By City Correspondent
February 11 2005

You've got to laugh at Man U following the news that Malcolm Glazer’s representatives are to be allowed to meet the Moneybags United Board to look at the books, the Government has refused to intervene. The case was raised in the public interest.

What interest is that exactly? And as there are not a lot of labour voters in Surrey, and with an election in the offing it wasn’t a difficult decision to make.

Meanwhile Man U fans whine on about biased BBC coverage, never mind you have still got Sky, Jimmy Nesbitt, The Sun, and Eamon Holmes batting for you. Apparently the Beeb has suggested that Man U fans were threatening violence. Where could they have got that idea?

After all the Manchester Education Committee (a group of militant United fans who have disrupted reserve team games and attacked Maurice Watkins car) only issued a statement warning the directors of the club and Malcolm Glazer.

"Any board member who may be coveting a place in the management structure of a Glazer regime is advised immediately to abandon such hopes. Collaborators will be treated as such. The movements and whereabouts of all board members will continue to be of the utmost interest to us.

We trust that this is clear enough: offering either due diligence or a bid-recommendation to Glazer will be punished. We are not interested in excuses about 'best City practise' or brokers' advice. We suggest the directors would be much better off in thinking about the damage that can be done to them by whinging conservative City commentators on the one hand, or by irate supporters on the other."

Whether this is the provisional or official wing of the committee is not stated. And to be fair that is far less threatening than anything Roy Keane usually says in the tunnel.

Meanwhile their players are right behind the fans. Ferdinand told Sky Sports News that he and the team would not be affected by a change of ownership. It’s just that he wishes it could be settled as quickly as possible as he was tiring of being asked about it. With principled support like that the fans have every chance of winning.

Meanwhile with Giggs still to sign a contract and Ronaldo likely to be lured to Real, the whole £20 million that Glazer says he will give Sir Alex for new players will be sorely needed.

Theres Gold In Them There Shares.

Meanwhile Magnier and Macmanus have increased their stake. I bet Sir Alex is so pleased he advised them to buy them there shares. As astute betting men no doubt they hope to make a nice little earner out of selling them on, and then wave farewell to the good ship United as Glazer sails it off to a new location.