It was 33 years ago on Friday since Sir Alex Ferguson watched on as Michael Knighton jugged 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 Manchester United's storied 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, the man who was on the cusp of buying United for just £20milion on that August day in 1989, cannot understand how Ferguson and former chief executive David Gill can live with themselves while the club they helped to build is being run into the ground by owners who have taken out more than £1billion in the 17 years since they completed a leveraged takeover that weaponised the fanbase.
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 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 (Manchester) 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.”
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The Glazers themselves have opened the door to bring more outside investment into Old Trafford - and giant American private equity firm Apollo Global Management are interested. Ratcliffe, the Oldham-born founder of Ineos who has a personal fortune of more than £10billion, has also registered an interest. Knighton added: “If Apollo Global Management invested in United it would be a disaster. They would only bring more of the same financial pain the Glazers have inflicted - only worse.
“They have been associates of the Glazers for many years. Leon Black was one of the founders. Anyone who doesn’t know Leon Black should Google him. He once gave Jeffery Epstein $158million for services rendered. 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 £2.5billion to buy the club, £500million to pay off the debts, £700million to renovate Old Trafford and another £500million 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 said. “People still believe the things Robert Maxwell said about me 30 years ago. They believe fake stories about me seeing UFOs. But I love Manchester United. Like all those millions of United 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…”
