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Post by swich on Jun 7, 2005 16:05:15 GMT 10
You know just when I thought the Man U fans might actually start to show a bit of heart, it looks like this FC United idea won't really be a goer. It's basic economics - United's profits come largely from gate takings and merchandise. The local fans who go to all the games can't possibly hurt the takeover by ceasing to buy their shirts but if they really gave a crap they could up and leave OT en masse. and for that to happen in the yank's first season in ownership would be catastrophic.
I see no reason why this wouldn't lead to a steady if slow decline in the fortunes of ManU to the point where Glazer either gets out or the club goes bankrupt. At which point FC United would retake their true name and stadium (even if they no longer owned it) and become Manchester United once again.
But no. I would have thought that to united fans, the glazer takeover signifies the final departure of the spirit of their club. Is it really such a stretch to imagine that the soul of the club doesn't lie in Old Trafford or in their poxy 'shield slash logo' or in their whizz-bang Nike shirt with huge worldwide commercial sponsor on the front? Rather it resides inside the hearts of ordinary Man United fans whose club had humble and even admirable beginnings. And I would have thought that to true ManU supporters, FC United would signify the *re-embodiment* of the spirit of their club, a new dawn and a positive upturn in a downward spiral that began over a decade ago now (or so I've read). Apparently not. Too many fans would regard it as a different club and are not prepared to "give up on united just yet" so they say. It seems that Vodafone/Nike/Manchester United plc. headed by Keane, Van Nistelrooy, and Rooney at Old Trafford is actually at the heart of what they're interested in and they lack the foresight and imagination to see what could be done by leaving now. For a world superclub, their fans are surprisingly incapable of seeing the big picture.
Since becoming interested in football a few years back now I've never hated Manchester United. I could never support them but I've never understood why people detest them so much. Until now. Their fans are imbeciles. most of them anyway.
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Post by SydneyFC on Jun 7, 2005 21:35:10 GMT 10
Its called ABU syndrome. Anything But United. Many opposition fans seem to have this it mostly stems from jealousy of Uniteds success although they'll tell you otherwise, but then again United probably have the biggest fan base in the world.
Im a United fan and felt that what Glazer had done is nothing short of despicable. And I am really glad at the reaction united fans have had to this, as you said it shows their true spirit. The way I see it people like Glazer and Abrohamvic are destroying football. The tradition of building a club up, building the rich's and fortunes, the cups and premierships is falling away with these tycoons. The effect this will/is already being seen, I have nothing against Chelsea the club but you would notice that most opposition fans aren't really appreciating there premiership because to a certain extent they didn't earn it. I always held Chelsea in high regard even when they were coming 6th and 7th but the commercialisation of football will and is having an effect that is cheapening the game. f**k Glazer.
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Post by PompeyFC on Jun 7, 2005 22:24:12 GMT 10
Its pretty much the same as whats happening to small business around the world. You can see it in Australia. No more bakeries/butchers/fruit shops/deli's etc (not as many as there used to be). Take Wimbledon FC for example. They moved grounds and called themsleves MK Dons which is in milton keynes. I think its over 2 hrs away from the South West of London where Wimbledon is. The fans said stuff this for a joke. They created a new club called AFC Wimbledon and pumped all their resources and bling into it. They started off in the lower leagues and got promoted up a few leagues. They are getting record crowds (over 10k) for leagues of this type (average only a few hundred) due to the fanbase changing allegiance to this new club. They reckon in a few years they will be up to the new 2nd Division (Old 3rd Div). It can be done but I think Man U is too big. There will always be supporters who will still go their matches. www.answers.com/topic/afc-wimbledonAt the bottom there is a link to Man U fans having similar ideas.
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The Head
FULL MEMBER
Gone to http://www.sydneyfc-unoficcial.com
Posts: 118
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Post by The Head on Jun 8, 2005 8:51:43 GMT 10
Unfortunatley for Man Utd fans in Manchester, they make up only a very small fraction of the total MUFC fan base and more importantly the income. When you expand to be one of the worlds truly global clubs you have to take the good with the bad. A global income means you can buy some of the best players on Earth, excellent for fans to watch, no doubt, but most of the fans watching aren't anywhere near OT. They're in bars in places like Sydney, Bangkok, Mexico city and Boston. Man Utd have a following of fans like no other club in the world. I lived in Tokyo for a while and the amount of Japanese crowding into bars to watch a match wearing full MUFC kit was pretty amazing. Sponsors are concerned with seeing their brand on the telly and on peoples chests all around the world, I don't think they'll be concerned if the fans at OT get pissed off and 20 or 30 thousand of them don't show up. Basically, the globalization of the MU brand has made the home fans redundant. And now Glazer has placed three of his sons on the board of directors! I don't think he's going to turn his back on Manchester any time soon.
I think MU will be a great club for a long time to come (it hurts to say that being a life long Chelsea fan) and will weather this current storm. Whether fans look back on Glazers time at the helm as a good or bad thing has yet to be decided.
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Post by bato on Jun 8, 2005 12:33:09 GMT 10
Im a United fan and felt that what Glazer had done is nothing short of despicable. Mate it's called capitalism. There is nothing despicable about it. MUFC took full advantage of listing on the stock market and becoming a plc, as a result, it generated massive amounts of revenue which then let them buy success (for the most part). Now some billionaire plonker has come about and said "right I wanna buy this club" and there is very little that can be done about it. MUFC and its fans enjoyed the benefits and all the success floating the club has brought, now you have to face the consequences of going down the plc route. The thing I find funniest is those cretins with the "MUFC not for sale" banners !! It's a plc d*ckheads
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Post by Phormic on Jun 8, 2005 19:43:56 GMT 10
What Glazer has done is simple business. Manchester United were the first football team to become a PLC and list themselves on the stockmarket. This means they are subject to the exactly the same business laws that any other company is. This includes takeovers - friendly, hostile or otherwise. The were quite happy to reap the financial rewards from this but now when another businessman legitimately takes them over they scream like stuck pigs. Too bad. If you run your football club like a company, expect to be taken over just like a company.
The attempt to make a breakaway team is doomed to failure. Say, Old Trafford lose 10,000 fans from this, another 50,000 are poised with cheque books at the ready who would take their place. Old Trafford will always be full and, if at all possible, they will then be filled with even more wånkers than before. I'd also be curious as to how the disenfranchised new fans of "FC United", "AFC Manchester 1878" or whatever they decide to call themselves, will cope with watching Champions League one season and then Accrington Stanley the next.
These are the same dolts who scream about the soul of the club being sold. I'm sorry. Manchester United's soul was sold a long time before - when they turned themselves into a marketing machine and plastered their logo all over the world? Sympathy? Get fuçked.
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tim
JUNIOR MEMBER
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Post by tim on Jun 8, 2005 21:04:31 GMT 10
well said phormic
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ROBSTA
JUNIOR MEMBER
Posts: 57
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Post by ROBSTA on Jun 8, 2005 23:01:24 GMT 10
well said indeed couldnt agree with u more phormic!
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Post by bato on Jun 9, 2005 11:19:32 GMT 10
MUFC Sympathy-o-meter
1-----------------------10 *
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Post by PompeyFC on Jun 9, 2005 12:04:18 GMT 10
MUFC Sympathy-o-meter 1-----------------------10 * Hehe ;D
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Post by redbhoy on Jun 9, 2005 16:46:38 GMT 10
Couldn't agree more with Phormic. They stopped being a football club and started being a business long ago.
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