NOT FOR $AL£

[Gampern]

74,81%....

Ich empfehle z.B. BBC und dann rechts alle dazugehörigen Artikeln als direkter Link.

Oder gleich das Forum der Shareholders United!

Die 2 Artikel von United Rant: The Death of United und Fightback starts here

[Gampern]

Trotz der Länge sicherlich lesenswert:

SHAREHOLDERS UNITED PRESS RELEASE

GLAZER OFFER: THIS IS ONE YOU CAN REFUSE

Malcolm Glazer has now issued the summary terms of his offer (Offer) to buy Manchester United plc (MU) and the full offer document will be sent out to MU shareholders, probably after the season has ended and the holiday season has started. SU will be reviewing the full Offer document with its advisers, and will issue its own recommendations to those MU shareholders who have not already sold to Glazer.

In the meantime, SU urges MU shareholders – do nothing with your shares until you have heard from us.

We would also urge those shareholders and supporters who have not joined SU to do so now – we are still buying shares in the market and our share scheme is a convenient, and cost-effective means of maintaining a collective stake in our club.

SU and IMUSA are continuing to work with Nomura International on the possible structuring of an investment trust to help in their drive to keep Manchester United independent and help the supporter-shareholders to secure a significant collective stake. This fight is not over.

Next steps

Glazer is currently buying in the market to achieve the 75% he needs to attempt to take the company private and leverage the company’s assets with part of the debt he is taking on to buy MU. If he achieves this target, he will call a general meeting of MU to pass a special resolution to re-register the company as a private limited company, an essential legal element in his plan to transfer his acquisition debt to MU.

SU will be discussing with its legal advisers and counsel on bringing an action under s 54 of the Companies Act to apply to the court to cancel any such resolution. To mount an objection under this section, we need a minimum of 50 shareholders to object.

Glazer is reserving the right to compulsorily buy out any minority shareholders under ss 428-430 of the Companies Act if he achieves ‘sufficient acceptances’ under the Offer. As SU understands it, Glazer’s vehicle Red Football Limited and its concert parties now own or control a minimum of 71.8% of the MU share capital – for the purposes of s 428, these shares are not included in the Offer and Glazer therefore needs to reach 90% of the remaining shares not held by him. At the present time, SU, together with its members private holdings and pledges being received from other individual shareholders, will almost certainly represent enough shares to prevent the provisions of ss 428-430 from being applied. SU will keep this situation under constant review with its advisers.

“Glazer will soon realise, if he doesn’t already know, that we will not be going away quietly. He is known as a persistent and determined man who always gets what he goes for. Well he will now find that the United fans are just as persistent and determined, and they are fighting for love not money” said SU Chair, Nick Towle.

Where’s the money coming from?

SU notes that the Offer is to be funded by £265 million of senior debt which will be secured on the assets of MU. This is a significant and dangerous level of leverage for a football club, as has been seen with other clubs in the recent past.

Glazer is also proposing to issue £275 million of Preference Shares to investors in his Red Football company – although these securities are expressed not to be secured on the assets of MU, it will almost certainly be the case that Glazer’s stake in MU will be available to the holders of these securities should Glazer default on any obligations he undertakes in respect of redemption or other rights attaching to the securities. And of course there would be nothing to stop Glazer from refinancing these securities with additional debt which would be secured on the assets of MU.

SU also challenges Glazer to declare how much of his so-called “equity contribution” of £272 million is funded by debt. SU is given to understand that it may be as much as 100% debt funded.

In short, the massive amount of debt which Glazer is assuming to acquire MU leads to two inescapable and highly dangerous conclusions:

1. These massive debts have to be serviced, both interest payments and repayment of principal, and it seems that the revenues of MU will be the prime source of that servicing requirement. This will put huge pressure on MU to perform both on and off the pitch – some estimates believe that an additional £50-70 million per year in additional profit (over and above what MU makes now) will be needed. We ask – where is this extra revenue coming from? How can it be achieved? Look out especially for the renaming of Old Trafford and hiking of prices of everything at the stadium.

2. Any failure of Glazer’s ‘aggressive’ and ‘damaging’ business plan which leads to default on the loans or securities which either he or the plc has taken on, could result in the banks and security holders taking possession of MU. Glazer appears to be risking little, if any, of his own money in this venture and the result could be that MU ends up being owned and run by the banks who are charging such huge fees for helping Glazer acquire the club.

