A sensible United fan....

[Mellotron]

I thought it reflected pretty well the changing nature of football and football support over years. It was a personal view and contained the types of views I understand even if I don't share them.

And I agree about the song part. OGH always benefitted from his song.

And I don't think it was about middle v working class. It was more about ignorance and understanding.

He lost any support from me at the word "leafy".

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

No, no I wasn't looking for it. I read it.

Park will play his football at QPR now, a club in a city where perhaps his “eating rats in your council house” song has a more fitting home. You know, with all that wealth down there and all those pre-existing didn’t-we-do-well-under-Thatcher states of mind, where it’s ok to kick people when they’re down because your sole objective in life is to get as far up the ladder of life as you can, putting your boot in the face of those below you.

I realise it was there - and that you read it. It just didn't seem very large in the targets in the bloke's sights. As you say it was a dig - I am more tolerant of it I suppose as I don't mind a gratuitous swipe myself.

Well - I say I realise it was there. I missed it on my first reading to be honest. Sometimes we see what we want to see - I do it myself.

 

[Simster]

Absolutely pathetic rant at those better off than himself. To paraphrase:

I'm not including all those who live in bits of Manchester that are run down. Or those in Essex who have always supported us. It's the rest of you wankers.


Bitter prick.

 

[edna krabappel]

I realise it was there - and that you read it. It just didn't seem very large in the targets in the bloke's sights. As you say it was a dig - I am more tolerant of it I suppose as I don't mind a gratuitous swipe myself.

Well - I say I realise it was there. I missed it on my first reading to be honest. Sometimes we see what we want to see - I do it myself.

Fair enough. I just get bored sometimes with hearing people- usually from the North, it must be said- banging on about everything being London-centric, and imagining that London's homes are occupied entirely by champagne-quaffing socialites and bankers. London is home to many of the most deprived areas in Europe. I'd like to see a cocky Mancunian walk around Hackney or Tottenham or Tower Hamlets and tell the locals that they're all rich southern bastards.

I realise there are plenty of very rich people compared to most of the UK, but it doesn't mean life is easy for all Londoners.

 

[Mellotron]

Absolutely pathetic rant at those better off than himself. To paraphrase:

I'm not including all those who live in bits of Manchester that are run down. Or those in Essex who have always supported us. It's the rest of you wankers.


Bitter prick.

Utterly THIS.

 

[El Presidente]

The United flotation issue has been POO-POOED by an EXPERT

mancunianmatters.co.uk/content/04074267-glazers-are-testing-water’-united’s-stock-exhange-share-offering-claims-manchester-

 

[Rich Suvner]

Bollocks, United's shares were owned mainly by institutions, who sold out at the first chance of a profit. Proper Reds didn't sell their shares until forced to do so.

Don't agree

Manchester United fans had about a decade to purchase shares, either individually or collectively if they had so chosen. They didn't and enjoyed their period of public ownership and incoming finance without taking into consideration the potential impact of market forces. Nobody complained then.

It was clear for a long period that there was a process underway to force removal of the club from the stock market by securing a large enough % of the stock - United fans could have acted then collectively to secure a large enough proportion of the stock to protect the club moving back into private ownership - they didn't.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

Fair enough. I just get bored sometimes with hearing people- usually from the North, it must be said- banging on about everything being London-centric, and imagining that London's homes are occupied entirely by champagne-quaffing socialites and bankers. London is home to many of the most deprived areas in Europe. I'd like to see a cocky Mancunian walk around Hackney or Tottenham or Tower Hamlets and tell the locals that they're all rich southern bastards.

I realise there are plenty of very rich people compared to most of the UK, but it doesn't mean life is easy for all Londoners.

And by the same token anyone who thinks all northerners live in slums has never been around Bowden and that part of Manchester. Even in the 80's it used to amaze me the level of disposable income of many from the north.

 

[El Presidente]

Fair enough. I just get bored sometimes with hearing people- usually from the North, it must be said- banging on about everything being London-centric, and imagining that London's homes are occupied entirely by champagne-quaffing socialites and bankers. London is home to many of the most deprived areas in Europe. I'd like to see a cocky Mancunian walk around Hackney or Tottenham or Tower Hamlets and tell the locals that they're all rich southern bastards.

I realise there are plenty of very rich people compared to most of the UK, but it doesn't mean life is easy for all Londoners.

I agree entirely, there is a lot of bitterness from champagne socialists towards locals too, as there is a millionaire concentration OOP north

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-409329/Welcome-Cheshire-Wives.html

 

[edna krabappel]

And by the same token anyone who thinks all northerners live in slums had never been around Bowden and that part of Manchester. Even in the 80's it used to amaze me the level of disposable income of many from the north.

