Oh. My. God.
Meaningful only for the players' financial health, would have no impact whatsoever on the performance of the team. The players are already expected to play every game at breakneck pace and with maximal effort, and being professionals at the height of their powers playing for the league chamions, that's exactly what they do.It could be a good thing for the club if players do take the offer up, because obviously it mean the players would have a long term financial interest in the club.
Meaningful only for the players' financial health, would have no impact whatsoever on the performance of the team. The players are already expected to play every game at breakneck pace and with maximal effort, and being professionals at the height of their powers playing for the league chamions, that's exactly what they do.
If you're looking for some added incentive to play well, it's just not there.
Possibly, but I was thinking more along the lines of not fecking the club off if things started to go tits up. Players would naturally be more inclined to stay if they had money at stake.
Their money wouldn't be at stake. They'd be investing in bonds, not stocks
the caf - believing any bit of journalism when it's something they want to believe, and denouncing it when it's something they don't want to hear.
United are believed to be offering offering investors an annual return of seven per cent on the bonds
i start questiong myself: would u like to see we keep on struggling with no new money to sign players and just being runner-ups in the league OR
great players depart and galzer sells the club to someone else. then we start from mid-table as a member-owned club like barca and real
which one you would prefer?
Glazers could take £130m out of Manchester United next year
• Small print in bond offer reveals shock provisions
• Owners able to get cut of money from player sales
The Glazer family, who own Manchester United, can take almost £130m cash out of the club next year alone if enough lenders sign up for the bond they have launched to borrow £500m for United.
Nestling in the small print of the 322-page bond prospectus are provisions allowing the Glazers to take £70m out of the club's cash reserves, which includes the money they have received from selling players such as Cristiano Ronaldo. The document also reserves for the Glazers the legal right to pay £25m out of the club in a dividend, and half of what is termed "consolidated net income". This is effectively the club's cash profits, which based on the most recent accounts would have meant £23m being paid out last year.
The bond's terms also note that the Glazers will have the right for £6m a year to be paid to companies they own "for administration and management services", and a further £3m "in respect of services provided by directors, officers or employees" of companies the Glazers use to hold their shares in United.
That money, added to the £70m and £25m one-off payments, plus the half of United's cash profit they can take out each year (equating to £23m last year), add up to £127m next year alone.
That huge figure is in addition to the straightforward payment of interest (yield) on the £500m the club will have borrowed via the bond, which at a mooted 9%, will be £45m. That will bring the total taken out of United to service the Glazers' borrowings, which were loaded on to the club after the family bought the club in 2005, to £172m next year alone.
It has become increasingly clear since the prospectus was launched last week that its principal purpose is to allow the Glazers to take cash out of United to reduce the amounts they owe in "payments in kind" to hedge funds, which are running at a punitive £14.25% interest. Standing at £175m in the year to 30 June, 2008, the "payments" accrued £25m interest in the year to 30 June, 2009, and so stand now at over £200m. That debt is secured on the United shares the Glazer family own, and it is clear their financial priority is to use United's giant turnover and profits to pay down that debt before the interest "rolls up" dramatically.
A calculation of the total cash which the bond would entail being paid out of United in dividend payments, the yield from the bond, management fees and the possible requirement for the club to lease the Carrington training ground, is more than £500m between next year and the maturity of the bond in 2017.
If the bond issue is fully taken up by lenders, it will mean that since the Glazer family bought United in May 2005 for £810m – £540m of it borrowed from banks and hedge funds – their takeover will have already cost United £340m in cash. That comprises £220m in bank interest plus "early-repayment premiums" made when the borrowings were first refinanced in August 2006. A further £120m will have been incurred in fees paid to bankers, lawyers and other professionals – the fees for this bond issue are noted as £15m – plus £35m incurred by the club's interest rate hedging arrangements.
On top of that, the "payments" have incurred interest payable of around £124m since the Glazers first borrowed the money to buy United.
A Glazer family spokesman, who also speaks for United on financial matters, declined to comment.
Nick Towle, chair of the Manchester United Supporters' Trust, said: "It is a shocking picture. These are immense amounts of money being leaked out of United to pay banks, lawyers, the Glazers themselves and interest, to pay for a takeover none of the supporters, or the United board itself, wanted.
"United's success and profits could have been used to keep ticket prices affordable or invest in the team but instead we see this heartbreaking waste, just because one family ultimately hopes to make a profit from the club."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2...ce-the-glazers
There's nothing in any of those article's that we didn't know already.
I'm starting to get sick of all this now.
At least its coming well and truly into the public domain now.
7%, as the Icelandic banks and Maddof...The only ones who were "able" to pay that percentage
but most people still just talk about Man United and their debt as though it is all the clubs fault still. Call me petty, but aside from getting our club back on track, i wish there was a bit more clarity that this debt is all because of the Glazers as far as public knowledge goes.
Absolutely agree, but I think people are starting to recognise now that this mess is squarely down to the Glazer family. There's even City fans where I work who say that this shouldn't have been allowed to happen.
City fans are realising it now..
United fans should have realised it 5 years ago, when they were told what was coming..
But too many sold their asses for 3 premierships and CL trophy...
If they'd stood up then we wouldnt be having this discussion now...
The fact many are now sitting here bleating their little hears out, really makes me want to vomit. THey were told what was coming, but they chose to ignore it.. Lambasted all those that knew what was coming... Called them doom mongers, and not real supporters..
If there had been more support for those that wanted a proper fight, then this would not be happening. We could have got them out years ago...
excuse my ignorance, but could you please tell me how we could have achieved this.
this is not a flippant request, i´m genuinly interested as to how we could of done this.
Lee Sharpe today branded the £700 million debt mountain amassed at Manchester United by its controversial American owners as 'disgraceful'.
The 38-year-old former Old Trafford 'wonderkid' said the Glazer family's running of the club had 'undermined' two decades of success at the club under Sir Alex Ferguson.
Speaking ahead of tonight's Carling Cup semi-final clash between Manchester United and Manchester City, Sharpe said: “It’s disgraceful and a huge shame what is going on with the debt.
"The hard work carried out by Sir Alex Ferguson and everyone at the club over the last 20 years is at threat."
“United have been winning titles galore, building the club up in to a force. The Glazer’s have undermined all this hard work and stole its thunder.
“Who made the decision to sell to the Glazers? It’s wrong that the club has been put in to so much debt and then you hear stories of them taking money out of the club as well…