And what is Glazer offering supporters?

Glazer’s summary offer does not mention any of the promises we have read about in the press. We hear that Alex Ferguson will be given £100 million over five years, equivalent of £20 million per year.

“£20 million a year? That’s less than Wigan will be spending this summer” commented SU committee member Eric Halsall.

SU continues to gather support from United fans from all walks of life. James Nesbitt, the actor and lifelong fan has generously pledged £10,000 to the cause. John Monks, trade union leader and SU patron, will be speaking out against the bid at a conference this weekend.

SU will be making a further announcement in due course on the proposed boycott by supporters of the club and sponsors products.

*Notes to editors:

SU is a not-for-profit organisation of United fans holding shares in United for as well as financial reasons. SU membership has dramatically increased recently to almost 28,000 members. SU has recently written to other United supporter-shareholders who hold between them a further 15% of the equity, to bring their holdings into a collective stake, giving the fans a strong voice in the future of the club.

[Gampern]

Ein paar Meldungen:

Mr Glazer has confirmed that the £265m bank loans will go directly on to United's balance sheet as debt and will be secured directly against the club's assets.

Die United-Sponsoren (Vodafone, Nike, Audi, Budweiser, Dimension Data, Ladbrokes, Pepsi, Fujifilm, Wilkinson und Century FM) bekommen es anscheinend schon einwenig mit der Angst zu tun, da zum vollständigen Boykott ihrer Produkte aufgerufen wurde! Vor der Übernahme haben ja die SU die Konzern zu MUFC plc-Aktienkäufen aufgefordert. Dem sind sie nicht nachgekommen.

3000 Leute haben auch schon ihr Abo für MUTV storniert!

Weiterhin gibts solche Aktionen wie den Sturm einer Party von JP Morgan (einer Bank von Glazer), woraufhin die Gäste Manchester viel schneller wieder verließen als geplannt!

Da das FA-Cup Finale nächsten Samstag enormes mediales Interesse hervorruft, werden schon alle Optionen Aufmerksamkeit für das Anliegen zu erregen, durchgedacht: Platzsturm, Stadion zu einem früheren Zeitpunkt verlassen, alle in schwarz gekleidet,...

In den letzten Tagen gab es 1000 neue SU-Mitglieder PRO TAG!

[vantheman10]

Glazer - Wir wollen mit dem United Staff zusammen arbeiten

Joel Glazer, Sohn von Malcom Glazer dem Besitzer von 74 % Aktien-Anteilen von Manchester United hat zum ersten Mal vor den Medien gesprochen.

Der Familie Glazer liege sehr viel an Manchester United, dies sei einer der grössten, legendärsten und erfolgreichsten Fussball-Clubs der Welt. Man beabsichtige mit der Übernahme nicht die langjährig erfolgreiche Aufbauarbeit des derzeitigen Staffs zu verändern. Viel mehr wolle man mit den Verantwortlichen zusammenarbeiten.

Weiter sind die Fans ein extrem wichtiger Bestandteil dieses Vereins und die Glazers versuchen alles um auch die derzeit noch mehr als skeptischen Anhänger auch zufrieden zu stellen.

"ManU"-Fans von Übernahme empört

Die "ManU"-Supporter ließen ihrer Wut in Southampton über die "feindliche Übernahme" ihres Klubs durch US-Milliardär Malcolm Glazer in Southampton freien Lauf.

Neben Plakaten ("Glazer, nimm dich in Acht!", "Auf Wiedersehen Manchester United FC. Ruhe in Frieden.") und Schmähgesängen auf den "Feind Glazer" hatten die Fans auch Handgreifliches zu bieten.

Drei Anhänger der "Red Devils" wurden festgenommen. Beim FA-Cup-Finale am Samstag in Cardiff gegen Arsenal London soll alles noch schlimmer werden. "Wir haben große Lust, komplettes Chaos zu schaffen", sagte Oliver Houston, Vize-Präsident der Vereinigung der Kleinaktionäre.

[themanwho]

Es ist soweit, Glazer nimmt United von der Börse

Glazer makes final Man Utd offer 

 

Manchester United shareholders have been told they have until Monday, 13 June, to sell their shares to majority owner Malcolm Glazer.

Red Football, acting on behalf of Mr Glazer, currently owns about 76.2% of Manchester United shares.

