SIR JIM RATCLIFFE completed his 25 per cent takeover of Manchester United by using a company named after his favourite player.
The British billionaire, 71, was confirmed as having purchased the shares for £1.3billion on Sunday.
He will assume control of the football operations at the club as the Glazers – the majority owners – continue to take charge of other areas.
And it has now been revealed that Ratcliffe sealed the deal through his new company Trawlers Limited.
This is a company registered in the Isle of Man that was set up by boyhood Man Utd fan Ratcliffe back in October – one day after Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Brit’s only rival for the takeover, ended his attempts to take over the club.
The name Trawlers Ltd is a nod to legendary Red Devils striker Eric Cantona.
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Cantona, who scored 82 goals in 185 games for Man Utd and helped them win four Premier League titles, famously made reference to trawlers during a 1995 press conference.
Following the appeal process for kung-fu kicking a fan during a game – which saw Cantona receive an eight-month ban – he said: “When the seagulls follow the trawler, it’s because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea. Thank you very much.”
Cantona, who was sentenced to 120 hours of community service for the assault, then got up from his seat and left the press conference, much to the bemusement of many in the room.
He returned to Man Utd’s team the following season and scored 19 goals as they won the Premier League title.
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He bagged another 15 in his final campaign at Old Trafford – where they also won the league – before he retired at the age of 30.
Meanwhile, Ratcliffe spoke about returning Man Utd to their glory years after his takeover.
The club have not won the league since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure in 2013.
Ratcliffe said: “As a local boy and a lifelong supporter of the club, I am very pleased that we have been able to agree a deal with the Manchester United board that delegates us management responsibility of the football operations of the club.
“Whilst the commercial success of the club has ensured there have always been available funds to win trophies at the highest level, this potential has not been fully unlocked in recent times.
“We will bring the global knowledge, expertise and talent from the wider INEOS Sport group to help drive further improvement at the club, while also providing funds intended to enable future investment into Old Trafford.
“We are here for the long term and recognise that a lot of challenges and hard work lie ahead, which we will approach with rigour, professionalism and passion.
“We are committed to working with everyone at the club – the board, staff, players and fans – to help drive the club forward.
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“Our shared ambition is clear: we all want to see Manchester United back where we belong, at the very top of English, European and world football.”
Man Utd are languishing down in eighth place following a difficult start to the season under Erik ten Hag.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
