The Official BleachForums Football Thread

[Scrumhalf]

This thread is dedicated to the beautiful game played all over the world.

It is the world's game. The world's true religion.

Association Football. (Soccer)

I'll kick off with three questions - feel free to answer them.

What domestic club(s) do you support?

What representative team(s) do you support?

Do you play football?

My answers are:

- Southampton FC (England), Melbourne SC (Australia), Hearts FC (Scotland), Tokyo Verdy 69 (Japan)

- Australia & England

- Only play it recreationally with my mates

Useful Football links:
http://www.fifa.com/
http://www.football365.com/
http://www.soccernet.com/
http://www.bigsoccer.com/
http://www.theworldgame.com.au/

Scrum.

[mgviperman]

oh you're talking about "that" football... yea i play it. used to play in high school but now i just play for fun

[aviet2k]

Yea I play it too... FIFA World Championships =P

[Scrumhalf]

Have any of you heard of Malcolm Glazer and his attempted bid to purchase Manchester United? :o


Man United takeover falters
http://www.soccernet.com/images/draynor/oldtrafford_me_e.jpg

Malcolm Glazer's bid for Manchester United is dead in the water after major shareholders John Magnier and JP McManus told the American there was no basis for a deal.

The Takeover Panel have been informed that after initial discussions between the two parties, the Irish duo have told Glazer there is no basis for further talks to continue.

It is anticipated the news will be confirmed by Manchester United in a statement to the Stock Exchange tomorrow unless Glazer and his financial advisers JP Morgan can come up with an alternative funding package, which at this stage seems a virtual impossibility.

The news brings a dramatic end to a saga which has rumbled on since October 4, when United confirmed to the Stock Exchange they had received a 'preliminary approach' for the club, which is believed to have come from Glazer, and is bound to be greeted with delirium by Red Devils supporters, who have waged a fierce campaign to prevent the American seizing control.

However, rather than bowing to the pressure of United fans, their past record would suggest Magnier and McManus, who through their Cubic Expression holding company own 28.9% of the Old Trafford club, have reached their conclusion on pure business grounds.

Although the duo would stand to make millions on their investment even at today's closing price of £2.64, it has always been insisted they view United as a long-term proposition and clearly believe the club is now being run more to their satisfaction following the infamous 99 corporate governance questions they posed of the Red Devils board earlier this year.

Ironically, that intervention made Magnier and McManus public enemy number one among the United fans, who believed their intervention was solely motivated by a desire to increase the pressure on Sir Alex Ferguson in his ownership dispute over record-breaking stallion Rock of Gibraltar.

While that row did end favourably for Magnier, the effect of the club issues has resulted in chief executive David Gill presiding over an organisation which is now leading the way in terms of transfer transparency, adopting a refreshing openness, particularly over payments to agents, the rest of the game would do well to follow.

The Cubic Expression duo certainly will not view themselves as saviours of the Old Trafford outfit and for as long as they retain their current shareholding they can exercise massive power even though they do not have a place on the United board.

However, they have succeeded in delivering a metaphorical bloody nose to Glazer, whose attempts to take control of United have bordered on the shambolic.

The American owner of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFL franchise forced United into an Offer Period in March this year by refusing to clarify whether he intended to launch a takeover bid.

Having got out of that situation, it now appears Glazer attempted to gain outright control without first getting any indication as to whether Cubic would be interested in doing a deal.

Even his preliminary approach forced United to demand clarification, so uncertain were they over some of the 'significant clauses' contained within it.

It was also suggested Glazer would have needed to borrow heavily to fund the deal, giving more power to the fans' groups, who claimed ticket prices would have to be increased massively just to fund the interest payments.

Protests were launched immediately after news of the attempted takeover was released and United director Maurice Watkins had his car vandalised in retribution for the sale of a million shares which ended up as part of Glazer's current 19.1% stake.

Seven days ago, a reserve team game at Altrincham was halted by a pitch invasion, during which members of the `Manchester Education Committee' burned US flags.

Glazer's London-based PR firm Brunswick has been besieged by hoax calls and pizza and skip deliveries over the past seven days, while members of the influential Shareholders United group are due to demonstrate outside the Stock Exchange tomorrow afternoon.

What is not yet known as he licks his wounds in Florida is what Glazer intends to do now.

Under Stock Market rules, he will be barred from launching another bid for a further six months, by which time Shareholders United hope to have taken their combined stake in the club over the 10% threshold which would make any takeover bid less appealing.

http://www.soccernet.com/

[mgviperman]

noooo!!!!! man u is my favorite team!!!