Mr Glazer's next step will be to delist the club from the London stock market, probably on 22 June "or as soon thereafter as is practicable".

The takeover by the US billionaire has been fiercely resisted by fans.

In total, members of fan group Shareholders United say they own about 15% of the club.

Mr Glazer hopes to secure 90% of the shares he does not yet own, so that the remaining shareholders can be legally compelled to sell.

Shareholders have until 1500 (1400 GMT) on 13 June to take up the 300 pence-per-share offer. After that date, Mr Glazer says, he may not buy their shares any more.

The end is nigh

The end of Manchester United's 14 years as a publicly listed company is bound to come to an end regardless of whether the remaining shareholders sell up.

Mr Glazer had the right to turn the club into a privately-held company ever since he acquired more than 75% of its shares.

The very latest date that Mr Glazer will take the firm private is Thursday, 30 June.

In the offer document, the Glazer family reiterate that they "are keen supporters of Manchester United and long-term owners of Manchester United Shares".

"Red wants to work with current management, players and supporters to ensure that the significant successes enjoyed by Manchester United, both on and off the pitch, continue," the document asserts.

The Glazers promise to give Manchester United "executive directors and senior employees" all their share options in Manchester United straight away.

More than one-third of Mr Glazer's £790m offer for the club is debt secured against United's assets, such as its Old Trafford stadium, while a further £275m comes from loans from three US hedge funds.

Mr Glazer also owns an American Football club, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, whose financial and sporting fortunes he turned around, albeit at the cost of higher ticket prices.

quelle: bbc

[Starostyak]

Da kannst eh gleich drauf scheißen - der lässt sich unter Garantie nicht mehr aufhalten. Freu mich schon auf einen möglichen Ausverkauf.

[Gampern]

Ist zwar jetzt schon ein paar Tage alt, aber hatte keine Zeit bzw. tech. Probleme!

THE FULL HORROR REVEALED: GLAZER'S FINANCING PROPOSALS

Summary

Glazer has taken on up to £921 million of debt, both personal and corporate, to acquire United.

If this debt is allowed to run for at least 7 years, then the accumulated repayment value could reach as high as £1.5 billion.

The debt leveraged on United’s assets could be as much as £700 million within 6 months of closing of the offer.

Servicing that £700 million debt (interest & principal repayments) would average out at approx. £85 million p.a. for the first 7 years, increasing substantially thereafter

Glazer could reduce the debt burden by the sale & leaseback of Old Trafford, which might net him £200 million.

In that case, servicing the debt could still cost the club an estimated £55 million per year, plus the annual OT lease payment.

The offer document contains no detail on how the club might generate enough cash to pay down this debt and no commitments on transfer funds or other key issues for United fans and small shareholders.

Manchester United is in peril as never before. No other football club has ever had a debt burden of this size, and there is no real prospect of clearing this debt for many years to come.

Finance structure

Glazer plans to finance the acquisition of Manchester United as follows:

• £272 million of his own money (all or most of which was borrowed from Commerzbank we hear)

• £275 million of ‘Preferred Securities’ issued to various Hedge Funds by Red Football Ltd (Red). These ‘Prefs’ are basically debt in another form, a type of share which has no vote but a fixed financial return and which are not (initially) secured on the assets of the club. Red has the right to redeem these Prefs at any time, which is likely to happen within 6 months of closing of the offer as they are very expensive to maintain (see below). The redemption value increases hugely as time goes by. Red must also pay a redemption premium to the holders, the Hedge Funds – estimated amount £50 million – we will confirm this when the finance agreements have been inspected). The finance to redeem these Prefs will most likely be secured on the assets of United, ranking in priority behind the Senior Debt (it will probably be classed as ‘Junior Debt’, as it bears more risk than the Senior Debt and will therefore carry a higher interest rate). Glazer does not confirm that this redemption will occur or mention the Junior Debt in his Offer Document, because he does not have to – it will take place after Closing.

• £283.9 million of “Senior Debt” secured on the assets of United. This debt can be drawn down in 5 tranches, bearing different interest rates and maturity dates (some of this debt will go to pay the estimated £50 million + of banking and advisory fees payable by Glazer on this transaction and which will be borne by United)

• £90 million of working capital and capital expenditure facilities – these facilities were not mentioned in the RNS summary offer statement of last week

Total acquisition cost = £920.9 million

Total debt incurred by Glazer’s companies which could (and probably will) be leveraged on the assets of Manchester United = £648.9 million + the cost of the redemption premium on Prefs est. at £50 million = £698.9 million

Interest and Principal payments over first 5 years

Prefs – these incur rolled-up interest at average interest rate of 17%, totalling £48 million per year for 5 years, giving a redemption value after 5 years of £615 million. Rolled-up interest is not immediately payable, it accumulates and is added annually onto the redemption value of the Prefs.

