Supporters of Hull City could be forgiven for feeling as if they have missed out on a footballing crock of gold.
Because multi-billionaire businessman Sir Jim Ratcliffe was once a ball boy at the old Boothferry Park watching on in awe of his sixties Tigers heroes like the free-scoring Ken Wagstaff, Chris Chilton and Ken Houghton.
A few months before England won the 1966 World Cup, Ratcliffe, whose family had moved to Humberside from the Manchester area when he was 10, witnessed at first hand Hull’s promotion under manager Cliff Britton from the old Third Division. His pocket money came from selling ‘Golden Goal’ tickets at the ground – his first venture into business.
Now at the age of 70 and having founded super-rich chemical firm INEOS Ratcliffe is hoping to become the new owner of Manchester United with his fledgling years following Hull City a distant memory.
Ratcliffe insists Manchester United has always been his first love having been born in Failsworth just seven miles down the road from Old Trafford. Although that didn’t stop him attempting to buy Chelsea last year after becoming a season ticket holder during his time living in London before a move to Monaco, his current home.
He eventually lost out to Todd Boehly’s consortium which could prove to be a blessing if his Manchester United bid proves successful. “I was a season ticket holder at Chelsea for many years although I have always been a Manchester United supporter.” he explained.
Since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013 Ratcliffe has largely been critical of the way the club has been run, especially when it comes down to player recruitment. Speaking a few seasons ago he maintained: “United have spent an immense amount since Ferguson left and it’s (the recruitment) been poor to put it mildly, shockingly poor to be honest. It’s gone from bad to catastrophic.”
He has called the £52 million signing of Brazilian midfielder Fred “dumb money.” Ratcliffe insisted: “We will have a different approach here, to be moderately intelligent about it. Try to do it more grassroots, try to locate young talent.”
Ratcliffe will see owning Manchester United as his latest and probably biggest challenge. He already bankrolls Nice in France and FC Lausanne in Switzerland while running the INEOS Grenadiers cycling team and having a partnership in the Mercedes F1 team. Any spare time has been spent running marathons or joining expeditions to the North and South Poles.
In 2018 he was knighted for services to business and investment – not bad for someone who admitted his years at Beverley Grammar School were dominated by his passion for sport, and football in particular.
“I just played football really. That was all I was interested in at school.” Ratcliffe revealed. But he added: “I did have this inkling that I wanted to be successful, that I wanted to become a millionaire one day. I can’t think of anything I set out to do which has not been completed. If you’re going to do something you either go all out or you don’t do it at all.”
