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www.red11.org DAILY NEWS
Date: Sat Apr 10 GMT+00:00 1999
Mail: barry@www.red11.org
This Issue:
1. BSKYB'S MAN UNITED TAKEOVER BLOCKED
2. Man Utd takeover bid blocked
3. UK blows whistle on BSkyB/Man U deal
4. United fans delighted but divided after BSkyB bid blocked
5. MATCHSAVER GIGGS ON WHY MANCHESTER UNITED WILL STILL MAKE THE FINAL
6. Intriguing semi-finals keep FA Cup romance alive
7. ZZ tops Fergie shopping list
8. GIGGS IS THE BIG THREAT SAY JUVE
9. Sky falling in on United's future (Media talk!)
10. Takeover timeline - History of BSkyB's failed bid (Media talk!)
++++++=========+++++++========+++++++++========++++++++
Daily RED Trivia Sat 10th April 1999:
10/4/1891: Frank Knowles born in Hyde, Cheshire. Knowles was an enthusiastic
Half-back who made his debut at Aston Villa in March 1912. He made 47 appearances
between 1912-15 before the Great War interrupted his career. After the war
his talents were seen at Hartlepools United and Manchester City.
10/4/1991:
United win their European Cup Winners Cup Semi-Final 1st leg 3-1
at Legia Warsaw watched by 17,500. Brian McClair, Mark Hughes and
Steve Bruce were the scorers. Team was: Sealey, Irwin, Blackmore, Bruce,
Phelan (Donaghy), Pallister, Webb, Ince, McClair, Hughes, Sharpe.
***************
Man Utd takeover bid blocked
Friday, April 9, 1999
Trade and Industry Secretary Stephen Byers today blocked
BSkyB's bid to takeover Manchester United. The Department
of Trade and Industry said Mr Byers was acting on the
recommendation of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission
which delivered its report on the proposed takeover last
month.
Mr Byers said: 'The MMC's findings are based mainly on
competition grounds where they concluded that the merger
would adversely affect competition between broadcasters.
'But they also examined wider public interest issues
concluding that the merger would damage the quality of
British football. I accept these findings. BSkyB launched
its takeover bid for Manchester United in October offering
to pay £623 million for the club.
The deal was accepted by the club's board but was referred
to the MMC amid opposition to the deal from some MPs and
Manchester United fans.
Andy Walsh, chairman of the Manchester United Independent
Supporters Association, said today: 'It is a tremendous
victory for supporters of Manchester United and for all
football club fans.' He added: 'The news is fantastic and
follows seven months of hard work. This is great for us and
for anyone fighting for the independence of their club.'
**************
Barry Daily Comment:
Abs GREAT news today and congrats to ALL REDS who helped rthe IMUSA block the
takeover. A superb WIIN for the fans and a real RED future. The story will continue
Simplenet Website: http://www.red11.org/mufc/bskyb.htm
Previous News:
Brian Kidd Press conference, pic, real audio
http://www.iol.ie/~redcafe/kidd.htm
Peter Schmeichel's last Season at United!
http://www.red11.org/mufc/news/schmeichel.htm
Next games:
ALL Result/Fixture Index:3
http://www.red11.org/mufc/fix9899z.htm
Next Games:
Sunday! FAC Semi Arsenal at Villa Park 12.30 UK Live Sky Sports Uk
17 Sheff Wed (H) 15.00 PL
21 European Cup Semi Juventus (A) 19.45 CL
25 Leeds (A) 11.30 {am} UK PL Live Sky Sports UK
UNITED Stats v All teams:
http://www.red11.org/mufc/stats/
*** RESULTS AND ATTENDANCES ON 06/04/99 ***
Arsenal 1-0 Blackburn Rovers 37,762
Leicester City 2-2 Aston Villa 20,652
*** LEAGUE TABLE AS AT 06/04/99 ***
Pos Team P W D L F A GD Pts
---------------------------------------------------------
1 Manchester United 31 18 10 3 69 32 37 64
2 Arsenal 32 17 12 3 43 13 30 63
3 Chelsea 30 16 11 3 45 23 22 59
4 Leeds United 31 16 9 6 52 28 24 57
