Share program as a reconciliation offer to the fans

The owners of the English soccer champions Manchester United want to reconcile the supporters with the club and its leadership by launching a share program for the fans of Manchester United. Co-CEO Joel Glazer confirmed talks with the fan association Manchester United Supporter Trust (MUST) about the possibility of participation at a fan forum of the Red Devils for “several months”.

“We’re in advanced talks with MUST. The program can pave the way for fans to acquire a significant stake in Manchester United over time. That would give fans a strong voice within our ownership structure and help create a new spirit for a long-term.” To cement the partnership between fans and the club, “said Glazer as a representative of his US family, who set the tone in Old Trafford in 2005.

The offer of the issue of new shares to the fans is a reaction of the Glazer clan, which has not been loved in the fan camp since joining ManUnited, to the great displeasure of the supporters in the spring after the unveiling of Manchester participation in the ultimately crashing failed plans to introduce a Billionaire Super League in Europe. “I hope the offer can also be a fresh start for the club’s relationship with its fans,” said Glazer. However, the club boss has not yet announced a time for the talks with the fan representatives to be concluded and the planned share program to be implemented.

According to previous information, a new category of shares is to be issued for the project. Accordingly, it is envisaged that the new shares will nominally have the same voting rights per share as the papers of the owner family. The fan shares are to be issued at regular intervals up to a limit that has not yet been defined, so that the supporters would increasingly be involved in the club and would have to be more frequently involved in important decisions by the club’s management.