Man Utd Supporters' Trust make demands of new owners as hopeful buyers circle

As interested parties start to make their intentions known and hopes emerge that the Glazers could sell Manchester United, the club’s supporters trust have made it clear what they want to see from any new owner.

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Former club director Michael Knighton has openly spoken about trying to get a consortium together to make a bid for the Red Devils, while Britain’s wealthiest man and Manchester United fan Jim Ratcliffe also fancies buying the club.

United fans are thrilled about the prospect of the much-maligned American ownership moving on, although there is certainly a possibility of that, it is not going to happen in the coming weeks or months.

However, the Manchester United Supporters’ Group has laid out what they expect from the potential next owners of the club, demanding, among other things, that they include supporters through fan share ownership.

A statement from the trust read: ‘Speculation is mounting about a potential change of ownership or new investors at Manchester United.

‘Whilst supporters have called for change, of course, this has to be the right change.

‘Any prospective new owner or investor has to be committed to the culture, ethos and best traditions of the club. They have to be willing to invest to restore United to former glories, and that investment must be real new money spent on the playing side and the stadium.

‘Finally, any new ownership structure must embed supporters, including a degree of fan share ownership, in their operating model. These are the criteria supporters will judge any bid on. We are open to dialogue with any bidder, and look forward to any such discussions.’

Ratcliffe got fans very excited on Wednesday when his spokesman confirmed that he wanted to buy Manchester United, and wanted to get involved as soon as possible.

The INEOS billionaire is keen to purchase a minority stake, with the view of long-term ownership in the future.

‘If the club is for sale, Jim is definitely a potential buyer,’ a spokesman for Ratcliffe told The Times.

‘If something like this was possible, we would be interested in talking with a view to long-term ownership.’

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