5 West Ham United 32 13 8 11 34 40 -6 47
6 Aston Villa 32 12 10 10 41 39 2 46
7 Derby County 31 11 11 9 35 36 -1 44
8 Liverpool 30 12 7 11 57 41 16 43
9 Middlesbrough 31 10 13 8 42 41 1 43
10 Newcastle United 32 11 9 12 43 45 -2 42
11 Wimbledon 32 10 11 11 36 48 -12 41
12 Tottenham Hotspur 31 9 13 9 35 37 -2 40
13 Sheffield Wednesday 32 11 5 16 38 36 2 38
14 Leicester City 30 9 11 10 32 39 -7 38
15 Coventry City 32 10 7 15 34 43 -9 37
16 Charlton Athletic 31 7 10 14 34 41 -7 31
17 Blackburn Rovers 32 7 10 15 32 43 -11 31
18 Everton 32 7 10 15 26 40 -14 31
19 Southampton 32 8 6 18 28 57 -29 30
20 Nottingham Forest 32 4 9 19 30 64 -34 21
*** TEAM RESULTS - MANCHESTER UNITED - AS AT 21/03/99 ***
Date Opposition Score Pos. Attend.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
15/08/98 Leicester City Home D 2-2 11 55,052
22/08/98 West Ham United Away D 0-0 11 26,039
09/09/98 Charlton Athletic Home W 4-1 9 55,147
12/09/98 Coventry City Home W 2-0 5 55,193
20/09/98 Arsenal Away L 0-3 10 38,142
24/09/98 Liverpool Home W 2-0 3 55,181
03/10/98 Southampton Away W 3-0 2 15,251
17/10/98 Wimbledon Home W 5-1 2 55,265
24/10/98 Derby County Away D 1-1 2 30,867
31/10/98 Everton Away W 4-1 2 40,079
08/11/98 Newcastle United Home D 0-0 3 55,174
14/11/98 Blackburn Rovers Home W 3-2 2 55,198
21/11/98 Sheffield Wednesday Away L 1-3 2 39,475
29/11/98 Leeds United Home W 3-2 2 55,172
05/12/98 Aston Villa Away D 1-1 2 39,241
12/12/98 Tottenham Hotspur Away D 2-2 1 36,079
16/12/98 Chelsea Home D 1-1 2 55,159
19/12/98 Middlesbrough Home L 2-3 3 55,152
26/12/98 Nottingham Forest Home W 3-0 3 55,216
29/12/98 Chelsea Away D 0-0 3 34,741
10/01/99 West Ham United Home W 4-1 3 55,180
16/01/99 Leicester City Away W 6-2 2 22,091
31/01/99 Charlton Athletic Away W 1-0 1 20,043
03/02/99 Derby County Home W 1-0 1 55,174
06/02/99 Nottingham Forest Away W 8-1 1 30,025
17/02/99 Arsenal Home D 1-1 1 55,171
20/02/99 Coventry City Away W 1-0 1 22,596
27/02/99 Southampton Home W 2-1 1 55,316
13/03/99 Newcastle United Away W 2-1 1 36,500
21/03/99 Everton Home W 3-1 1 55,182
03/04/99 Wimbledon Away D 1-1 1 26,121
*** TEAM RESULTS SUMMARY - MANCHESTER UNITED - AS AT 21/03/99 ***
P Won Drawn Lost For Against Points
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Home 16 11 (69%) 4 (25%) 1 (6%) 38 (2.4) 16 (1.0) 37 (2.3)
Away 14 7 (50%) 5 (36%) 2 (14%) 30 (2.1) 15 (1.1) 26 (1.9)
Total 30 18 (60%) 9 (30%) 3 (10%) 68 (2.3) 31 (1.0) 63 (2.1)
Averages per game in (brackets)
*** TEAM STATISTICS - MANCHESTER UNITED - AS AT 21/03/99 ***
AVERAGE HOME ATTENDANCE: 55,183
HIGHEST HOME ATTENDANCE: 27/02/99 - Southampton (55,316)
LOWEST HOME ATTENDANCE: 15/08/98 - Leicester City (55,052)
BEST WIN: 06/02/99 - Nottingham Forest (8-1)
HEAVIEST DEFEAT: 20/09/98 - Arsenal (0-3)
BEST HOME WIN: 17/10/98 - Wimbledon (5-1)
HEAVIEST HOME DEFEAT: 19/12/98 - Middlesbrough (2-3)
BEST AWAY WIN: 06/02/99 - Nottingham Forest (8-1)
HEAVIEST AWAY DEFEAT: 20/09/98 - Arsenal (0-3)
*****
Champions League:
Group D P W D L F A Pts
Bayern Munich 6 3 2 1 9 6 11
Man United 6 2 4 0 20 11 10
Barcelona 6 2 2 2 11 9 8
Brondby 6 1 0 5 4 18 3
Dec 9 Brøndby 0-2 Barcelona
Dec 9 Man Utd 1-1 Bayern Munich
******
CHAMPIONS' LEAGUE QUARTER-FINALS
Manchester Utd 2 v 0 Inter Milan
Real Madrid 1 v 1 Dynamo Kiev
Juventus 2 v 1 Olympiakos
Bayern Munich 2 v 0 Kaiserslautern
**DYNAMO KIEV 2 v 0 REAL MADRID (Agg:3-1)
FC KAISERSLAUTERN 0 v 4 **BAYERN MUNICH (Agg:0-6)
INTERNAZIONALE FC 1 v 1 **MANCHESTER UNITED (Agg:1-3)
OLYMPIAKOS 1 v 1 **JUVENTUS (Agg:2-3)
Semi Final 2nd legs to be played 21st April
Manchester United v Juventus [1-1]
Bayern Munchen v Dynamo Kiev [3-3]
++++++=========+++++++========+++++++++========++++++++
Click on pic for more!
