01-02-2010, 07:32 AM
David Gill (United CEO) and Duncan Drasdo (MUST CEO) argue it out in the press!
A well-written piece from the Guardian online meets the 2 CEO's interviews together:
David Gill, Manchester United's increasingly beleaguered chief executive, has appealed to the club's supporters not to take part in what he called a "ridiculous" protest against the Glazer family. Gill was speaking publicly for the first time since the extent of the club's financial problems was laid bare in a bonds issue, provoking a new wave of supporters' opposition to the club's owners.
One idea is to hold a mass protest before the Champions League tie against Milan on 10 March and not to enter the stadium until 10 minutes after kick-off. The fans' anger has also manifested itself in the wearing of green and gold, to commemorate the club's origins as Newton Heath.
Gill, however, has no sympathy for the fans' concerns.
"I would appeal to the fans to be sensible and get behind the team," he said. "We are a very well-run club and given what's happening at other clubs, people should be proud of what's happening at Manchester United. It [a protest] serves no purpose and it won't change a thing. [Milan] will be a tough game and we can't afford for the fans not to be there. Let's not have ridiculous protests of that nature."
Gill had backed the supporters' protests before the Glazer takeover but he has changed his opinion since the Americans took control of the club. The fans' opinion of him has plummeted.
"There are 100 different ideas of how to protest and that was just one of them," said Duncan Drasdo, of the Manchester United Supporters' Trust. "The only protest that is definite is the green and gold movement which has spread like an anti-Glazer virus. I think the club are really rattled by it because they know it is something that could unleash a revolution."
Gill also said that United will not have to sell their most valuable player, Wayne Rooney, because of debts which stood at £716.5m in June last year.
"Wayne has a contract through until 2012," said Gill. "He has gone on record to say he wants to stay and we want him to stay. I'm sure that will be addressed in the close season. We hope that would be the case as we want to put him on a new, long-term contract. He's 24 and has got the best years of his life ahead of him. Very few players, particularly UK-based players, want to leave Manchester United."
The Glazers have floated the possibility that United might sell and then lease back their Carrington training ground but Gill said he was "100% convinced" that would not happen.
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
A well-written piece from the Guardian online meets the 2 CEO's interviews together:
David Gill, Manchester United's increasingly beleaguered chief executive, has appealed to the club's supporters not to take part in what he called a "ridiculous" protest against the Glazer family. Gill was speaking publicly for the first time since the extent of the club's financial problems was laid bare in a bonds issue, provoking a new wave of supporters' opposition to the club's owners.
One idea is to hold a mass protest before the Champions League tie against Milan on 10 March and not to enter the stadium until 10 minutes after kick-off. The fans' anger has also manifested itself in the wearing of green and gold, to commemorate the club's origins as Newton Heath.
Gill, however, has no sympathy for the fans' concerns.
"I would appeal to the fans to be sensible and get behind the team," he said. "We are a very well-run club and given what's happening at other clubs, people should be proud of what's happening at Manchester United. It [a protest] serves no purpose and it won't change a thing. [Milan] will be a tough game and we can't afford for the fans not to be there. Let's not have ridiculous protests of that nature."
Gill had backed the supporters' protests before the Glazer takeover but he has changed his opinion since the Americans took control of the club. The fans' opinion of him has plummeted.
"There are 100 different ideas of how to protest and that was just one of them," said Duncan Drasdo, of the Manchester United Supporters' Trust. "The only protest that is definite is the green and gold movement which has spread like an anti-Glazer virus. I think the club are really rattled by it because they know it is something that could unleash a revolution."
Gill also said that United will not have to sell their most valuable player, Wayne Rooney, because of debts which stood at £716.5m in June last year.
"Wayne has a contract through until 2012," said Gill. "He has gone on record to say he wants to stay and we want him to stay. I'm sure that will be addressed in the close season. We hope that would be the case as we want to put him on a new, long-term contract. He's 24 and has got the best years of his life ahead of him. Very few players, particularly UK-based players, want to leave Manchester United."
The Glazers have floated the possibility that United might sell and then lease back their Carrington training ground but Gill said he was "100% convinced" that would not happen.
Source: www.guardian.co.uk