Senior Debt – average interest rate over 5 tranches is £25 million p.a. for the first 5 years, plus a further est. £5 million on the working capital facilities. Add total capital repayments of £12.5 million p.a. for first 5 years, this makes:

£42.5 million per year total amounts payable by United on Senior Debt

Junior Debt (assuming refinancing of £275 million of Prefs + premium of £50 million - £325 million) – more expensive as more risky, so assume average interest rate of 10% p.a., and initial capital repayments of £10 million p.a., this makes:

£42.5 million per year total assumed payable by United on Junior Debt.

Total payments annually required to service the debt in Manchester United:

£85 million

Sale & Leaseback of Old Trafford

The only way Glazer can seriously reduce this level of debt quickly is by sale & leaseback of Old Trafford for an estimated £200 million cash payment into the club.

This would be used, we assume, to redeem the Prefs to replace part of the debt financing, so on this assumption, we can reduce the Junior Debt element in the above calculation to £85 million (£75 million + reduced redemption premium of £10 million). This brings the annual service cost of the Junior Debt, using the same bases as above, to:

£12.5 million +

£42.5 million (Senior Debt)

= £55 million p.a. still required to service the debts under the sale & leaseback scenario.

Conclusion

In order to complete his takeover of United, Malcolm Glazer has taken on 3 levels of debt.

1. Personal or family foundation debt.

To buy his original stake (up to 28.1%) Glazer used his own assets. Everything we know about him tells us that it is not his style to use his own money, and we have been told (on good authority) that the whole of that stake was acquired with borrowed money. Although he is not initially planning to leverage this debt - £272million - against the assets of Manchester United, we can assume that he will expect the borrowing to be repaid by the profits of the club.

2. Senior Debt secured on United’s assets

JP Morgan agreed to lend up to £540million to fund Glazer’s acquisition of the club. However this was contingent on him securing conditional acceptances of 75% of the share capital. Cubic refused to risk giving a conditional acceptance of his offer. They wanted the money up front. Without them he was unable to secure the 75% he needed to trigger the JP Morgan loan.

3. Preferred Securities as bridging finance

In order to buy out Cubic, Glazer was forced to fund the buyout with effectively a bridging loan. This was a very expensive way to fund the purchase of the Cubic stake and the rest of the shares he needed to reach the 75% that would allow him to take the club private and trigger the JP Morgan finance. He did this by issuing what are known as “preferred securities” in Red Football Ltd to various hedge funds. Preferred securities are a particular type of share which confer no voting rights in a company but which attract high interest and when are often secured on the assets of a company, in this case Glazer’s own shares.

At the moment Glazer is claiming in his offer document that the only debt which will immediately be transferred to Manchester United, on his taking the company private, is the £373.9 million to be lent by JP Morgan. This is because the plc Board rejected his first proposal as “over-leveraged”, so he put in place some “debt in drag”, the Preferred Securities. But the cost to him of these Prefs, with their rolled up interest at 17% p.a., is so horrendous that it would only make financial sense if he buys then back as quickly as possible. No sane lender would give him the necessary funds to refinance unless (i) they were paid very large fees for doing so or (ii) there were sufficient United assets left over after JP Morgan’s first priority security ranking. And this refinancing will be expensive too.

A better bet for him is to execute a sale & leaseback of Old Trafford as soon as possible. OT is the only unmonetised asset left at United. This would undoubtedly incur the wrath of all United fans across the world as selling the heritage of the club.

Quelle: Shareholders United Forum

Sshareholders United

bearbeitet 31. Mai 2005 von Gampern

[Gampern]

Sorry, ich kopier das einfach mal... (ist nicht von mir)

Gestern kamen im Apollo Theatre in Manchester 2000 United-Fans zusammen und die weiteren Schritte zu besprechen. Es gab schon Ansätze den FC United zu gründen. Designierte-Sprecher von FC United sagen, dass sie eine Liste mit mindestens 1000 Unterschriften haben wollen bevor sie den Klub endgültog gründen.

