MANCHESTER UNITED’S incredible decline under the Glazers has been revealed through their staggeringly slow growth on the stock exchange.
It comes amid reports of a “hostile” takeover attempt by former United director Michael Knighton, 17 years after the Glazers bought United for £790million.
Financial writer Kieran Maguire made the revelation a decade after the Glazers first listed United on the New York Stock Exchange.
The opening share price on that day was $14.
And incredibly, if a person had invested £1,000 in shares back then, today that money would be worth just £814.
The figure looks even bleaker against other sporting institutions, with a grand invested in Juventus now returning £2k.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
With Formula One, you’d have £2,564 in your pocket.
And even American baseball team Atlanta Braves would have returned £1,585.
Maguire adds that the dip in value is a recent one, with share prices at $19.37 last September when United re-signed Cristiano Ronaldo.
But a forward-facing market combined with the team’s poor performances – and a desperate need to upgrade Old Trafford – has resulted in a sharp decline.
Most read in Football
FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
Elsewhere, total interest charged under the Glazer ownership is a staggering £855m.
That in itself would pay for another TEN Harry Maguire’s – the most expensive defender in world football at £80m.
Net debt is at £627m – more than the £590m in 2006.
And United’s transfer debt is also £184m – the highest it has been since 2008.
Meanwhile £154m in dividends has been taken by shareholders – mainly the Glazers – since 2016.
Income did soar from £159m in 2005 to £627m in 2019.
But that fell to £494m last year as United struggled for consistency on the pitch.
Read More on The Sun
And there is a bleak outlook for unhappy supporters – who are planning an “Empty Old Trafford” protest for the August 22 game against Liverpool – as the Glazers own shares that carry a whopping TEN votes – compared to just one vote for regular investors.
The same structure is seen mainly in tech, with Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg and Tesla head Elon Musk employing the same tactic.
