The Raine Group’s Post

The pieces don't fit. In recent weeks, UK media has been buzzing with reports about significant changes slated for Manchester United, contingent upon Sir Jim Ratcliffe acquiring a 25 per cent stake from the Glazer family. Initial reports suggest that the Ineos magnate, in return for his stake, would oversee the club's sporting operations. Considering Ratcliffe and his Ineos team's successful stint with French club Nice, granting them the sporting reins does have its logic. Yet, several aspects of this anticipated restructuring raise eyebrows🤔: 🔴Giving a minority owner control over a football club's main operations is perilous, especially if results don't meet expectations. This could spark a power struggle between the Glazers and Ratcliffe. ⚪️Empowering Ratcliffe in one department effectively bifurcates the club, hindering a cohesive organizational culture. 🔴While European club leaders work to unify with their sporting departments, why would Manchester United diverge? ⚪️Beyond fostering a potentially harmful atmosphere, daily conflicts of interest are likely.   Additionally, the media's claims about dismissing CEO Richard Arnold, should Ratcliffe acquire a 25 per cent stake, seem questionable given Manchester United's commercial team's strong performance. Full analysis below👇🏻 (-easy to sign up for a free 7 day trial) https://lnkd.in/egB2cmws #SportsBusiness #C#Ownership #Commercial #Sponsorship #Football #SportsBiz #Finance #People #Data #Tech #Intelligence #Investment #Partnership

Despite being a die-hard red and having travelled the world with Liverpool Football Club, I was mightily impressed by MEIS Architects (Dan Meis) interview on Sky this week. If ever anyone doubted the Americans understanding of “soccer” I suggest you Google and watch the interview - it’s available on YouTube. What’s also impressive is the passion Mr Meis has for sustainability. The ESG lobby should hold him up as a beacon. …and in the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, we should properly recognise what he is helping to deliver for our great city! For many years we provided a service whereby those who wished to own a share/shares in Everton Football Club could undertake a purchase via what is known as a “matched bargain”. In more recent times we have suspended that activity as the difficulty in co-ordinating things on both sides, that is matching willing seller to willing buyer, has proven to be more and more difficult under the existing archaeic process. Although we have reached out a number of times to the club - be that through the Everton Shareholders Association https://www.efcsa.org/ or through the club itself, unfortunately, yet understandably, they have had more important things to concentrate on (namely staying in the The Premier League) I am pleased to say we have been working towards a solution with regard to future dealing in the shares. If you’re interested in either selling or buying, please contact either of the following: David Gilbert at Albert E Sharp Ben Weaver at Asset Match Limited …the small print…this is not a solicitation for purchasing or selling shares nor is it a personal recommendation and you should seek independent advice before deciding to contact anyone re a purchase (or sale). Phew…don’t you just love regulation!!! As the blue noses would say - Nil Satis, Nisi Optimum p.s. I remain in hand to point you in the right direction if anyone wants a steer. #stockbroking Liverpool BID Company The Guide Liverpool Tony McDonough James Dunningham Richard Kenyon #ynwa

Sir Jim Ratcliffe agrees to buy a $1.3bn stake (25%) in Manchester United, ending uncertainty over the club's ownership. The deal values the club at about $6.3bn, including debt. Ratcliffe aims to restore United's position in English, European, and world football. The announcement follows concerns over equal treatment of minority shareholders in future transactions involving Ratcliffe and the Glazers. Ratcliffe may increase his shareholding over time, subject to Premier League approval. The deal involves acquiring 25% of super-voting B shares and 25% of A shares, each B share having 10 times the voting rights of a single A share. The Glazer family will sell 25% of B shares, generating over $900mn. Ratcliffe will inject $300mn of fresh capital into the club and take responsibility for football operations. The deal values United at $33 a share, with A shares closing at less than $20 each. Previous bidder, Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani, withdrew from the bidding in October. Manchester United #ManchesterUnited #JimRatcliffe #Football #SportsBusiness #PremierLeague #OwnershipDeal

Breaking news in the football world! Sir Jim Ratcliffe, a lifelong Manchester United fan, has completed the purchase of a significant stake, taking control of football operations from the Glazers. The deal, valued at $1.65 billion, includes a $200 million initial investment for Old Trafford's infrastructure. Exciting times ahead as Sir Jim looks to reshape the club's future. Stay tuned for updates on this game-changing move! #ManchesterUnited #SirJimRatcliffe #FootballTakeover #GameChanger #GlazersOut #FootballNews #NewsUpdate #OldTraffordRevamp #SportsBusiness #MUFC #NewEra #TheSocialTalks

Jim Ratcliffe is poised to acquire a 25% stake in #ManchesterUnited Plc (NYSE:MANU) in a much-anticipated £1.25 billion deal as early as next week, according to a Sky News report. The transaction, which will see Ratcliffe's Ineos Sports taking two boardroom seats at Old Trafford, includes a $33-a-share tender offer to acquire 25% of the club's listed A-shares and 25% of the B-shares from the club owners, the Glazer family. Ratcliffe intends to invest $300 million (£245 million) into United's ageing infrastructure, with a significant portion of this capital provided in the near term and financed personally by him, thus not adding to Manchester United’s borrowings. The Glazer family, who have controlled Manchester United since 2005, began exploring a sale of the club last year. More at #Proactive #ProactiveInvestors #NYSE #MANU http://ow.ly/Ytes1054BIi

