With Cristiano Ronaldo returning to Manchester United, could now be the right time to buy shares in one of the world’s top football teams?
To date Manchester United is the UK’s most successful football club with a following that extends around the globe – with 20 top-flight league titles, 66 major trophies and now the return of Cristiano Ronaldo.
It’s going to be interesting to see what type of dynamics the club displays on the field now that its golden son has returned. Previously, and between 2003 and 2009, Ronaldo scored 118 goals out of a total of 292 games.
It seems like now more than ever, the time might be right to buy shares in the Red Devils.
Originally named Newton Heath LYR FC back in 1878, it changed its name to Manchester United and made Old Trafford its home in 1910. Incredible success has made this team a local and global phenomena and one of the richest clubs in football – ranked 4th according to Forbes at a value of £2.97 billion. When it comes to investing in the club, that domain is mainly occupied by Middle Eastern sheiks and Russian Oligarchs. However, fans too can enter into this lucrative realm and invest.
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How to procure shares in Manchester United
Manchester made its way into the big league of the stock market when it was listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2012 under the ticker name, MANU. To procure shares in MAN UTD, you’ll need to follow these basic steps:
Establish a share trading account.
Deposit funds into said account.
Look for MANU on the broker trading platform that you signed up with.
Decide how much you’d like to invest.
Invest and receive your shares.
Alternatives to buying Manchester United shares
Buying shares in Manchester United is not imperative when it comes to investing. For one thing, the procurement of shares is a pricey affair. Brokers often require, and set forth by the Securities and Exchange Commission, that you have at least $25 000 in your broker account. Also, when you buy stocks, you cannot for instance just buy one for $17.28; you need to buy it in a set bundle, which in turn can be prohibitively expensive. Alternatively you could sign up with an online trading broker that offers spread betting.
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You can literally speculate on the movement of the NYSE, on which MANU is listed, or you can speculate on the share price movement of MANU. Startup capital is much less, usually in the vicinity of $500 and the potential profits can be good. Plus, with this type of broker account, you don’t have to stop at the NYSE, you can do spread betting on the biggest companies listed on FTSE 100 or the ones listed on the Japanese Nikkei 225. The options are eclectic. However, like any form of investments, risks are rife, so do your homework.
Potential risks of buying Manchester United shares
It would be impossible to speak of the risks of investment, especially in a sport club, without making mention of the global health crises. Just shy of two years ago, no one would have imagined clubs playing to empty stadiums. The entire European football fraternity has felt the backlash mainly in the form of sponsorship withdrawal. Some of the flack has been picked up by online trading platforms due to the fact that these matches are still televised and because the current health crises has forced many people to re-look their vocation options.
In terms of demographics, the football world is very much aligned with the trading world – mainly males with an interest in gambling, trading and sport. So, right now, as it stands, a lack of and alternative sponsoring is sure to affect the share price of Manchester United. If you’re going to buy shares in this top football club, you’ll need to cut out the noise, buckle down and be prepared for the long haul.
Sport
Details released of Andy Burnham’s meetings with Manchester City owners while Mayor
Emily Sergeant
Details of Andy Burnham’s meetings with Manchester City owners during his tenure as Mayor of Greater Manchester have been released.
In case you need bringing up to speed on the situation a little first, Manchester City was found guilty back in September all of its charges related to the Premier League’s financial rules over a nine-season period, and on top of that, was also found guilty of the majority of charges in relation to its failure to co-operate with the League’s investigation.
According to the Premier League, the independent Commission found that Manchester City had arranged so-called ‘sham’ commercial deals with a number of its sponsors.
These were part of a disguised funding scheme – with those sponsors only required to pay a portion of the relevant sponsorship fees.
The remainder was then funded by Abu Dhabi United Group Investment & Development Ltd (ADUG), which owned the club.
The Commission also concluded, as quoted by the Premier League, that the club had ‘made concerted efforts to stop and frustrate the Premier League investigation’.
Within the past week or so, it has since come to light that now-Prime Minister Andy Burnham had dealings with Manchester City during his tenure as Greater Manchester Mayor, and Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) has now issued a public statement, giving details on the matter and what these ‘dealings’ entailed.
A spokesperson for GMCA confirmed that Burnham had a ‘formal meeting’ with Man City Chairman, Khaldoon Al Mubarak, back in October 2021.
The statement reads in full: “In October 2021, Andy Burnham, in his role as Mayor of Greater Manchester, had a formal meeting with Khaldoon Al Mubarak at the UK Government’s Global Investment Summit arranged by the Department for International Trade.
“In his capacity as Mayor, he was a guest of Manchester City FC at home matches on a small number of occasions, including attending Vincent Kompany’s testimonial match in September 2019, where he met the Chairman informally in the stands. These have been declared in the usual way.
“Also during his time as Mayor, representatives of Greater Manchester sporting clubs would routinely join business delegations as part of Mayoral international visits.
“This included representatives from Manchester United travelling to Austin and Dublin, Lancashire Cricket Club joining a delegation to India, and Manchester City FC staff supporting visits to China and Japan.”
Featured Image – Lauren Hurley / Number 10 Downing Street (Press Image via Flickr)
Sport
Multiple arrests made for ‘tragedy chanting’ and police officer assault as Man City defeated Liverpool
Emily Sergeant
Multiple people were arrested over the weekend as Manchester City defeated Liverpool in a Premier League clash.
Merseyside Police have confirmed that a total of 10 people were arrested during the policing operation at Liverpool’s home ground of Anfield as they hosted Manchester City on Sunday 11 October.
One man was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police constable, five were on suspicion of tragedy chanting, one on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly, two for affray, and one on suspicion of throwing items onto the pitch.
Police are now appealing to the public, and are particularly looking to speak to witnesses of the assault of the officer.
At around 6:35pm, as fans left the stadium, a police officer sustained a ‘serious facial injury’ during the arrest of a man on Anfield Road, and was subsequently taken to hospital for treatment but is now recovering at home.
Investigating officers are now conducting enquiries, speaking to witnesses, and analysing CCTV and camera phone footage.
Chief Inspector Leanne Hobin said it’s ‘extremely disappointing’ that an officer has sustained a serious injury while carrying out their duty.
“I hope the arrests send a clear message and act as a deterrent to others,” Chief Inspector Hobin continued. “Anyone who engages in this abhorrent behaviour risks ending up in custody and getting a criminal record.
“Despite the actions of a few, the overwhelming majority of the 60,000 fans in attendance behaved well and I want to thank them for their co-operation.”
Manchester City ended up defeated Liverpool 3-0 during the Premier League clash at Anfield.
The Manc -
12th September 2021 