Subject: BSKYB'S MAN UNITED TAKEOVER BLOCKED
BSkyB's £623million bid to buy Manchester United has been blocked by the
Department of Trade and Industry.
Trade secretary Stephen Byers announced the decision today after the
Government completed their study of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission's
report on the offer.
The MMC completed a five-month inquiry into the proposed deal on March 12.
Byers, who said he was acting on the recommendation of the Commission,
revealed: ''The MMC's findings are based mainly on competition grounds
where they concluded that the merger would adversely affect competition
between broadcasters.
''But they also examined wider public interest issues concluding that the
merger would damage the quality of British Football. I accept these
findings.'' Paul Richards, of the Shareholders Against Murdoch, told Sky
News: ''It's great news for us as football fans but also football in general.
''Manchester United's future is pretty well assured as an independent
company and an incredibly successful company. We as shareholders have been
delighted with the performance of our shares in recent years.
''But it was always difficult to see what BSkyB could bring to the party
because the club already had the money to buy players and the commercial
arm and brand is one of the most successful in the world.
''I think this has drawn a line in the sand. All those media conglomerates
who've been planning to take over clubs have to go back to the drawing board.
''We're now going to push for a place for grassroots fans to be on the
board because we need to make sure football is run in the eyes of everyone,
including fans, and not just those who stand to make money.'
Click on pic for more!
Subject: Man Utd takeover bid blocked
Friday, April 9, 1999
Trade and Industry Secretary Stephen Byers today blocked BSkyB's bid to
takeover Manchester United.
The Department of Trade and Industry said Mr Byers was acting on the
recommendation of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission which delivered its
report on the proposed takeover last month.
Mr Byers said: 'The MMC's findings are based mainly on competition grounds
where they concluded that the merger would adversely affect competition
between broadcasters.
'But they also examined wider public interest issues concluding that the
merger would damage the quality of British football. I accept these findings.
BSkyB launched its takeover bid for Manchester United in October offering
to pay £623 million for the club.
The deal was accepted by the club's board but was referred to the MMC amid
opposition to the deal from some MPs and Manchester United fans.
Andy Walsh, chairman of the Manchester United Independent Supporters
Association, said today: 'It is a tremendous victory for supporters of
Manchester United and for all football club fans.'
He added: 'The news is fantastic and follows seven months of hard work.
This is great for us and for anyone fighting for the independence of their
club.'
Click on pic for more!
Subject: UK blows whistle on BSkyB/Man U deal
By Keith Weir
LONDON, April 9 - The British government on Friday blocked plans for pay
TV giant BSkyB to buy top English soccer club Manchester United Plc
* in a billion dollar deal.
Trade Secretary Stephen Byers said that the deal would adversely affect
competition between broadcasters and also damage the quality of British
soccer.
The 623 million pound ($999.2 million) bid by BSkyB, 40 percent owned by
Rupert Murdoch's News Corp *, was referred to Britain's Monopolies
and Mergers Commission (MMC) last October. The MMC presented its report to
Byers last month and the minister said he had accepted its findings.
The planned deal would have brought together the nation's leading pay TV
broadcaster and the biggest and most successful English soccer club. BSkyB
has live TV rights to premier league matches under a contract which runs
until 2001.
"I agree with the MMC that the advantages which ownership of Manchester
United would give BSkyB over other broadcasters in future sales of premier
league broadcasting rights would substantially increase its chances of
winning these rights and would deter some other broadcasters from competing
for them," Byers said in a statement.
Byers said he also accepted that the merger would damage the quality of
British soccer by "reinforcing the tend towards growing inequalities
between the larger, richer clubs and the smaller, poorer ones."