Auch gab es Vorschläge die Cup-Spiele nächste Saison zu boykottieren. Dies würde denen entgegenkommen, die ihre Abo-Karte weiterführen wollen und trotzdem zeigen wollen, dass sie jedem lieber ihr Geld geben würden als Glazer. Falls man sich auf diesen Vorschlag einigen würde, dann wäre wohl das CL-Quali-Heimspiel das erste betroffene Spiel.

Außerdem wollen Fans ein Spiel zu Ehren von Roy Keane, welches im August stattfinden soll, boykottieren falls Keane, der die Einnahmen von diesem Spiel dann verwalten darf, nicht einen Anteil an die "Not For Sale"-Campaigne abgibt.

Leider gibt es auch schlechte Nachrichten. Nachdem unsere Hauptsponsoren Nike und Vodafone schon gedroht haben von Bord zu gehen, falls das Durcheinander bei United nicht bald aufhört hat Ladbrokes United den Rücken gestärkt.

Wenn wir schon dabei sind: Wehe ich erwische einen von euch, der die United-Sponsoren (Vodafone, Nike, Audi, Budweiser, Dimension Data, Ladbrokes, Pepsi, Fujifilm, Wilkinson und Century FM) nicht boykottiert!

[ianrush]

Wenn wir schon dabei sind: Wehe ich erwische einen von euch, der die United-Sponsoren (Vodafone, Nike, Audi, Budweiser, Dimension Data, Ladbrokes, Pepsi, Fujifilm, Wilkinson und Century FM) nicht boykottiert!

Klingt ja alles sehr gut, aber gerade als Fan der Mannschaft die es geschafft hat das FC aus dem Vereinsnamen zu entfernen, die Kommerzialisierung bis aufs Äusserste zu treiben, eine AG zu gründen, was alles erst die Übernahme durch Glazer ermöglich hat entbehrt dieser Aufruf nicht einer gewissen Komik. Keine Frage tragisch was da geschieht, aber die Geister die man rief und so, nöm... Immerhin hat man über ein Jahrzehnt sehr davon profitiert.

Ausserdem sollte man die 1000 Unterschriften doch schon bei 2000 Unerstützern an diesem Abend zusammengebracht haben, nicht ?

bearbeitet 1. Juni 2005 von ianrush

[Gampern]

Klingt ja alles sehr gut, aber gerade als Fan der Mannschaft die es geschafft hat das FC aus dem Vereinsnamen zu entfernen, die Kommerzialisierung bis aufs Äusserste zu treiben, eine AG zu gründen, was alles erst die Übernahme durch Glazer ermöglich hat entbehrt dieser Aufruf nicht einer gewissen Komik. Keine Frage tragisch was da geschieht, aber die Geister die man rief und so, nöm... Immerhin hat man über ein Jahrzehnt sehr davon profitiert.

Ja natürlich, die Fans haben den Verein an die Börse gebracht, die Fans haben das FC aus dem Badge entfernt... Zuerst denken, dann blub!

Ausserdem sollte man die 1000 Unterschriften doch schon bei 2000 Unerstützern an diesem Abend zusammengebracht haben, nicht ?

Nein, FC United war nur eine Idee, ein allerletzter Ausweg (?). (Wird also wohl nie realisiert, nett wärs irgendwie schon in der UniBond...) Kann natürlich nicht für alle sprechen, aber z.B. sind SU fest entschlossen, gegen Glazer zu kämpfen! Und wenns sein muss, dass man den eigenen Club in eine finanziell bedrohliche Situation bringt! SU hat auch mittlerweile (oder wird bald) einen Phoenix-Fund eingerichtet, mit dessen Geld ein eventuell ausgequetschter Verein von den Fans übernommen werden kann! Derzeit wird noch geprüft, ob man nicht alle Anteile an Aktien verkaufen soll (das Geld würde dann logischerweise in den Fund wandern)!

Ausserdem gibts für die meisten (alle?) sowieso nur Manchester United FC, FC United wäre ja eigentlich ein anderer Verein!

Ich frage mich, obs nicht sogar im Sinne der Fans wäre, die CL nicht zu erreichen? Nike hat ja für den Falle des sportlichen Misserfolges auch schon gedroht... Für United wird es wohl so oder so in einem finanziellen Fiasko enden, "nett" wärs natürlich auch, wenn dies auch auf Glazer zutreffen würde! Möglicherweise würdest es sogar du ihm vergönnen!

