BBC One’s upcoming Panorama investigation into the Glazers’ finances will look at both Manchester United, with debts now hitting more than £720 million, and into the family’s US strip mall business. With record low occupancy rates and a rumoured debt of more than $1 billion in the US, is the family’s empire close to collapse?
Airing at 10.30pm Tuesday 8 June, Manchester United – Into the Red marks an important mass-market exposé of the Glazer family’s ownership of United, coming just days after the Red Knights effectively pulled out of bidding for the club.
“Red is the colour of Manchester United, but now it’s equally famous as the colour of the club’s balance sheet,” previews the BBC’s long-running investigative news programme.
“Thousands of its fans wear green and gold as a protest against American owners, the Glazer family, who they say have saddled the club with a growing mountain of debt.
“Ahead of a possible bid for the Club, Panorama reporter John Sweeney explores the battle for the soul of United, the true scale of its debts and the ramifications it has for our national game on the eve of the World Cup.”
Earlier this season Andy Green – of Andersred blog fame – compiled extensive evidence on the Glazers’ failing US property business, with the family forced to borrow money from the club and sell the family home.
Sweeney, no stranger to the beautiful game, recently launched a new unauthorised biography on Wayne Rooney – Rooney’s Gold
Panorama, featuring Andy Green, airs at 10.30pm on Tuesday 8 June in England, or 8.30pm in Northern Ireland, with Sky subscribers on the mainland able to get the programme early at channel 973!
Glad it’s John Sweeny. He’s responsible for the single best moment in Panorama history: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjlo4u_8g60
Ahh, if only the BEEB would put the Glazers in front of Jeremy Paxman.
That would be worth watching – can’t supposedly Red Crick arrange that one?
Unfortunately, it’s Scouser Sweeney, who hates United with a passion and Andy Green who makes up stuff about the Glazers finances. They won’t be challenged by the Glazers or the club. I expect it will be a farce as normal.
He’s a good investigative reporter though. Really doesn’t matter if he “hates” United at all as long as some details come out in a mass market channel.
Hi John Smith,
Could you point me to what I have made up about the Glazers? I’ll happily correct any errors.
Thanks.
Lets just hope the programme is factual and does not skirt around the key issues.
Big shout out too AndersRed, letting the real United(and other ones if they cared to take their heads out of the sand) fans be explained to in simple terms how the Glazer are plundering United
Just to correct John Smith. I don’t hate United with a passion. As an old war reporter, I can’t remember how many times I’ve been in the poo in Bosnia or Angola or wherever with some moron shoving an AK up my nostrils and I’ve piped up: ‘Manchester United’ and then everybody starts disputing who is their greatest player. As it happens, I support Tranmere, my dad’s team, from the fashionable west bank of the Mersey. But you try saying to a Serb Chetnik, ‘Tranmere Rovers, super equipa…’ I’d be dead.
Thanks for that clarification John – Ed
what is this, ehy are they going on about negatives of glazers why not give overall amount glazers have made (income, with losses debt and then will find out how they are rather than focusing on all negatives aspects. This is a joke.
You ask, so I aim to please. That’s pretty easy – last annual accounts showed United’s parent company would have made a loss but for the sale of Ronaldo. So yeah, they’re fantastic at selling our best players to make lots of money.