The decision was immediately greeted by Manchester United supporters
opposed to the takeover.
However, shares in the club dived on the London Stock Exchange in reaction
to the news, falling almost 15 percent to 186p. That compares with a 240p
per share cash offer.
The bid, first tabled last September, angered many United supporters and
others in the game concerned that BSkyB was getting too much influence over
British soccer.
Passions also ran high over the 'Murdoch factor', the media magnate owning
four British national newspapers. His top-selling tabloid Sun crucially
switched sides in the run-up to the 1997 election and backed Tony Blair's
Labour.
BSkyB said in a statement that it remained convinced that the merger would
not have raised competition concerns.
Click on pic for more!
Subject: United fans delighted but divided after BSkyB bid blocked
By Jeremy Butler
MANCHESTER, England, April 9 - In a working men's club where the bar is
called "The Vault of Dreams", fans were divided over the future of
Manchester United following the government's decision to block BSKyB's
takeover of the club.
Those who had campaigned for seven months against the bid celebrated
without restraint.
"I'm so happy it's not gone through because it would have ruined our club.
Just look where we are now, we are the top club in Britain and arguably
Europe -- what we do we need his money for?" said Andy Spencer.
But others were not so sure the decision to turn down the one billion
dollar bid from Rupert Murdoch's pay tv giant was in the club's best
interests.
"I must admit I would have quite liked to see him come in and give us some
more money. Maybe if they'd let Sky buy the club they could afford to get
players like Zinedine Zidane," said Roy Mell.
Trade Secretary Stephen Byers said the proposed tie-up would have adversely
affected competition between broadcasters and also damaged the quality of
British soccer. BSkyB already has live TV rights to premier league matches.
The board of the Old Trafford club said it was disappointed by the
decision. United lead the premier league and are in the semifinals of the
European Cup and the English F.A Cup.
"The board is confident that Manchester United will maintain its record of
success and secure its objectives of achieving consistently outstanding
playing and business performance for the benefit of supporters, employees
and shareholders."
But the overall mood in the city was one of joy that the Theatre of Dreams
would not be taken over by a company whose first obligation was to its
shareholders and television, rather than to soccer and the club's fans.
"To coin a footballing phrase we are over the moon. We were told stopping
this deal going through was the impossible dream," said Lee Hodgkiss of the
Manchester United Supporters' Association.
"Everyone knew this was a bad deal for football. It was a great deal for
(BSkyB owner Rupert) Murdoch but not for football and that was why it was
so important to stop him doing this."
Steve Briscoe of the Independent Manchester United Supporters' Association
was in no doubt that an important victory had been achieved, and not just
against BSkyB.
"To be honest, nobody in football wanted this deal. The board care about
one thing: money. The club is about passion, European soccer nights.
"If Martin Edwards (Manchester United's chairman) wants to bail out and
sell his shares, fine. He should sell his shares to the fans who love this
club."
The United chairman, who has run the club for nearly two decades, has long
been the target of criticism from some Old Trafford fans.
Vic Wakeling, the head of sports at BSkyB, offered a more pragmatic view of
what the blocking of the deal could mean.
"This places English clubs, competing in Europe, competing for the best
players, at a disadvantage because media companies do invest in other
European clubs and are being allowed to continue to do so."
Vic Wakeling, a lifelong fan of Newcastle United who are themselves subject
of a takeover bid by NTL, said it was unlikely now that any media company
would own an English soccer club.
The government said on Friday it would refer the NTL bid for Newcastle to
the same monopolies board which raised serious concerns about the
United/BSkyB link-up.
Click on pic for more!
Subject: MATCHSAVER GIGGS ON WHY MANCHESTER UNITED WILL STILL MAKE THE FINAL
RYAN GIGGS handed Manchester United a European Cup lifeline with his last-gasp
equaliser against Juventus on Wednesday night, then told Football365:
"We can definitely still make it to the final." Giggs' late, late strike
cancelled out Antonio Conte's first half goal in a game which even the Welshman admits
the Italian giants dominated.
"It was a very difficult game for us," he acknowledged. "In the first half
in particular they really controlled the game; we never got any space or any time on the
ball. You have to give Juventus credit for that because Old Trafford isn't the
easiest place to come and get a result. Mind you, we always knew it was going to be
difficult against Juventus. You don't get to the last three European Cup finals
without being an exceptional team, do you? People have said that they've gone off the boil,
that they're not as strong as they used to be, but I think they showed against us that
that's way off the mark."