[Gampern]

Immerhin hat man über ein Jahrzehnt sehr davon profitiert.

Nein, eigentlich nicht! Die einzigen, die vom IPO profitiert haben, war die Familie Edwards! Für den Verein selbst sprang nur der Umbau bzw. Neubau des upper tier des Stretford Ends (West Stand) heraus!

[ianrush]

Ja natürlich, die Fans haben den Verein an die Börse gebracht, die Fans haben das FC aus dem Badge entfernt... Zuerst denken, dann blub!

Nein hat man nicht, aber hats wen gestört, dass dadurch das Geld freigemacht wurde um die grossen Erfolge der 90er zu feiern ? Eben.

[themanwho]

Wenn wir schon dabei sind: Wehe ich erwische einen von euch, der die United-Sponsoren nicht boykottiert.

Vodafone -> nein, bin One Kunde

Nike -> hab Adidas Schuhe

Audi -> meinen A8 hab ich grad verkauft

Budweiser -> grauslich, zumindest das amerikanische

Dimension Data -> aha, was tun die?

Ladbrokes -> wette nur im Rieder Stadion, dort gibts die net

Pepsi -> wenn dann Coca

Fujifilm -> bei einer Digicam brauch ich keinen Film

Wilkinson -> M3 (nur wegen Beckham)

Century FM -> was tun die, Teil 2

[herr_obskur]

Hat der alte Hexenmeister

Sich doch einmal wegbegeben!

Und nun sollen seine Geister

Auch nach meinem Willen leben.

Seine Wort und Werke

Merkt ich und den Brauch,

Und mit Geistesstärke

Tu ich Wunder auch.

Walle! walle

Manche Strecke,

Daß, zum Zwecke,

Wasser fließe

Und mit reichem, vollem Schwalle

Zu dem Bade sich ergieße.

Und nun komm, du alter Besen,

Nimm die schlechten Lumpenhüllen!

Bist schon lange Knecht gewesen:

Nun erfülle meinen Willen!

Auf zwei Beinen stehe,

Oben sei ein Kopf,

Eile nun und gehe

Mit dem Wassertopf!

Walle! walle

Manche Strecke,

Daß, zum Zwecke,

Wasser fließe

Und mit reichem, vollem Schwalle

Zu dem Bade sich ergieße.

Seht, er läuft zum Ufer nieder!

Wahrlich! ist schon an dem Flusse,

Und mit Blitzesschnelle wieder

Ist er hier mit raschem Gusse.

Schon zum zweiten Male!

Wie das Becken schwillt!

Wie sich jede Schale

Voll mit Wasser füllt!

Stehe! stehe!

Denn wir haben

Deiner Gaben

Vollgemessen! -

Ach, ich merk es! Wehe! wehe!

Hab ich doch das Wort vergessen!

Ach, das Wort, worauf am Ende

Er das wird, was er gewesen!

Ach, er läuft und bringt behende!

Wärst du doch der alte Besen!

Immer neue Güsse

Bringt er schnell herein,

Ach, und hundert Flüsse

Stürzen auf mich ein!

Nein, nicht länger

Kann ichs lassen:

Will ihn fassen!

Das ist Tücke!

Ach, nun wird mir immer bänger!

Welche Miene! welche Blicke!

O, du Ausgeburt der Hölle!

Soll das ganze Haus ersaufen?

Seh ich über jede Schwelle

Doch schon Wasserströme laufen.

Ein verruchter Besen,

Der nicht hören will!

Stock, der du gewesen,

Steh doch wieder still!

Willst am Ende

Gar nicht lassen?

Will dich fassen,

Will dich halten

Und das alte Holz behende

Mit dem scharfen Beile spalten!

Seht, da kommt er schleppend wieder!

Wie ich mich nur auf dich werfe,

Gleich, o Kobold, liegst du nieder;

Krachend trifft die glatte Schärfe.

Wahrlich! brav getroffen!

Seht, er ist entzwei!

Und nun kann ich hoffen,

Und ich atme frei!

Wehe! wehe!

Beide Teile

Stehn in Eile

Schon als Knechte

Völlig fertig in die Höhe!

Helft mir, ach! ihr hohen Mächte!