Not to mention Wilmslow, Alderley Edge, and the rest of the Footballer Belt.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

Absolutely pathetic rant at those better off than himself. To paraphrase:

I'm not including all those who live in bits of Manchester that are run down. Or those in Essex who have always supported us. It's the rest of you wankers.


Bitter prick.

As I said - it was more about ignorance and understanding.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

Absolutely pathetic rant at those better off than himself. To paraphrase:

I'm not including all those who live in bits of Manchester that are run down. Or those in Essex who have always supported us. It's the rest of you wankers.


Bitter prick.

Anyway, I thought you would appreciate a good rant.

 

[El Presidente]

Don't agree

Manchester United fans had about a decade to purchase shares, either individually or collectively if they had so chosen. They didn't and enjoyed their period of public ownership and incoming finance without taking into consideration the potential impact of market forces. Nobody complained then.

It was clear for a long period that there was a process underway to force removal of the club from the stock market by securing a large enough % of the stock - United fans could have acted then collectively to secure a large enough proportion of the stock to protect the club moving back into private ownership - they didn't.

They didn't because they didn't have the resources to do so.

United were bought out by the Glazers for £793 million, well out of the reach of the denizens of Salford.

 

[El Presidente]

Not to mention Wilmslow, Alderley Edge, and the rest of the Footballer Belt.

OI. You forgot MOBBERLEY!

 

[Rich Suvner]

They didn't because they didn't have the resources to do so.

United were bought out by the Glazers for £793 million, well out of the reach of the denizens of Salford.

as you well know, Manchester United have fans across the socio-economic spectrum, as emphasised by their work in the Glazer era.

when the club was floated on the FTSE it was not worth anywhere near this amount - and nor was it until the Glazers paid a ridiculously inflated sum for it using the clubs assets against the value of their deal. Even in 99 when Murdoch was sniffing around the club was valued well under £200m. That caused much negative reaction and if didn't serve warning enough to United fans about purchasing shares collectively I'm not sure what else was needed?

 

[Butch Willykins]

as you well know, Manchester United have fans across the socio-economic spectrum, as emphasised by their work in the Glazer era.

when the club was floated on the FTSE it was not worth anywhere near this amount - and nor was it until the Glazers paid a ridiculously inflated sum for it using the clubs assets against the value of their deal. Even in 99 when Murdoch was sniffing around the club was valued well under £200m. That caused much negative reaction and if didn't serve warning enough to United fans about purchasing shares collectively I'm not sure what else was needed?

When any large company floats the vast majority of shares are picked up by institutional investors. That's how the equity market works. United fans would not have had a chance to get there hands on them.

 

[Mellotron]

As I said - it was more about ignorance and understanding.

That's what you have taken from it - a lot of us have seen the sly digs and prejudiced/stereotypical language the article writer has used throughout - seems like someone with a huge chip on his shoulder about the middle classes.

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

Agreed, I don't take well to United complaining about the commercialisation of football. They almost single-handedly created this mess, they should live with the consequences like everyone else.

Agreed. Well before the formation of the Premier League, Manchester United were one of the clubs who got the League rules altered so that home clubs kept the gate receipts from league games and that the visitors got nothing. Even though without a visiting team there's not much of a game ...

 

[Bish Bosh]

Fair enough. I just get bored sometimes with hearing people- usually from the North, it must be said- banging on about everything being London-centric, and imagining that London's homes are occupied entirely by champagne-quaffing socialites and bankers. London is home to many of the most deprived areas in Europe. I'd like to see a cocky Mancunian walk around Hackney or Tottenham or Tower Hamlets and tell the locals that they're all rich southern bastards.

I realise there are plenty of very rich people compared to most of the UK, but it doesn't mean life is easy for all Londoners.

Agree with that. The whole North-South argument is really jaded...I'm amazed it continues in popular debate. Maybe people just don't visit other parts of the country.

I read somwehere about a patchwork quilt analogy which works a lot better.

If you take Yorkshire as an example, the northern parts of Leeds and surrounding areas are known as the 'golden triangle.' Lots of wealth there. The good thing if you are on a national pay scale is that the London property price ripple hasn't fully got there - yet. So life is quite sweet for many people. A short distance away Bradford is really struggling though.

Come South and you've got Portsmouth which is a place defined by the most deeply-ingrained poverty. However Bristol which lost its main industries has regenerated brilliantly.

Then there is Brighton of course...

It's quite complex and North/South models don't illuminate things too much.

 

[Pat McCrotch]

Some people just can't handle change can they