But despite his admiration for the likes of Zidane, Davids and Inzaghi,
Giggs is sure that United can complete the job in Turin to reach the final of Europe's
most prestigious competition.
"It's not the impossible task some people seem to think it is," he
claimed. "We'll be going to Turin with a lot of confidence. It's not the
ideal situation to go there without an advantage, but we're in the
middle of a long unbeaten run just now and it will only take the odd
goal to see us through. We know exactly what's required and we
certainly showed towards the end of the game that we can cause
them problems. I thought that Teddy Sheringham's goal was good
and Paul Scholes was unlucky with a header. We pressed them and
eventually we got our reward with the goal."
And Giggs believes that the key to the second leg is for United to be
as positive at the Stadio Delle Alpi as Juventus were at Old Trafford:
"We've got to go to Turin and be prepared to get after them. We
can't afford to sit back and defend. We have to take the game to
them in the same way that they did against us in Manchester and if
we do that and play like we know we can, then I honestly believe
we'll make it to the final."
Click on pic for more!
Subject: Intriguing semi-finals keep FA Cup romance alive
By Mike Collett
LONDON, April 9 (Reuters) - The domestic double hopes of either Arsenal or
Manchester United will come to an end on Sunday -- or at the latest in a
replay next Wednesday -- when the two clash in the semifinal of the F.A. Cup
at Villa Park.
League Cup winners Tottenham Hotspur meet last season's F.A. Cup runners-up
Newcastle United in the second semi at Old Trafford, completing a quartet of
clubs who have won the world's oldest knock-out trophy 30 times between
them.
Manchester United won the cup for the ninth time to overtake Spurs previous
all-time record of eight cup wins in 1996, while Arsenal took their tally to
seven wins when they completed the double last season. Newcastle have won
the trophy six times, although their last victory was as long ago as 1955.
The pairings are full of possibilities which further enhance the romance of
a competition which never loses its capacity to amaze and intrigue.
Arsenal, who beat Newcastle 2-0 in last season's final to complete the
double, are hoping to become the only club ever to do the double in
consecutive seasons.
If both Arsenal and Newcastle win through to the May 22 final at Wembley it
will be the first "repeat" final since 1885 when Blackburn Rovers defeated
Queen's Park of Glasgow 2-0, following up their 2-1 victory over the Glasgow
side 12 months earlier.
United, meanwhile, who lead the Gunners by a point with a game in hand in
the league, are hoping to become the first English club to achieve a treble"
of English title, F.A. Cup and European Cup -- as well as winning a domestic
double of their own for the third time in six years.
Tottenham, resurgent since former Arsenal boss George Graham took over at
White Hart Lane in October, are also looking to complete a domestic cup
double after winning the League Cup three weeks ago.
The only other club to achieve that particular feat is Arsenal -- under
Graham in 1993.
Spurs (1961-1962 and 1981-1982) are one of only two clubs -- Newcastle
(1951-1952) being the other -- to win the cup in successive seasons this
century -- a feat Arsenal could emulate this season.
Newcastle may not be chasing anything other than a long-overdue win in the
competition, but they go into their semifinal knowing that, like the other
three, they have already secured a place in Europe next season.
UEFA have ruled that Newcastle will qualify for the UEFA Cup even if they
finish as losing semifinalists, but coach Ruud Gullit, who became the first
foreign manager to win the cup, with Chelsea in 1997, would prefer a double
of his own -- by becoming the first foreign coach to oversee two F.A. Cup
winning clubs.
Action begins on Sunday at Villa Park at 1130 gmt -- with Arsenal bidding to
prolong their superiority over United who could well come into the match
less fresh following their exertions against Juventus in the European Cup on
Wednesday.
Arsenal are unbeaten against United in their last six matches and although
they have already beaten United 3-0 in both the Charity Shield season
curtain-raiser and a league match at Highbury in September, their 1-1 draw
with United at Old Trafford on February 17 was a fairer reflection of their
relative qualities.
Arsenal are without inspirational midifielder Emmanuel Petit, suspended
after his third red card of the season, while United's main injury worry
would appear to be defender Henning Berg.
Both clubs know so much about each other and have such strong squads that
Sunday's match is bound to be close and could easily be drawn. Penalties may
yet separate loser from winner.
The same is probably true of the Tottenham-Newcastle semifinal at Old
Trafford.
The two sides fought out a 1-1 draw at Newcastle in the league on Monday,
but there were few clues from that match about the possible outcome on
Sunday.
Newcastle were without Alan Shearer, who has scored nine times against Spurs
in 11 matches throughout his career and German striker Dietmar Hamann. Both
are expected to return on Sunday while Newcastle could have Duncan Ferguson
on the bench ready for his first match since being injured in December.