Und sie laufen! Naß und nässer

Wirds im Saal und auf den Stufen:

Welch entsetzliches Gewässer!

Herr und Meister, hör mich rufen! -

Ach, da kommt der Meister!

Herr, die Not ist groß!

Die ich rief, die Geister,

Werd ich nun nicht los.

"In die Ecke,

Besen! Besen!

Seids gewesen!

Denn als Geister

Ruft euch nur, zu seinem Zwecke,

Erst hervor der alte Meister."

(johann wolfgang von goethe)

[Gampern]

Hab ja schonmal angedeutet, dass SU bald einen Phoenix Fund einrichten werden. Dieser soll das Geld bereitstellen, damit die Supporter nach Glazer den Verein übernehmen können (ja, es muss ja schon weiter gedacht werden). Derzeit halten SU und einzelne Shareholder, die SU ihre Unterstützung zugesagt haben, etwa 18% der Aktien was ca. 140 Mio. £ entspricht. Bis 13.6 können die Aktien noch an Glazer zu einem Preis von 3 £/Aktie verkauft werden. Einen kleinen Anteil ausgenommen wird man dem wohl nachkommen (was im Falle des Falles eine ironische Note hätte, da sich die Fans United zum Teil mit Glazer-Geld zurückkaufen würden). Es ist durchaus realistisch, dass alleine davon mind. 10-20 Mio., wenn nicht viel mehr, für den Fund generiert werden. Die Überlegungen, wie Geld aufzutreiben ist, gehen in alle Richtungen (der Verein hats ja vorgemacht, wie man mit allem und jedem Geld verdient). Z.B. könnte es bald eine Liste mit von SU empfohlenen Unternehmen geben: Bei diesen Unternehmen wandern dann z.B. 5% des Kaufpreises in den Phoenix Fund Account des Käufers und 5% in den des Verkäufers. usw.

Fans tell Vodafone: “The Future’s Not Bright, The Future’s Orange”:

Shareholders United, the Manchester United Supporters’ Trust, is continuing with co-ordinated efforts to put significant pressure on United sponsors as part of the NO CUSTOMERS=NO PROFIT campaign, aimed at ‘tainting the brand’ and putting a stranglehold on Glazer’s debt-repayment income.

SU has struck a deal with corporate communications firms Phoenix Telecom and Upgrades Direct to facilitate and administer the switching of Vodafone contracts to those of other networks, principally Orange, with United fans able to retain their existing telephone numbers as well as their current tariffs. Fans are also to urge their companies to switch corporate accounts via SU. For each contract switch referred through SU, Phoenix Telecom and Upgrades Direct will donate around £60 to SU’s new high-interest Reclaim United ‘Phoenix Fund’.

“It’s a win-win offer,” said SU vice-chair Oliver Houston. “United fans can put the squeeze on the parasitic Glazer whilst at the same time doing something positive by raising money for the ‘Phoenix Fund’.”

Vodafone ist hocherfreut über die Aktivitäten der Fans!

Fans Fight Panics Vodafone - Glazer War Stuns Phone Giants

VODAFONE - one of Manchester United's main sponsors - have expressed serious concern over the fans' backlash to Malcolm Glazer's controversial debt-laden £800million take-over.

The company, who are also high-profile backers of the England cricket team, and who pay out £9million a year to have their brand emblazoned on United shirts, are worried by the increasing number of cancellations of it's phone contracts.

Already Nike are believed to be considering their stance over their record-breaking £303million sponsorship of the club - but that is more to do with the club's lack of success recently on the field.

DAMAGE

But Vodafone are anxious to hold urgent talks with the Glazers in the knowledge that their day to day business has been hit by the adverse publicity which is being orchestrated the anti-Glazer pressure groups involving disillusioned United supporters.

A Vodafone source said: "What has happened at Manchester United has without doubt caused damage to us. We are not talking about a small group of disaffected supporters but an organised concerted campaign which has some muscle."

"Obviously, the longer it goes on then it is not good news for our sales. You enter sport sponsorship to enhance your image not to harm it."

[...]

The last thing the new owners want after having saddled United with debts of more then £500million following the £790million purchase of the club is for Nike and Vodafone to be considering pulling the plug on lucrative sponsorship deals.

Sorry für den etwas unstrukturierten Beitrag, aber in meinem Privatthread darf ich das!

bearbeitet 7. Juni 2005 von Gampern