Who Is the Manchester United Owner? The Full Story Behind Manchester United’s Unique Ownership

Manchester United is one of the most decorated and accomplished clubs in world football. With a history of dominance in the domestic league and some great triumphs in Europe as well, it is no surprise that Man United is one of the most popular clubs around the world. 

Whilst a lot of the successes have been attributed to the many great managers and players that have represented the club, some part also lies with the Manchester United owner. As it turns out, throughout its 122-year-long lifespan, there has been a long lineage of owners and chairpersons that have ensured the smooth running and progression of the football club. 

That said, in this article, we will briefly summarise and gloss over the history of the owners of Manchester United, how the club has fared in their hands, and finally, the current state of things following recent developments with the club’s leadership. 

Background

To start things off, let us first begin by taking a quick look at the brief history of the club and its accomplishments. For those unaware, ‘The Red Devils’ have won the Premier League title 20 times which is a league record. In addition to that, they have also captured the Community Shield a record 21 times along with 13 FA Cups, and 6 EFL Cups. 

As for their triumphs in Europe, Manchester United has 3 Champions League titles to its name along with a Europa League title as well, among others. Thus, all of their success over the years has culminated in the club being one of the most valuable sports teams in the world with a valuation of $6 billion and ranking #11 according to Forbes’ list in 2023. 

The second most valuable football club in the world, marginally behind Real Madrid, the club has accumulated a gargantuan global following of more than 1.1 billion. However, things have gradually been going downhill both on and off the field for the English outfit. How much of that falls on the owners of Manchester United and how are they responsible? Let’s find out.

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History of Manchester United owners

For the most part, there have been many owners of Manchester United throughout the course of its existence. Moreover, there has almost always been more than one owner of Manchester United football club at any given point. When the club officially came to be as it is now known, in 1902, it was the result of 4 businessmen coming together to invest in what was essentially a sinking ship.

Among them was John Henry Davies who became the first club president of Manchester United. That said, it is difficult to pinpoint all of the other owners, and other parties involved due to limited or insufficient records, up until the early 2000s. As such, we have compiled a list of names who were the main men at the top, and quite possibly owned some or a majority stake in the club.

Name	Years
John Henry Davies	1902-1927
James William Gibson	1931-1951
Harold Payne Hardman	1951-1965
Louis Edwards	1965-1980
Martin Edwards	1980-2002
Roy Garner	2002-2005
Malcolm Glazer	2005-2006
Joel and Avram Glazer	2006- present
Sir Jim Ratcliffe	2024- present

Most notably, things came to a boiling point with regards to the owners when legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson clashed with John Magnier and JP McManus, aka the ‘Coolmore Mafia’ in the early 2000s. As it turns out, Magnier and McManus were two of the wealthiest men in Ireland, and owing to their friendship and common love for horseracing, Ferguson pleaded with them to become shareholders and majority owners of Manchester United.

However, things eventually turned sour between them, owing to a debacle regarding the ownership of a racehorse known as the ‘Rock of Gibraltar’. With the manager and the majority owners getting into a legal and public all-out war, it was a key turning point in the club’s history.

Without a doubt, it was an ordeal so bizarre yet critical in how Manchester United’s ownership has since shaped up, led to the arrival of the Glazers, and the mess the club is currently in.

Coolmore Mafia and the arrival of the Glazers

With the publicly drawn-out standoff between Coolmore and Alex Ferguson reaching a tipping point, United’s PLC chairman at the time Roy Gardner was also dragged into the mess. Ultimately, a settlement was reached, following which John Magnier and JP McManus, who were keen to get out of football, sold their stake to an eagerly waiting Malcolm Glazer in 2005.

For the most part, the Glazers had been biding their time and slowly buying their way into becoming the Manchester United owner since March 2003. With a whole host of other sports franchises, like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFL, already under their name, becoming the owners of Manchester United had been a long-time ambition for the Glazers.

Initially, the takeover was vehemently protested by the United fans as concerns grew regarding the debt that the Glazers had taken on, despite their hefty net worth sitting at $10 billion in 2024. Notably, the day-to-day running and other responsibilities fell on Joel and Avram after Malcolm Glazer suffered a stroke in 2006 and, following his death in 2014, the Glazers’ 90% stake was equally split among Malcolm’s six children.

What is the current ownership situation of Manchester United?

Since then, it has hardly been smooth sailing for the club. Whilst the club, until the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013 kept up their tradition of winning, the fans have always been at odds with the Manchester United owners. With a clear shift in financial policy, prioritizing profits and commercial interests over on-field success, fans have been furious with the Glazers, accusing them of leeching the club and draining its financial reserves.

After years of demanding a change, the United faithful had their wishes half-granted when the Glazer family sold 27.7% of the club and 100% of footballing operations to Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the owner of INEOS for £1.3 billion in early 2024. For context, it cost the Glazers a little over £1 billion to become owners of Manchester United in 2005. As things stand, the Glazers still own 69%, and still hold the power to make all the big decisions.

Currently, United is said to have a gross debt of over $990 million, which includes long-term debt of $650 million and a revolving credit facility of $341 million. While Ratcliffe, who has a net worth of $16.4 billion, has made a $300 million cash injection to try and keep things afloat for now, there is still a long way to go for the new Manchester United owner to truly set things right.

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