Tottenham were without former Newcastle favourites David Ginola and Les
Ferdinand on Monday and they are both set to be recalled for a game which is
likely to be produce goals for both teams.
The final could see Arsenal and Tottenham meeting in the first ever North
London derby final, or Manchester United and Tottenham meeting in a battle
between the two most successful cup clubs of all time -- or Newcastle facing
United for the first time, or a repeat of last year's final.
Whatever the outcome, the final F.A. Cup final of the century will not be
short on pedigree.
Click on pic for more!
Subject: ZZ tops Fergie shopping list
By Graham Hunter
Friday, April 9, 1999
As Juventus started to remove the 'Not For Sale' sign around Zinedine
Zidane's neck yesterday, they already knew the identity of the first bidder.
If, as expected, France's World Footballer of the Year is formally put on
the market after the Champions League semi-final second leg, Juve know that
Alex Ferguson will be waiting outside the Stadio Delle Alpi with his
sleeping bag and flask of tea like a Harrods sale bargain hunter.
Although the hopes and fears of Manchester United fans are fixed exclusively
on the test in Turin on April 21, Ferguson's eyes are already trained on a
variety of other prizes - none of which are silver or can be competed for on
the football pitch, only bought.
They are the world's elite handful of players, Edwin van der Sar, Lillian
Thuram, Juan Sebastian Veron, Zidane and Gabriel Batistuta.
Ferguson said: 'They are wonderful footballers who could bring something
extra here. But we are talking about the top four or five players in the
world in their respective positions and they would run into fortunes.'
Under that top layer rests an almost equally rich stratum: Gianluigi Buffon,
Rivaldo, Marcelo Salas and Henrik Larsson, all of whom have attracted
Ferguson's attention.
The Old Trafford manager's restless ambition has already vaulted far beyond
the next fortnight and he is currently plotting the transfers needed for the
next two or three years - assuming Manchester United meet his own
contractual demands.
The process of adding muscle must start long before this season proves
whether the current squad is strong enough to conquer Europe. Who could
blame him for wanting a team which doesn't put him through 'torture', as he
described Wednesday night's 1-1 draw with Juventus in the first leg of the
Champions League semi-final.
The exercise will start, Ferguson now believes, with the £8million purchase
of Ajax's Holland goalkeeper van der Sar, an urgent replacement given that
Peter Schmeichel is about to demob.
Replacing the other troops, however, is a much more sensitive and difficult
operation - one which Ferguson is now willing to discuss.
'The players I already have here compare favourably with any of the others
around, so you can see the difficulty with improving that,' he told The
Scotsman newspaper.
'Because of the level at which our ambitions lie, it is quite difficult to
improve our squad. In defence you would be looking at Parma's Thuram, a
genuine top-class man who could improve things here.
'In midfield there would be Zidane at Juventus or Veron, also at Parma. In
attack you would be thinking of Batistuta of Fiorentina, a world-class
player who has been the top scorer in Italy for something like five of the
last six seasons.'
Zidane, undoubtedly, would be the jewel in the crown. However arresting his
performance in the Stade de France last July when he won the World Cup for
France almost single-handed, it is the way he has now tormented United on
four separate occasions which has seduced Ferguson.
Veron and Thuram are both relentless footballing machines, blessed with a
combination of aggression, speed and intimidating physical presence.
All three are fairly likely to move club in the summer but there is a
lengthy queue of managers waiting eagerly and Ferguson is gearing up his
board once again to spend the 'fortunes' which brought Dwight Yorke and Jaap
Stam for a combined £23m.
Buying two or three from Fergie's new wish list would potentially double, or
even treble, that daring outlay - particularly when wages and bonuses are
taken into account.
The good news for Ferguson is that he may be about to come into a sizeable
inheritance.
Regardless of the millions that would come with winning the Champions
League, the proposed BSkyB takeover would release massive funds for team
building.
Under the ownership of BSkyB, United would also have a vested interest in
buying a brilliant South American to open up the mass television markets of
that continent, the vast extra merchandising potential and the prospect of
pay-per-view.
Van der Sar, however, is a more immediate priority than dreaming up new ways
for the world's richest club to earn still more money. Ferguson said: 'We do
have to address the problem of a goalkeeper because Peter is leaving,
although no-one knows where for, and he will be a hard man to follow.'
Van der Sar has already told Sportsmail: 'Going to England would be good for
my development. If I were to get the opportunity to go to Manchester United
I would be open to it.'