“IN A WORLD FULL OF UNITEDS, CITYS AND ROVERS, THERE IS ONLY ONE HOTSPUR.” Yip… but who are you really?   We all know that successful brands are more than a catchy line and a logo. They have meaning. Something for people to believe in and get behind. So, when Ange Postecoglou took over at Spurs, what (other than his salary) do you think was discussed at his interview? What goals were set? What does success actually look like for Spurs?   Big Ange lost the rag this week and suggested that to close the gap on the top clubs Spurs need a total mentality shift. On this I’m with him. Some teams are happy with mediocrity (Spurs?), and others demand to be winners … you know who you are!   Ange lamented the club’s “fragile foundations”. I wonder if they’ve ever discussed their foundations or values. And if those values mention striving to win.   Quick Quiz: Any idea which club these values belong to?    Clue: They’re a leader on and off the field – in social, solidarity and financial terms… Excellence – including the professional, sporting, and institutional aspects   Winning spirit – fostered through determination, effort, sacrifice, commitment, perseverance, and self-improvement 100% commitment – a team-based philosophy Togetherness and Empathy – to achieve a common goal Solidarity – a commitment to be there for those who need it most, particularly children at risk from social exclusion Humility – we consider our opponents to be of equal merit in a showing of utmost respect, and every achievement represents a starting point to try and accomplish the next challenge https://lnkd.in/egYHxKFG #football #branding #skysports Spartans FC Spartans Network #Spurs Terry Burns Shaun Millican Keith Boyes #realmadridcf Jim Rae Steve Murray Phil Johnson John Evans #socccer Gary Neville Nick Peel

Sheikh Jassim walked away from deal for Manchester United after refusing to pay more than double what the club is worth. One source says: “What is happening is totally unreal. The Glazers valuation is insanely fanciful. Sheikh Jassim offered them almost double the market capitalisation. He was a cash buyer, he was going to clear all their debts, there would have been no new debt and he was going to put in another £1.4 billion for the stadium and the team. “All that still wasn’t enough for the Glazers. What we’re left with now, after almost a year, is someone who is going to overpay for 25 per cent of the club. They are arguably the greatest and most historic football club on the planet and after a year there’s just one bidder and he can only stump up enough for 25 per cent. “It’s a joke. If they just wanted to sell a minority stake, they could have done it privately last November. The market dictates what United are worth, not the Glazers or Raine. Remember when there were apparently eight serious bidders? All along there has only been one bidder for 100 per cent of the club so why should he bid against himself? “Ratcliffe is overpaying and any valuation higher than Sheikh Jassim is sheer lunacy. “If he can only afford to buy 25 per cent to start with, who is going to pay for the new stadium? Who is going to fix the leaking roof? Who is going to pay for the new training centre and new players and community projects? “United can’t keep up with Brighton these days, never mind Man City, Liverpool and Arsenal. And don’t even think about the likes of Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. “And if they go with Ratcliffe, they get another shareholder. How does that help decision making? Where is the new vision and the new ambition? Where is the new engagement with the fans? “Sheikh Jassim tried to bridge the gap between reality and lunacy on valuation. He did his best.”

The arrivals of Omar Berrada from Man City and Dan Ashworth from Newcastle signal the start of a new era for Manchester United. For years, the club has made headlines by overpaying for players and neglecting the club's infrastructure. For the first time in nearly a decade, Manchester United have made smart deals to recruit some of the top football executives in England and finally look to be restructuring the club for the better. While the Glazers have drastically improved the club commercially, they are also a significant cause for the steep decline in on-pitch performances over the last decade. For years, Manchester United have been a cautionary tale for how not to run a football club, but it feels like a new era is finally upon us. It says a lot about the state of the club over the last 10 years when United fans are celebrating the acquisitions of competent executives as if they just signed Kylian Mbappé. Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS have shown that they are prepared to splash the cash for non-playing personnel; an investment that should pay dividends (and not just for the Glazers this time) in the long-term. Coupled with the already-strong commercial side of the club, the new "all-star" executive cast could help bring Manchester United back to where the club belongs: at the very top. #manutd #sportsmanagement #ineos #premierleague

This is a really curious case because the current "owner" (i.e., majority shareholder) of Chelsea FC, Todd Boehly, had nothing to do with the alleged offenses. "Why punish me?" he asks. Well, because a corporation is not the same as its shareholders. It is a nominal entity created to shield the shareholders from liability. Shareholders like this when the corporation suffers a financial loss because their own private wealth is insulated from claims against the corporation. They don't suddenly get to identify with the corporation when it suits them. The bigger question in the Everton, Chelsea, and Man City cases is whether a sporting penalty, applied years after the offences were committed, atones in any way for financial malfeasance. It probably doesn't. Leeds and other clubs relegated instead of Everton are going to sue them. Could Liverpool and Man United sue over the trophies Chelsea and Man City won? Then there is the meta-question of why football demands that its corporate members behave differently from every other industry. This all makes for a great teaching case for anyone interested in corporate accountability. https://lnkd.in/gM4QWBWJ

HOW THE GLAZERS HAVE RUINED MANCHESTER UNITED 1. There is a fundamental difference between the approach of US commercial investors in sports clubs - the franchise system - and the way football clubs have traditionally been run in Europe, where the commercial objectives are not the only motive for ownership. 2. The two approaches are incompatible and the football authorities in Europe have been negligent in not understanding this and in failing to impose rules to constrain the actions of commercial investors like the Glaziers who are a threat to the entire ethos and structure of the sport in Europe. 3. The Glazers are counting on AR and how much revenue can be generated in future for the big clubs from such technologies. I don't doubt that it will become technically possible - e.g. to have Marcus Rushford running around with a miniture camera attached to his chest livestreaming pictures but whether enough people will really pay money to watch is a different matter. 4. Most people do not have much disposable income after paying for necessities and there is already a vast number of things on the Internet competing for this cash. No one really knows if there will be a market for what is, essentially, trivia. #manchesterunited #ManU #uefa #Garrynevile #theoverlap