Liverpool and Manchester United fan groups have called on government action in relation to their respective sale talks. Both groups are a little worried.
English football is in a bizarre situation right now as both of its biggest clubs are up for sale. It’s unprecedented, really, with both facing uncertain futures.
FSG and the Glazer family each kickstarted investment talks late last year. We’re now coming into February without a clear idea of what either side wants. That’s proving to be a concerning situation for some and now there’s been action.
Liverpool fan group Spirit of Shankly (SoS) and Manchester United Supporters’ Trust (MUST) have now released a joint statement on the talks. The crux of it all is this: the government should move to protect the game’s two biggest clubs from destructive ownership.
“That global profile will likely attract many potential bidders, including some whose primary motivations may not respect either the cultural heritage of our clubs or the values and interests of supporters,” says the statement, per Sky News.
“We think that should be a matter of importance to the government.
“Just as the government would not allow our most important cultural or heritage assets to fall into unfit or improper hands, it should not allow our football clubs to do so either.”
While they address the ongoing plans for an independent regulator, “there is a danger it will come too late for the country’s two biggest and most successful clubs”.
Liverpool sale talks
It’s a fantastic move from both supporters groups as many are underestimating the uncertainty here. We have no idea whose hands Liverpool could fall into – it’s entirely up to FSG.
Now, recent reports suggest FSG actually only want to sell a minority stake. That would keep Liverpool in their hands, effectively, just with a new partner.
But the potential is there for a full sale – and that’s quite scary. In fact, Liverpool have seen first-hand how scary that is. Tom Hicks and Goerge Gillett purchased the club back in 2007 with grand promises. Instead, they sucked money out of the club and nearly ran it out of business. Spirit of Shankly played an enormous role in fighting that and saving the club.
That should remind people of what’s at stake here, for both clubs. Otherwise, simply perform a quick test – how many owners around European football would you genuinely be happy with?
There are sports-washing enterprises like at Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain that some would be content with. Many wouldn’t want to see Liverpool turned into a vehicle for that, however – and rightly so.
There are the owners at Juventus who are currently under investigation for corruption. There are the Glazers at United, who have consistently faced protests from fans. You can say the same about Arsenal, even if they’re finding success for the minute. Chelsea moved from an oligarch into big-spending ownership that has them down in 10th.
It makes complete sense for SoS to do what they can to protect the club – any fan should support that. Even just to make the uncertainty a little less scary. Now we just wait to see if the government react.
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