Ajax sources now believe van der Sar has decided it will, indeed, be United
ahead of Barcelona and Lazio and that the player's representatives have
conveyed the good news to Ferguson.
Over the next two or three months it will become clear whether signing
others from among the world elite is merely an ambitious manager's
pipedream. Alan Shearer once fell into that category and Batistuta will
probably follow him - both because of his age, 30, and his choice to extend
his contract at Fiorentina.
Then again, Ferguson may indeed be engineering the day when the World
Footballer of the Year and two or three of the pretenders to his throne
drive through the gates of United's Cliff training ground, park their
expensive cars and pull on Manchester United training gear.
Click on pic for more!
Subject: GIGGS IS THE BIG THREAT SAY JUVE
JUVENTUS star Edgar Davids flew back to Turin in the early hours of
yesterday morning kicking himself that Manchester United's European Cup
dream is still alive.
The Dutch superstar believes the Italian giants should have shown no mercy
and killed them off at Old Trafford.
"When we go 1-0 up we usually lock the door and throw away the key," he
said. "But we didn't do that this time. We gave them back the key."
Now Davids and Co are determined to finish the job in Turin a week on
Wednesday with one mission in mind: Stop Ryan Giggs. The Welshman showed in
the final 45 minutes what a threat he can be to world class defenders and
his goal was a warning.
Davids adds: "United played with more aggression going forward because they
had Giggs playing for the win in the second half. I felt United came alive
when Giggs played and he will be a danger to us in Turin."
Juventus were rocked last night by claims in Italy that Manchester United
had made an audacious £18 million bid for World Footballer of the Year
Zinedine Zidane.
The Italians' general manager, Luciano Moggi, is reported to have met with a
'high-ranking' United official before their Champions League clash.
Click on pic for more!
Subject: Sky falling in on United's future (Media talk!)
By Ken Lawrence Saturday, April 10, 1999
Manchester United's bland response to the news that set off a nationwide
wave of relief among fans tried to suggest that the 15 per cent fall in
their share value was nothing more than a mere Stock Market blip.
Yet, the sky now threatens to fall in on United's masterplan to rule Europe
following the Government's decision yesterday to block Rupert Murdoch at
the gates of Old Trafford.
Alex Ferguson's long-term future, and those of key players like captain Roy
Keane, Ryan Giggs and David Beckham, have been instantly thrown into doubt
as the pot of gold which chairman and chief executive Martin Edwards
believed was so important to the club was snatched away.
United's ability to rival their European opponents for the biggest names in
the game - such as Zinedine Zidane, Juan Veron, Edwin Van Der Sar or
Gabriel Batistuta - will also be diminished while some of the best players
may now decide that the fields of mainland Europe are too green to ignore.
While United may officially be the richest sporting club in the world,
Edwards, who stood to make almost £90million by selling his shares,
insisted seven months ago that he and his directors had voted unanimously
to accept BSkyB's £623m not as a financial act of betrayal but to secure a
'safe, prosperous future' for United.
By his own definition, therefore, the approaching Millennium, which Edwards
insisted would have brought so much to the United supporters in terms of
the purchasing of star players and even greater trophy success, is now not
so much the end of the rainbow as a cloud bank full of doubts and worries.
Last night, one United director was insisting privately that, despite
Murdoch's failure, the club would still have the money this summer to meet
the £20m Juventus want for Zidane and a further £12m for Tottenham's Sol
Campbell.
It is true that, with a turnover last year of £90m, United are a global
money machine. Yet, Edwards, who will not quit despite calls for him to do
so from the rebel Independent Manchester United Supporters' Association,
has always stressed that, with shareholders to satisfy, his club must stick
to a tight wage scale.
Had Murdoch been allowed into the Theatre of Dreams, that wage scale would
have been scrapped as part of a blueprint to make United not only the
biggest club on the planet in a financial sense but in terms of on-field
domination.
BSkyB's managing director Vic Wakeling said last night: 'We had the
worldwide contacts to exploit the brand name of Manchester United. We could
have helped United as well as ourselves but now they'll be at a
disadvantage against the top European clubs when it comes to buying the
cream of the Continent.'
Murdoch, who would have used the club to break into the huge Chinese market
as well as large tracts of Asia and Australasia, would not have blinked at
huge wages for the best players.
But Robert Race, representing the firm of Wise and Speak, who were charged
with selling United shares, admitted: 'There can be no question that the
decision to turn down BSkyB's offer will affect United in the transfer
market when it comes to big European players.'
