The Football Thread 2009/10

[Tomous]

I was just gutted that guy from Heroes didn't get to take a penalty.

I know! I was getting more and more disappointed with every round when he didn't step up

[Zellery]

I was just gutted that guy from Heroes didn't get to take a penalty.

I know! I was getting more and more disappointed with every round when he didn't step up

The real kick in the balls is that he was next after Woody!

[Exxy]

This is getting to be so depressing that I've started dreaming about the debt.

...Maybe I could sue the Glazers.

Revealed: truth about Glazers business empire beyond Manchester United

• US shopping centres are mortgaged to £392m
• Other interests unlikely to pay off United's debt

It makes clear that there is very little chance the family's other businesses will contribute to clearing United's debt, and raises the possibility that family members will need to continue drawing loans and consultancy fees from the club – they have done so to the tune of £22.9m so far – to finance their lifestyles.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010 ... tunes-wane

That is incredibly depressing. I had always hoped that the struggles elsewhere might lead the Glazers to shore up their other businesses by selling United. But this makes it sound much more likely they will do everything they can to hold onto the bit of their crubling empire which does make them money.

BBC reporting it's over £1bn in debt

Really bad news and gutting to read about. It's getting to the point where I can't see anyone buying us now, the Red Knights seem like they're backing off.

[DML]

This is getting to be so depressing that I've started dreaming about the debt.

...Maybe I could sue the Glazers.

Revealed: truth about Glazers business empire beyond Manchester United

• US shopping centres are mortgaged to £392m
• Other interests unlikely to pay off United's debt

It makes clear that there is very little chance the family's other businesses will contribute to clearing United's debt, and raises the possibility that family members will need to continue drawing loans and consultancy fees from the club – they have done so to the tune of £22.9m so far – to finance their lifestyles.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010 ... tunes-wane

That is incredibly depressing. I had always hoped that the struggles elsewhere might lead the Glazers to shore up their other businesses by selling United. But this makes it sound much more likely they will do everything they can to hold onto the bit of their crubling empire which does make them money.

BBC reporting it's over £1bn in debt

Really bad news and gutting to read about. It's getting to the point where I can't see anyone buying us now, the Red Knights seem like they're backing off.

After being through 2 years of it all being about the debts and not about the football, I wouldn't wish that on you to be honest. However, this is potentially the start of a huge mountain.

[Wedgie]

Ashravin Q&A

Q: Andrey, I have your name carved on my arm with a knife! Did I do it for nothing or not? What do you think? And this is not a joke; I spent the whole day carving it!

Arshavin: I do not understand it. Actually, I do not even like when people make tattoos. If it is not a joke, it's sad. There are many other ways to express your sympathy to me.

[Exxy]

This is getting to be so depressing that I've started dreaming about the debt.

...Maybe I could sue the Glazers.

Revealed: truth about Glazers business empire beyond Manchester United

• US shopping centres are mortgaged to £392m
• Other interests unlikely to pay off United's debt

It makes clear that there is very little chance the family's other businesses will contribute to clearing United's debt, and raises the possibility that family members will need to continue drawing loans and consultancy fees from the club – they have done so to the tune of £22.9m so far – to finance their lifestyles.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010 ... tunes-wane

That is incredibly depressing. I had always hoped that the struggles elsewhere might lead the Glazers to shore up their other businesses by selling United. But this makes it sound much more likely they will do everything they can to hold onto the bit of their crubling empire which does make them money.

BBC reporting it's over £1bn in debt

Really bad news and gutting to read about. It's getting to the point where I can't see anyone buying us now, the Red Knights seem like they're backing off.

After being through 2 years of it all being about the debts and not about the football, I wouldn't wish that on you to be honest. However, this is potentially the start of a huge mountain.

I wouldn't wish it on anyone, I don't even want Liverpool to go down hill to be honest. Would be horrible if it goes badly for United, both for the fans and football in general.

[Drunken_Master]

The acid test for Utd will be when Ferguson leaves. Utd can for the moment 'afford' the debt because of the HUGE revenues generated by their success. Thing is, they have to maintain that level of success.

[Zartan]

Since that is the only thing by the sound of it making any money, it is unlikely they can afford to sell it. Panorama tomorrow is covering all of this, probably why the BBC website is running the story

[Kanbei]

Actually feel sick when reading that

[SandyCoin]

I'm not going to pretend I understand all the stuff that's said about the whole debt situation. But I think I can understand £1bn in debt is very bad . Why did we even sell to them in the first place? Were they really the best option as owners back then?

Things look bad. I knew United weren't going to be the big team for the rest of my life, but I didn't want something like this to be the catalyst of a downfall. Sickening really.

[Christopher]

How the hell are they going to clear that much debt Seriously the owners should be held responsible for this debt not the club. The club were never run like this before surely?

Sad times for British football.

[Zartan]

I'm not going to pretend I understand all the stuff that's said about the whole debt situation. But I think I can understand £1bn in debt is very bad . Why did we even sell to them in the first place? Were they really the best option as owners back then?

Things look bad. I knew United weren't going to be the big team for the rest of my life, but I didn't want something like this to be the catalyst of a downfall. Sickening really.

Public shares, United were publically listed, so as soon as they got enough shares (I think the Irish race horse owners were the ones that gave him enough to make a formal take over offer)

Same thing may happen at Arsenal

[SpaceJebus]

I'm not going to pretend I understand all the stuff that's said about the whole debt situation. But I think I can understand £1bn in debt is very bad . Why did we even sell to them in the first place? Were they really the best option as owners back then?

Things look bad. I knew United weren't going to be the big team for the rest of my life, but I didn't want something like this to be the catalyst of a downfall. Sickening really.

Public shares, United were publically listed, so as soon as they got enough shares (I think the Irish race horse owners were the ones that gave him enough to make a formal take over offer)

Same thing may happen at Arsenal

They were warned that something like this could happen when they first floated, Murdoch came close to buying them a couple of times I think, but overall it gave them lots of money and helped kick-start their modern dominace so it went to the back of most fan's minds. It's why I feel sorry for the fans but have little sympathy for the club itself.

In some ways it might be good for British football as a whole if Manchester United were to be be hit by this, things have been troublesome for lower league clubs for years without much thought being put in by the FA. Portsmouth was a big eye opener for them but a club as big as Man U being hit would surely force the FA into some sort of action to sort out the state of football finance.

I should also say that I don't think this will bring Man U down completely and the club will still exist long after the Glaziers have strawberry floated off.

[Exxy]

http://andersred.blogspot.com/2010/06/d ... llied.html

Big post about the Glazers there, focussing on their Real Estate business.

[KK]

The England South Africa shirt...my God does it feel & look cheap. If I didn't know where it was from, I would have said it was fake. Unbelievably piss poor workmanship. £40 - unreal.

[Buffalo]

I think it's Umbro in general, KK. The material is just plain shoddy, if the Blunderland shirts are anything to go by.
Trust me to talk about clothes in the football thread

[SandyCoin]

Are you talking about the actual kits? Or is the England South Africa kit something different?

[Preezy]

I don't have a problem with it (the standard England away kit), but then I didn't pay £40.

fast edit: and yeah what Sandycoin asked

[Spindash]

Umbro did City's kits this season and in terms of design and material they're fantastic - proper kits, rather than the shoddy efforts we've been used to. I think the England ones were done with the same stuff.

[KK]

One's the normal England shirt, & the other one is the World Cup version (i.e. the one they'll be wearing during the tournament, I believe).



Con job to get parents to buy twice after realising they've bought 'the wrong one'. I'm talking about the top one.