Sunday Mirror

MAN UTD v LIVERPOOL

- By SIMON MULLOCK

EXCLUSIVE

@MullockSMi­rror

IT was 33 years ago on Friday that Sir Alex Ferguson watched as Michael Knighton juggled a ball from Old Trafford’s centre circle and smashed a volley into the Stretford End goal.

Now Knighton has called on the greatest manager in the club’s history to do the right thing and help him bring an end to the Glazer family’s ownership of the club they both love.

Knighton, 70, was on the cusp of buying

United for just

£20million on that

August day in 1989.

And he cannot understand how

Ferguson and former chief executive David Gill can live with themselves while the club is being run into the ground by owners who have taken out more than £1billion in the 17 years since their leveraged takeover.

Knighton has put together a consortium that includes what he describes as “small billionair­es”.

But he admits that the greatest hope of salvation is Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the multi-billionair­e chemical engineer, of Mancunian descent, who is a United fan.

The Glazers continue to insist the club is not for sale – and Knighton (above) believes that Ferguson must now play his part in convincing the Americans to take the money and run.

“I call out Sir Alex Ferguson and I call out David Gill,” said Knighton, as he spoke from the unlikely setting of the office of Professor David Mach at the Royal Academy of Arts in London. “I also call out Michael

Edelsen, who was a director when I spent three years on the United board, and chairman Martin Edwards used the blueprint I put forward to begin the transforma­tion of the club into the powerhouse it became.

“Ferguson, Gill and Edelsen still work alongside the Glazers.

“How can they stand by and allow the wilful destructio­n of Manchester United to continue? “Sir Alex and David Gill could have stopped the Glazers in their tracks before the takeover happened.

“For reasons only they know, they didn’t – but now they have to act.

“Ferguson only has to look at where the team are in relation to City and Liverpool.

“Look at Old Trafford, one of the most iconic stadiums in the world, in such a state of disrepair that it’s an embarrassm­ent.”

The Glazers have opened the door to bring more investment into Old Trafford – and giant US private equity firm Apollo Global Management are interested.

Ratcliffe, the Oldham-born founder of Ineos who has a personal fortune of more than £10bn, has also registered an interest.

Knighton added: “If Apollo Global Management invested in United, it would be a disaster.

“They would bring more of the same financial pain the Glazers have inflicted, only worse.

“Does a great institutio­n like Manchester United really want to be associated with these people?”

Knighton added: “The answer is Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

“My consortium doesn’t have the funds to do what needs to be done. You’re talking £2.5bn to buy the club, £500million to pay off the debts, £700m to renovate Old Trafford and another £500m to invest in the team.

“We would need help – and that’s why I’ve been smoking out Sir Jim over the last six months.

“I know he’s been listening – and to hear him go public with his interest this week was a huge moment.”

Knighton, a hugely talented artist himself, who is working on future plans to collaborat­e with Professor Mach, knows that the general public perception of him is not kind.

“I didn’t want to stick my head above the parapet again, I’ve been a virtual recluse for the past 20 years,” he added.

“People still believe the things Robert Maxwell said about me 30 years ago, fake stories about me seeing UFOs.

“But I love Manchester United. Like all those millions of fans around the world, I felt compelled to speak out.

“And do you know what I’d love to do one more time?

“Flick a ball up at the Stretford End and volley it into the net!”

 ?? ?? MESSAGE IS CLEAR Reds fans protest
MESSAGE IS CLEAR Reds fans protest

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