The chances of securing Zidane already look ruined in what may yet turn out
to be a pyrrhic victory for the supporters who gathered the support of 300
MPs in the fight few at first gave them a hope of winning.
The decision could reverberate through football for some time. One City
analyst, who specialises in soccer-related shares, said: 'This news will
knock the football market for six - it's like a cold shower of reality for
the clubs. The football share market has been flagging recently and the
industry was hoping BSkyB's deal with United would give it a big boost.
'A lot of other listed clubs were watching the situation to see what would
happen. Now they're going to have to make other plans.'
But United's statement, as share prices fell by £85m, indicated that they
felt there was absolutely no reason to panic.
It read: 'The board of Manchester United today note this decision. Although
disappointed by the outcome, the board is confident that Manchester United
will maintain its record of success and secure its objective of achieving
consistently outstanding playing and business performance for the benefit
of its supporters, employees and shareholders.'
Yet, Ferguson was already rattling his sabre in preparation for this
summer's talks on a new contract, hinting he may leave unless he receives
pay parity with his players. But even if he is granted the £1.3m a year
that he wants, his ambition to dominate Europe has already been blighted.
No longer can he count on walking into a negotiating room with the same
clout and swagger as his European rivals.
While he may yet sign the three-year contract which will be offered to him
in the summer, the lock-out of BSkyB now suggests it will be his last
because he will always know that rather than the sky being the limit, he
will face financial restrictions.
Keane, currently deadlocked with United over his demands for £2m a year,
has threatened to quit the club in just over a year if he does not get what
he wants. BSkyB, in its own commercial interests, would have stumped up.
United, unless they wish to shatter their own pay structure, cannot.
Beckham, Giggs, and possibly Andy Cole, may now feel that, when they reach
the end of their current contracts in four years' time, they would be
better off heading for the Continent, where they could double their money.
So while those United supporters who had campaigned against BSkyB so
courageously were celebrating last night, there are likely to be problems
around the corner, though IMUSA spokesman Andy Walsh insisted: 'We said all
along that we did not need BSkyB but they needed us.
'It's rubbish for Vic Wakeling to suggest the failure of the takeover will
hurt us. United are the biggest club in the world and the wealthiest. But
for the naked greed of a few directors we would not need to have gone
through all of this.
'I believe this is also a victory for all of football and I think the
Government should now appoint a regulator to protect clubs from this kind
of takeover attempt.'
Ferguson would not comment last night but Old Trafford had been shaken to
its foundations.
Manchester United - The Legend: http://manunited.net
Click on pic for more!
Subject: Takeover timeline - History of BSkyB's failed bid (Media talk!)
September 7, 1998: The Manchester United board confirm Sky's bid to the
Stock Exchange. The Plc board recommend shareholders to accept the
increased offer of £623.4million.
September 9: The Manchester United board confirm to the Stock Exchange they
have accepted the bid. A news conference is held to announce the deal.
United are criticised from all sides, including Sports Minister Tony Banks,
former Heritage Secretary David Mellor and ex-players Brian McClair and
Sammy McIlroy.
September 13: US investment bank Salomon Smith Barney reveal they have been
asked to speak to United's financial advisers on behalf of a mystery client.
September 14: Queen drummer Roger Taylor gives the Independent Manchester
United Supporters' Association (IMUSA) £10,000 to help them fight the takeover.
September 16: United club chairman Martin Edwards reveals talks about a new
contract for Alex Ferguson are held up by the takeover.
October 20: Shareholders United Against Murdoch submit a report to the
City, arguing the bid undervalues the club.
October 29: The takeover is referred to the Monopolies and Mergers
Commission by then Trade and Industry secretary Peter Mandelson on the
advice of the Director General of Fair Trading.
November 18: United directors face criticism at the annual meeting, with
calls for club chairman Edwards and Plc counterpart Sir Roland Smith to quit.
December 8: Edwards agrees to meet representatives of IMUSA for the first
time in three years.
December 23: Mandelson resigns as Trade and Industry secretary. He is
replaced by Stephen Byers.
January 25, 1999: The Premier League refuses to bow to United fans' demands
and oppose BSkyB's proposed takeover.
April 9: Byers announces the takeover has been prevented following the
MMC's report. He says: "The MMC's findings are based mainly on competition
grounds where they concluded that the merger would adversely affect
competition between broadcasters.
"But they also examined wider public interest issues concluding that the
merger would damage the quality of British football. I accept these findings."
Manchester United - The Legend: http://manunited.net
Click on pic for more!
Pic Link today is http://www.red11.org/mufc/bskyb.htm
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