Coolmore's satisfaction.
As a result, Magnier and McManus are set to step up their demands for greater transparency in United's financial dealings and will push for an independent audit of the club's recent transfers.
In a separate development, Fergie and his lawyers yesterday dismissed the threat of a counter legal action from Magnier and McManus.
United's major shareholders are said to have demanded transcripts of interviews conducted by Fergie as they explore the possibility of a claim for defamation.
Magnier and McManus claim Fergie may have unjustly been referring to them when he said people had stolen his son Jason's mail, rummaged through his bins and hidden in his garden.
But sources close to Fergie said they were "hardly quaking in their boots" at the prospect of a libel writ and said they would "believe it when they saw it", a clear reference to what they regard as a hollow threat from the Irish pair.
The Mirror’s story refers to the following (taken from RN) -
The background:
If we can stir up enough of a stink about this in the European Parliament it's going to cost M + M millions, which can't be a bad thing.
Here's a list of MEPs to start sending the letters to:
and a sample letter if you just want to do a cut an paste (and no smart comments on the grammaytical style please!)
Dear Sir
I am writing to you to raise the issue of the tax breaks given by the Irish government to stud farms. Each year Irish stud farms earn millions of Euros from the "nomination fees" that an owner receives when a stallion impregnates a mare, and yet pay nothing in tax. This gives them a major advantage over British stud farms, resulting in lost revenue and jobs in the UK.
I feel this matter should be raised in the European Parliament, and pressure brought on the Irish government to end this subsidy of an already successful industry.
Yours faithfully
Meanwhile RI readers, we know some of you are keen to know what Coolmore’s contact details are so you can avoid involving yourselves in the sort of mischief others may be encouraging you to get involved in, so:
Don’t telephone Coolmore directly on 00353 5231298,it’ll only piss them off some more after all the calls they’ve been taking.
And we’d also ask you not to bombard the following Coolmore people with porn and abusive emails too though there’s nothing we can do to stop you as these details are freely available on the information superhighway (that ok for ya Mr legal ed?).
Coolmore:
Manager
Christy Grassick
Email : cgrassick@coolmore.ie
Phone : + 353 (0) 52-31298
Fax : + 353 (0) 52-31382
Manager
Harry King
Email : hking@coolmore.ie
Phone : + 353 (0) 52-31298
Fax : + 353 (0) 52-31382
Manager Castle Hyde/Grange Stud
Tom Gaffney
Email : info@castlehyde.com
Phone : +353 (0) 25 31966
Fax : +353 (0) 25 31486
Manager Castle Hyde/ Grange Studs
Joe Hernon
Email : jhernon@castlehyde.com
Phone : +353 (0) 25 31689
Fax : +353 (0) 25 31486
Nominations
Eddie Fitzpatrick
Email : efitzpatrick@coolmore.ie
Phone : +353 (0) 52 31398
Fax : +353 (0) 52 31382
Nominations
Kevin Buckley
Email : kbuckley@coolmore.ie
Phone : + 353 (0) 52-31298
Fax : + 353 (0) 52-31382
Stallion Bookings
Tim Corballis
Email : tcorballis@coolmore.ie
Phone : + 353 (0) 52-31298
Fax : + 353 (0) 52-31382
Sales and Marketing
David O'Loughlin
Email : doloughlin@coolmore.ie
Phone : + 353 (0) 52-31298
Fax : + 353 (0) 52-31382
Nominations
Maurice Moloney
Email : mmoloney@coolmore.ie
Phone : + 353 (0) 52-31298
Fax : + 353 (0) 52-31382
Nominations Castle Hyde
Stuart Fitzgibbon
Email : sfitzgibbon@castlehyde.com
Phone : + 353 (0) 25 31689
Fax : + 353 (0) 25 31486