Chapter 629： Manchester United change ownership

"went well?"

In the hotel, Tom Cruise, who had just arrived, saw Ronan and Will Smith, and immediately asked: "I heard that a strong competitor has come."

Will Smith said in a very exaggerated tone: "A super consortium with assets exceeding trillions."

Tom Cruise sighed: "In those countries, all dollars are flowing underground."

Ronan shrugged and said, "A country where oil is cheaper than water, what can be done?"

"We can't compare money." Tom Cruise asked: "We can beat the Abu Dhabi consortium."

Ronan smiled: "Tom, this is Britain, not the Middle East."

Will Smith said: "The residence of Chief Mansour of the Abu Dhabi Consortium in London is being surrounded by Manchester United fans in protest."

Tom Cruise nodded slightly: "It seems that you have done a lot of work?"

Ronan said: "Tomorrow we have arranged an interview with you and Will."

Will Smith said: "Don't worry, we can deal with this easily."

How to win the support of public opinion and how to please the public are the basic skills for celebrities to settle down.

Tom Cruise added: "I saw David in Los Angeles before I came." Seeing Ronan and Will Smith wondering, he quickly explained: "Just David Beckham, the front of Manchester United Master star."

Ronan nodded slightly: "You said last time that the Beckhams are going to Los Angeles."

Will Smith asked curiously: "David Beckham is not at Manchester United?"

"Last year there was a contradiction with the coach and a transfer." Tom Cruise said simply: "Currently playing in Real Madrid in Spain."

He said to Ronan: "Do you want David to stand up and say something? He is very influential among Manchester United fans."

"No." Ronan directly vetoed: "Beckham turned back, although there was a reason for it, but among the die-hard Manchester United fans, he is still a traitor."

The famous flying boot door turned Beckham and Ferguson's disciples against each other. Fans originally sympathized with Beckham extensively, but Beckham's spice wife stirred up trouble and quickly exhausted Beckham's sympathy points.

To be honest, whether the players support or not is secondary. Manchester United has one and only one king on the competitive level, and that is Ferguson.

Now, he has obtained the support of Ferguson.

Tom Cruise added: "I need to do anything, just say it."

Ronan waved his hand: "I will watch for the time being, this is not our war."

With a half-home advantage, Ronan dared to break his hands with the wealthy Abu Dhabi consortium.

If placed in the social environment five or six years later, he would have retreated without a fight.

News about the Abu Dhabi consortium and Manchester United quickly spread throughout Europe, attracting more media follow-up reports.

To Ronan's surprise, a French journalist of Arab origin brought a divine assist in an article published in the Le Figaro.

"I don’t understand why the Abu Dhabi consortium’s normal business operations aroused such dissatisfaction from the British? Are the Arabs poor boys who can’t stand up? The so-called adherence to tradition is just that they are jealous and immersed in it. Just an excuse for the past."

"The British have nothing left but ridiculous traditions."

"Hey, British, wake up from the glory of the British Empire..."

This report was like a spark that fell into the huge powder keg of Fleet Street and Manchester United fans and exploded directly.

The fighting power and slander ability of the British media need not be elaborated. Manchester United fans are passionate, and the fan group that besieged the Mansour mansion has also gone from standing still to protest and becoming uncontrollable.

Fans started throwing debris at the Mansour Chief’s mansion.

With the leader, the British football hooligans are not easy to control.

At the same time, the FA is also under great pressure. Many Manchester United fans came to the FA to petition and demand the FA to intervene.

Everything is developing in a direction that is not conducive to the Abu Dhabi consortium.

At the same time, Tom Cruise and Will Smith accepted an exclusive interview and made a series of solemn promises on TV, thanks to the great reputation of the two, and the fact that an Englishman regarded it as bad The extreme nouveau riche set off, Anderson did not say that he started to win the support of some Manchester United fans, but he is no longer so rejected.

Manchester, a meeting of the main figures of the shareholder alliance.

"Can you accept Arabs from the Middle East as the owners of the team?"

Milkins, who has a certain influence in the alliance, yelled: "I can't accept it! Yes, the Arabs have contacted me and even offered twice the market price for this share in my hand, but I don't accept it! I rejected them. I don’t allow myself to hand over the Manchester United club to the Arabs!"

Someone offered four times the market price for the shares in Milkins' hands, and Milkins would naturally not be moved by the double.

Milkins is a fan and the owner of a small supermarket. Recently, there has been a problem with the cash flow of the supermarket and he is in urgent need of funds.

After all, he is a procrastinator. Football can be his belief, but it is not the whole life.

