Glazers selling Man United short?

Manchester United fans are not short of things to think about right now: the spectacular form of English Premier League rival Chelsea, more concerns over the on-and-off-field actions of Wayne Rooney and questions over whether the current squad is deep enough to mount a strong title challenge this season. Now it seems there is something else for supporters of the Red Devils to ponder – a bunch of struggling North American shopping malls. Confused? Let’s explain.
According to English investment analyst Andy Green, Man football jersey
United’s owner – the Glazer family – controls only two other significant businesses apart from the club. They are the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League, and First Allied Corporation, which controls 68 shopping malls around the United States.
Green told Yahoo! Sports that he has uncovered proof, listed on his website www.andersred.blogspot.com, that nine of First Allied’s shopping malls are financially “delinquent” and that 29 more do not have enough rental income to match the requisite mortgage payments.
“The worry for United supporters is about how the Glazers’ other finances could impact the club,” Green said in a telephone interview. “They borrowed heavily to buy United and those repayments have to be made. The issue is how will the money be raised? And will it affect the club?
“It may seem like a bizarre thing that American shopping centers can make a difference to an English football team. But it is something that United fans will want to keep a close eye on.”
The Glazers attracted criticism from United’s followers ever since taking over the club in 2005, primarily due to the level of borrowing – much of it supported by club assets – needed to make the purchase. Other loans, known as payment-in-kind (PIK) loans, were taken on by the family at high rates of interest.
Fans fear that the amount of transfer funds available to head coach Sir Alex Ferguson could be affected in the long term and that season ticket prices may need to be increased again.
Manchester United was not immediately available for comment.
Donovan fighting post-World Cup funk
The drama and emotion of Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
the U.S. World Cup campaign seems to have taken its toll on Landon Donovan.
The Los Angeles Galaxy forward has struggled since returning to Major League Soccer. Consequently, the team has seen its lead atop the Western Conference shrink following three straight winless games.
Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena told me he believes Donovan’s exertions in South Africa have had an impact on his play, but he is confident the 28-year-old Donovan can soon return to peak form.
“Landon has had a falloff since the World Cup,” Arena said. “The physical demands are great and like all players he was put through a lot. Then there was the burden he carried off the field, like all the interviews and televisions appearances and business interests he was involved in when he got back.
“Those things take time to recover from, but I think we will see the old Landon back pretty quickly and I know he is motivated to try to win a championship.”
The Galaxy also hope David Beckham can return from a six-month injury layoff against the Columbus Crew on Saturday in a matchup of conference leaders.
Concerns over U.S. World Cup bid
U.S. Soccer chiefs have been busy this week ushering an inspection committee from governing body FIFA around the country to show off the nation’s suitability to host the World Cup for a second time.
However, while America’s stadiums and infrastructure provide the U.S. World Cup bid’s biggest selling point, the bid hierarchy will hope that FIFA executives pay scant attention to concerns raised by sports economist Dennis Coates, a professor at the University of Maryland and former president of the North American Association of Sports Economists.
In a report in the Baltimore Sun, Coates demanded that the U.S. bid show more financial transparency and questioned whether it could have a positive economic impact.
“Organizers for the 1994 U.S. World Cup claimed that the U.S. would see a positive impact of Minnesota Vikings jersey
$4 billion,” Coates said. “Yet post-Cup analysis by economists showed a startling return to reality: a $9 billion loss.”
He added: “Today’s U.S. Bid Committee, led by sports, entertainment and political luminaries, may be dragging Baltimore and the U.S. into another financial debacle at a time when we can least afford it.”
However, the U.S. bid team remains adamant that a World Cup staged in the States would offer economic benefits of around $5 billion, based on an independent study.