The latest development in Manchester United’s potential sale is that it could be about to lose a bidder after the interested Qatari consortium has warned they will “walk away” if the price “isn’t right”.
Qatari Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani’s bid to buy Man United has long been considered the package in pole position for a takeover ever since the Glazer family announced the club was up for sale back in November last year.
However, according to multiple outlets, it is now thought that Sheikh Jassim and co. “could walk away” if the Glazers don’t lower their asking price. Qatar’s current buyout offer is estimated to be approximately £4.5 billion, whereas the American owners value the club at closer to £6bn.
Nevertheless, despite the might of a state wealth fund behind them, the Al Thani family apparently refuse to be “reckless” in trying to purchase the massive sporting franchise even though they recognise they will likely have to overpay to some degree. It also said they want an ‘all or nothing’ deal.
🚨 Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani’s bid for Manchester United is described as “all or nothing”. If the Glazers do decide to stay, the Qatar group will not explore minority investment or a staggered route to full ownership over time. pic.twitter.com/NUi5y347ZO
Last week, it was reported by The Athletic that Jassim’s father, Sheikh Hamad (the former Qatari Prime Minister) not only “doesn’t like the investment” but is also “not even a football fan”, which might factor into whether his son and those involved in the negotiations buy the club or not.
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While he did stress in a recent interview that regardless of his hobbies, “I am an investor”, he also added the caveat that “[he] will not look at [any investment] as something you do just as an advertisement.”
Many United fans seem to prefer the look of the Qatari’s bid given their apparent commitment to clearing the club’s debt, redeveloping Old Trafford and also investing in the surrounding areas of the Greater Manchester community.
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Although it is thought that both the Glazers and the two bidding parties involved wanted a decision to be closed out by the end of March, it now seems more probable that full confirmation and a prospective takeover now won’t happen until the end of the season — if, indeed, it does at all.
The only other official bidder is, of course, local businessman and INEOS billionaire, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who has long held an interest in purchasing the club. Each camp has now been asked to give presentations to the board within the next fortnight.
🚨 They include representatives of Ineos owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Qatar's Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani. #MUFChttps://t.co/3FOigqMtFk
Born in Failsworth and already invested in multiple sporting teams — not to mention without the political and humanitarian controversies that Qatar are wrapped up in — plenty of Reds would equally prefer Ratcliffe to take over at Old Trafford.
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On the other hand, it’s also unclear whether he has the full financing to complete a deal without taking out more loans (supporters don’t want a repeat of 2005), not to mention his status as a ‘true’ United fan has been called into question after news of his Chelsea season ticket and attempt to buy them too.
Regardless, like his bidding rivals, Ratcliffe’s offer is also said to be worth around £4.5bn, so if the Glazers don’t lower their expectations, they could be left in a situation where one bidder won’t budge and the other simply can’t afford to pay any more.
Whether fans like it or not, it has already been suggested that the Glazers could still stay in charge of United as majority shareholders and if the investments fall through, the torrid relationship between the administration and the club’s supporters could rumble on for years to come.
Two Greater Manchester-based Paralympians pick up MBEs following Paris 2024 heroics
Danny Jones
A pair of Paralympians born just down the road and honed two discipline-leading national performance centres here in Manchester have officially been awarded MBEs.
The Northerners doing the country proud – sounds about right.
First off, if the name Poppy Maskill doesn’t ring a bell, the promising Paralympic was Team GB’s best-performing para-athlete at Paris 2024 this past summer, contributing a total of five medals towards the nation’s joint-third-highest tally.
After her heroics at the Games, the teenager who turns 20 this weekend (Saturday, 29 March) was the recipient of an early and very prestigious birthday present, becoming one of the youngest individuals to be made a Member of the Order of the British Empire in history.
She was named on the New Year’s Honours list back in December but finally collected her latest medal in person this week following a ceremony at Windsor Castle, being honoured by King Charles III personally.
Hailing from Middlewich just less than an hour away from our city centre, Maskill might be a Cheshire girl by birth, but this young sporting gem is being polished right here at the state-of-the-art Manchester Aquatics Centre (MAC).
The youngster became the first Paralympian to pick up gold back in August after not only winning the 100m butterfly but smashing the world record in the process, too.
Competing in the S14 class – a category for athletes with intellectual impairments – she finished the heat with in just 1:03, surpassing the previous best by more than half a minute. But her impressive performance didn’t stop there.
MAC regular Maskill went on to win two more golds in the S14 100m backstroke and 4 x100m S14 freestyle relay, as well as a pair of silver medals in the 200m freestyle and 200m individual medley S14. Just incredible.
Poppy Maskill wasn’t the only Greater Manchester-based para-athlete who was recognised this month, though, as Stockport‘s very own two-time Paralympic champion Sophie Unwin was also presented with the accolade for her services to sport.
Named a member of the Order along with her co-pilot Jenny Holl, Unwin’s Paris 2024 medal haul included a double of golds in the women’s B 3000m individual pursuit and the road race tandem B, not to mention a silver in the road time trial and a bronze in the 1000m time trial at Paris 2024.
Following in the footsteps of fellow MBE and Stopfordian cycling legend, Dame Sarah Storey, who won her 19th gold medal to become Britain’s greatest Paralympian of all time – having made the most of MAC and the National Cycling Centre over in East Manchester during her career – the borough did us proud.
30-year-old Unwin has kicked on just as strong in the new year as well, notching a narrow victory to set an unofficial (unfortunately) world record of 4:36.737 in the women’s tandem at the 2025 Lloyds National Track Championships here in Manchester.
Former Manchester City player Joey Barton found guilty of assaulting his wife
Danny Jones
Ex-footballer Joey Barton has officially been found guilty of assaulting his wife following his two-day trial in the capital this week.
Barton, who played for Manchester City, Newcastle United, Queens Park Rangers and a number of other clubs, was convicted at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 25 March, following an incident back in June 2021.
The former midfielder left his wife, 37-year-old Georgia Barton (McNeil), with a bleeding nose and a bruise on her forehead following a drunken row at their home in London.
Barton is said to have grabbed and pushed her to the floor before kicking her in the head. Married in 2019, the two have four children and are thought to still be together.
The 42-year-old was still employed in professional football as the manager of Bristol Rovers at the time, but he was ultimately sacked in October 2023.
His wife called 999 at the time, telling police that he had hit her, but later retracted her statement.
Born in Huyton, Merseyside, the chief magistrate Paul Goldspring recognised that the one-time England has a history of violence.
He was given a 12-week suspended prison sentence, meaning he won’t serve time unless he commits another offence and has been ordered to pay £2,138.
Since dropping out of mainstream football, in particular, Barton has come under heavy criticism for allegations of racism, sexism and controversial right-wing politics; he even started an ‘anti-woke’ podcast called Common Sense with Joey Barton.
Back in June of last year, he was ordered to pay £35,000 in damages to settle a libel claim with presenter Jeremy Vine after a series of inflammatory comments made online.
The Radio 2 presenter sued Mr Barton earlier this year, after the former footballer wrote a series of posts suggesting Mr Vine had a sexual interest in children.
He also accused of threatening fellow former pro, Eni Aluko, after a torrent of abuse regarding her punditry online – the ex-England international even went so far as to say she no longer felt safe staying in the country.
Danny Jones -
9th March 2023 
