Gill: 'Red Knights are wasting their time'
Published 23:00 03/03/10 By David McDonnell
David Gill last night ridiculed the Red Knights’ plan to take over Manchester United.. and branded their figurehead Keith Harris a ‘publicity seeker’.
The United chief executive dismissed the £1billion plan to oust the Glazers as ‘unworkable’.
He then launched a scathing personal attack on the credibility of football finance expert Harris.
Harris was involved in the recent takeovers of Manchester City, Aston Villa, Newcastle and West Ham but Gill mocked his record, claiming his work had not been a success.
“Keith Harris will go anywhere that there’s a bit of publicity,” he said, “but his track record in football isn’t anything to write home about.
“These Red Knights are credible people and they do what they think is in the best interests of the club.
“But it’s not going to take them anywhere if the owners have no wish to sell. ”
The Red Knights – a group of leading City figures – plan to use their contacts to find a number of ‘super investors’ to raise the £1bn needed to buy United.
But Gill said their plan,, which has the backing of anti-Glazer fan groups, was doomed to failure because of its attempt to embrace so many different people.
“The Red Knights’ idea of having 20, 30 or 40 very wealthy people owning and running Manchester United .. I don’t know how it would work in practice,” said Gill.
“I’ve been involved in football since 1997 and been to a lot of clubs in Europe. The better-run clubs have clear decision making. It’s quick and efficient.
“If you’ve got a number of very wealthy people involved those sort of people will want to be in the decision-making process.
“At the key clubs – Roman Abramovich at Chelsea, Sheikh Mansour at Manchester City, Silvio Berlusconi in Milan – the key decision-maker is not the fans, it’s the president or chairman.”
As United’s debt has soared to to £715m under the Glazers, opposition to them has grown.
Manchester United Supporters Trust has reported nearly 30,000 new members joining over the past 48 hours.
But Gill, flanked by bodyguards, said: “They are wasting their time – the Americans have no intention of selling up.”
