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The Story Of The Mysterious 'Red Knights'—Or How Goldman's Jim O'Neill Tried To Buy Manchester United

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Wayne Rooney

Manchester United played Chelsea live on Fox yesterday. It was only the second time a Barclays Premier League game had been broadcast live on network U.S. television.

In the pre- and post-game chatter, the pundits mentioned every plausible angle and implication of the game, with one major exception.

No one talked about the controversy surrounding the fiscal handling of Manchester United by their American owners, the Glazer family, and how it prompted Goldman Sach's Jim O'Neill to lead a group of wealthy investors to try to buy the team in 2010.

Manchester United is a club with working class roots that's built a tradition of success

The club we now know as Manchester United was founded as Newton Heath L&YR Football Club in 1878. The founders were workers at the Carriage and Wagon Works of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway's Newton Heath train depot.

The clubs colors were green and gold. 

In 1901, the club was facing bankruptcy and was bailed out by a local brewer, John Henry Davies. Davies changed the club's name to Manchester United in 1902.

The team achieved great success in the late forties through the sixties under manager Matt Bubsy.

Source: Manchester United FC 



In 1986, Alex Ferguson took over as manager in a bid to re-establish that success at the team

Manchester United's modern-era is defined by the reign of manager Sir Alex Ferguson. Ferguson took over as manager having lead the previously marginal Scottish team Aberdeen in 1983. 

Since joining in 1986, Ferguson has won almost 40 major trophies for Manchester United and the team has dominated the Premier League since its formation in 1992, winning the competition 12 times. 

Source: Manchester United FC



It worked and success became the norm again at Manchester United

Manchester United have also won Europe's top club competition, the Champions League twice under Ferguson. His time at the club has seen internationally recognized stars such as David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo play for the club.

And while such statements are deeply divisive in the tribal world of British soccer, it can be argued that that Manchester United have been the most successful British team of the 1990s and 2000s. Other contenders for that distinction are Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool. Liverpool are United's fiercest rivals and historically the most successful team in England.

Source: Manchester United FC



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