There was an echo in the huge conference room.

Another minority shareholder answered: "I heard that some shareholders have hooked up with Arabs. Our shareholder alliance must show our attitude. The current situation is that the majority shareholders want to sell their shares for a good price. Many people have the same idea, and to be honest, I do too."

The more he speaks, the louder his voice: "As far as I am concerned, instead of selling the shares in my hand to the Arabs, it is better to sell to the Americans. No matter what, they also speak English, Will Smith and Tom Crewe. Si is also trustworthy."

Milkins echoed: "Now the biggest shareholders of the club are Manier and McManus. In addition to being busy with horse racing, these two people are taking the club’s profits and investing in horses, and even dragging the team behind. , It’s better to substitute."

Although these words are biased and provocative, they are all facts and have won the approval of most people.

Watkins, who holds the most shares in the shareholder alliance, just watched and said nothing.

As an investor, he is far less sensitive than the fans. Manchester United's shares are a business investment. Of course, whoever pays more is sold to whom.

There are many people who have the same ideas as him.

There are more people in the shareholder alliance, and they are no longer as consistent as before...

This temporary alliance is gradually disintegrating.

Although the Abu Dhabi consortium is trying to find ways to reverse the situation, the status of Arabs is a natural disadvantage that they cannot get rid of in a short time.

The frenzied boycott by Manchester United fans and the full firepower of Fleet Street are all developing in a direction that is extremely detrimental to the Abu Dhabi consortium.

Even Maniyah and McManus temporarily suspended contact with the Abu Dhabi consortium due to huge public opinion pressure.

The fans saved themselves. The same scene happened to Manchester United a few years ago, but that time was "non-violent and non-cooperative", and this time, the scene has been out of control.

The FA, which has remained silent, finally spoke out and publicly stated that as the most famous and successful football club in the UK, shareholders should carefully consider the feelings of fans when transferring equity.

Last time, it was the FA who made the announcement and terminated the bid for Manchester United by News Corp and the Abu Dhabi consortium.

This time, because of the Premier League environment and the need for commercialization, the FA's attitude is much softer than the previous one.

But Ronan's work was not done in vain. On the advice of his staff, William handed the pot to the British business department.

Jefferson’s team found the conflicting clauses from the current laws one by one and provided them to the FA. The Department of Industry and Commerce finally stopped the Abu Dhabi consortium’s acquisition of Manchester United on the grounds that it was “against public will” Motion.

Arabs are very rich, but in the period of just over two years after the 9/11 incident, in the context of a severely prejudiced Western background, the rich Arab tyrants could not do whatever they wanted.

The Abu Dhabi consortium can only withdraw. The stock price of Manchester United, which had risen all the way, has also experienced a small shock. Ronan took the opportunity to take advantage of the shares in the secondary market.

Subsequently, Jefferson quickly secured Watkins, a well-known director of Manchester United and an important member of the shareholder alliance.

In this way, the Anderson Company, which acquired the shell, already has 24% of Manchester United shares. If Manie and McManus are taken, the shares will exceed 50%.

According to the relevant laws of the United Kingdom, those who obtain more than half of the shares of a company can amend the company's charter and even have the power to dissolve the board of directors.

While Ronan adjusted his momentum to gain shares in Manchester United, Tom Cruise and Will Smith continued to make high-profile appearances, doing everything possible to win the recognition of Manchester United fans.

Using the Abu Dhabi consortium to go to thunder strategy has obviously played a role. After having an extremely repulsive and terrible potential acquirer, Manchester United fans no longer reject the acquisition group that speaks English and has two public figures guarantees as before. .

On the other hand, Jefferson’s negotiations with Manie and McManus have also made progress. After the Abu Dhabi consortium was forcibly retired Anderson acquired the hands of the two for 170 million pounds Nearly 30% of Manchester United shares.

At this point, Anderson has completed the holding of Manchester United, plus other income, the holding immediately rose to an absolute advantage of 61%.

At this stage, the Manchester United club has changed hands.

Subsequently, Korver and Jefferson, on behalf of Anderson, filed a formal general takeover application with the London Stock Exchange.

The other major shareholder of Manchester United, the Scottish mining giant Dobson decided to "follow the trend" and sell 6% of Manchester United's shares to Anderson.

By the time Ronan and the three left London in early June, Anderson's Manchester United shares were already close to 75%.

But there is still a lot of work to be done if Manchester United delist and become a privatized club.

According to the relevant British business regulations, as long as the holding reaches 90%, all shares of Manchester United can be forced to buy out, thereby realizing the privatization of the club.