[Scrumhalf]

Just when you think the possibility of Manchester United being purchased by Malcolm Glazer has finally died out, its not over yet for anxious Manure fans! :bash:

http://www.soccernet.com/images/draynor/oldtrafford_me_e.jpg
Glazer raises United stakes
Malcolm Glazer sidestepped the Cubic Expression stumbling block to sweep up another 15.4million shares in Manchester United this evening and leave Red Devils fans anxiously awaiting the American's next move.

http://www.soccernet.com/images/jb2/glazer_getty.jpg
Malcolm Glazer: Deal not dead (Photography/GettyImages)

Glazer's retail therapy came at a cost of £45million, 24 hours after the Press Association revealed his plans for an outright takeover had collapsed as Manchester United's majority shareholders John Magnier and JP McManus had opted not to continue discussions of the sale of their 28.9% stake in the Old Trafford outfit.

Despite the setback, Glazer clearly has no intention of backing down, although in effect the owner of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFL franchise remains in the same position he was last night, albeit with 25.3% of the club now under his ownership.

It is not yet known whether the sellers were some of the big City institutions or Scottish mining entrepreneur Harry Dobson, whose 6.5% stake roughly equates to Glazer's purchase, but either way the deal sent the share price rocketing by eight percent to £2.85, the average purchase price of tonight's investment.

Glazer is hopeful the supporters who have been so fierce in their opposition to his interest will see his latest move as an indication that he views United as a long-term investment and will help deflect some of their criticism.

That seems unlikely and fans have been quick to tell the Florida-based businessman he is not wanted at the club.

Glazer though is clearly intent on hanging around, although there is no clear indication as to his next likely move.

One theory is that he will ask for board representation, something Cubic have opted against pursuing in the past, thereby increasing his own influence at Old Trafford and forcing the Irish duo to either follow suit, accept a reduced role or sell out.

Another rumour is that Glazer will try to lever more profits out of the Red Devils by attempting to negotiate separate television deals, a move chief executive David Gill has always claimed to be counter-productive as it would increase revenues in the short term but wreck the already loose notion of competition within the Premier League.

Increased profits should translate into an increased share price, although it is Cubic, whose average share purchase is way below that of Glazer, who would be the main beneficiaries of that situation.

'Malcolm Glazer has never been to Manchester and he is not wanted,' said Andy Walsh, secretary of the Independent Manchester United Supporters Association.

'Last night we were told his attempt to buy the club had fallen but clearly this is an attempt to outmuscle Cubic Expression.

'We can only speculate about his motives but we don't believe any of them will be of benefit, not just to our football club, but to football as a whole.

'If he got his way, individual TV deals and a European Super League would be even closer to being realised and we will not allow that to happen.'

In their own statement to the Stock Exchange today, United indicated they would take the fans' fears on board should any official offer for the club be received.

'The Board can assure shareholders in the Company and fans of the club that, should any proposal be made in the future, the Board will take into account all relevant considerations including the potential financial terms, possible financial structure and any impact these considerations may have on the future operation of the football club,' the statement read pointedly.

With Glazer still officially `considering his options', United remain in an Offer Period and could do so indefinitely unless the American clarifies his position.

Sources close to the American claim that Glazer put a serious offer to Cubic, which was fully financed by bankers JP Morgan, but which did not meet with the Irish duo's approval.

Speculation persists that Cubic have other plans in the offing, although this has been denied. However, what today's development does do is effectively block Cubic from taking control of the club themselves, even though that is a scenario few observers have thought likely.

It also leaves the plans of former Football League chairman Keith Harris in disarray.

Harris was apparently on the verge of putting forward his own proposals, which include a combination of fresh investment and more power to the fans.

However, in Shareholders United and IMUSA circles, Harris is not seen as the supporters' champion he has been painted in other quarters and many have not forgotten the part he played in advising BSkyB about their own ultimately unsuccessful bid for the club four years ago.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/index?cc=3436

[Divine Truth]

Real Madrid vs. Dynamo Kyiv, if you didn't see it.....just feel sorry for Ronaldo. Aww man, he has got some bad luck.

[mgviperman]

yea i saw it... i feel sorry for Ronaldo =\

[Hitsugaya]

lol but they won that's all that counts go Real!

[Divine Truth]

lol but they won that's all that counts go Real!
Yup yup :cool: !

[mgviperman]

what a way to win though... :D

[Scrumhalf]

Saturday English Premiership results
Southampton 2 Portsmouth 1
Spurs 4 Arsenal 5
Bolton 1 Aston Villa 2
Charlton 4 Norwich 0
Fulham 1 Chelsea 4
Liverpool 3 Crystal Palace 2
Manchester City 1 Blackburn 1
Birmingham 0 Everton 1