Blackpool Gazette preview of BPL v Man Utd - 25/01/11

Tonight two set of supporters from Manchester will travel up the M6. One group will bypass the signs and bright lights of the tower and carry on to the gateway to the Lake District for the Evostik Premier Division meeting between Kendal Town and FC United of Manchester – the club formed as a revolt against the owners of Manchester United.

The Glazers have unquestionably endured a turbulent time at Old Trafford in their six year tenure. An £800M buy out of the club has been followed by three Premier League titles and two European Cup final appearances, one a victory, but that has still not been enough to please all of the fans.

The Red Devils, owned by the controversial American family, recently denied meetings with an investment group owned by the Qatari royal family who are potentially willing to offer up to £1.5bn for the club.

It is believed that United’s owners value the club at closer to £2bn, a remarkable figure for a sports team and one that could probably buy the town of Blackpool various times over.

United’s finances seem to be a montage of loans and balance sheets with an array of noughts stuck here, there and everywhere. The crux though is that the debt accumulated by a £500M bond rises by an interest rate of £40M per year – the price of Wayne Rooney’s gleaming new five year contract.

A £200M PIK loan of high interest, to the tune of 16% has been paid off and fuelled speculation of new investment and a possible takeover. Unfortunately for the Stretford End faithful though, it is unlikely to be the fans-orientated ‘Red Knights’ group who planned to buy the club and put it back in to the hands of the fans.

The last time Blackpool met Manchester United in a league encounter was 1971, the same year that Joe Frazier beat Muhammad Ali at Madison Square Gardens.

While United could be seen as a world ‘heavyweight’, Blackpool’s involvement could see tonight’s game as a mismatch of giant proportions. Indeed, they are on an even keel with regards to league but when the top earners of each side are DJ Campbell and Wayne Rooney on £10,000 and £200,000 per week respectively, the status both clubs commands is evidently vastly different.

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