With Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s 25% stake in Manchester United finally agreed, the football bods, business experts and fans alike are all now wondering what the club will look like under the British billionaire’s regime, but there’s also another important name newly appointed at the helm: Sir Dave Brailsford.
While most of the headlines have naturally revolved around the big-money man and primary deal-maker, who has reportedly spent around £1.3 billion to purchase his chunk of shares and a seat on the Man United board, Dave Brailsford joining the club’s executive team is also hugely significant.
Officially starting in his capacity on United‘s football board on New Year’s Eve 2023, just days after sitting in the stands to watch the Red Devils’ 3-2 comeback against Aston Villa, the 59-year-old has already set about meeting staff, touring the facilities and taking a look under the bonnet, so to speak.
Part of the reason that his arrival is of such interest comes not only as a result of his seniority and proximity as Ratcliffe‘s de-facto right-hand man but because unless you had prior knowledge of his CV or INEOS and their sporting division’s key figures, most people are relatively unaware of who he is.
Sir David John Brailsford CBE is a British sports coach with a long and decorated career in cycling, helping Team GB net a remarkable total of 14 Olympic medals in 2008, taking home eight gold medals for British Cycling at both Beijing and London 2012. He was ultimately knighted for his efforts in 2013.
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After this first wave of success, he was then put in charge of the Team Sky cycling team which featured the likes of Bradley Wiggins, Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas and went on to win eight Grand Tours before the team name was rebranded as the INEOS Grenadiers in 2019. Short version: they’ve won a lot.
Across both iterations under the ownership of Ratcliffe’s conglomerate (the fourth biggest chemical engineering company in the world, estimated to turnover £50bn a year), Brailsford enjoyed a decade of dominance as Team Principal before being made Director of Sport at INEOS in December 2021.
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Sir Dave Brailsford’s background might be predominantly in cycling, but he’s more than dabbled in football since heading up INEOS Sport.
Having been put in charge of all sporting activities including cycling, sailing (INEOS Britannia), football — OGC Nice in France, Swiss side FC Lausanne-Sport and now United) — rugby (All Blacks’ official ‘Performance Partner’) and Formula 1 (co-owner of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas team), the Derbyshire-born sports performance director is being entrusted with the Premier League project.
What is Braislford’s role at Manchester United?
With United being folded into the existing INEOS Sports portfolio, Brailsford will continue his role across all disciplines and is expected that an outright sporting director will be appointed to oversee the football side of things at Old Trafford, specifically — of which Ratcliffe and co. have been given ‘full control’ of.
Although John Murtough is currently in post and has been since March 2021, it is thought he will depart the club once INEOS takes over, having faced plenty of criticism over Man United’s transfer policy in that time, including an apparent row with Sir Alex Ferguson over failing to sign Jude Bellingham.
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Names linked with the job include Dougie Freedman (Crystal Palace), Paul Mitchell, who has worked with the likes of (Spurs, RB Leipzig), as well as Dan Ashworth (Brighton, Newcastle), with some reports suggesting the latter two could come in as sporting director and head of recruitment, respectively.
Either way, whoever is given the job will then report to Brailsford and the business magnate from Failsworth above them, who make up what is effectively being touted as a trio of executive board members strictly tasked with footballing matters. So who makes up the third element of that trifecta?
Who else is taking control of footballing operations at Man United?
Whilst Patrick Stewart (no, not the bloke from Star Trek) has been put in charge on an interim basis following the departure of Richard Arnold, the club is still on the hunt for a new full-time CEO and, for all intents and purposes, that individual looks to be Jean-Claude Blanc.
The French businessman and sports executive is best known for his time serving on the board at both Juventus and PSG — his time in Paris coinciding with the Qatari takeover in 2011 and the start of their Ligue 1 supremacy — but more recently joined Ratcliffe’s ranks and
Being made CEO of INEOS Sports in December 2022, like Brailsford, Blanc has become one of the new United owner’s closest confidants and looks set to be installed as the new CEO imminently.
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With the January transfer window now open and the final details of Ratcliffe’s deal soon to be fully ratified by the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission), the club will be hoping to put all these puzzle pieces in place sooner rather than later.
Once again, full confirmation of all these particulars is still pending and, by the terms of their current agreement, the Glazers could still technically buy out Ratcliffe before he even gets going, so the next few months could prove critical for Manchester United.
Founded in Los Angeles back in 2007, and making a splash on social media and growing in popularity ever since, Alo is a favourite among wellness enthusiasts and celebrities alike thanks to offering a curated collection of elevated performance and lifestyle apparel for all genders, aiming to blend the best of technical excellence with contemporary fashion.
Designed to inspire ‘mindful movement’ and ‘modern living’, the brand has a strong commitment to mind-body wellness, and even likes to call its stores sanctuaries.
Alo already has a selection of stores in London, but its move to Manchester marks the first time the brand has ventured outside of the capital to elsewhere in the UK, and has chosen to open doors at the Manchester Arndale complex, on the ever-popular New Cathedral Street.
Alo Yoga is opening its first UK store outside of London here in Manchester / Credit: Alo Yoga (Publicity Picture)
Recognised as the home of luxury brands in Manchester – with retailers such as Harvey Nichols, Hugo Boss, and Ralph Lauren already stationed there – Alo is the latest retailer to select New Cathedral Street for its first location in the city.
Alo joins the recently-announced arrivals of Arc’teryx and Represent – the latter of which opened to huge success last October – after signing a 10-year lease.
Asset managers also say Alo’s arrival showcases just how much Manchester has become a ‘magnet’ for fast-growing brands that are keen to access a premium shopper audience.
The luxury activewear and lifestyle brand is moving into New Cathedral Street / Credit: Alo Yoga (Publicity Picture)
“Alo Yoga is a fantastic addition to our retail mix,” commented Scott Linard, who is the Portfolio Director for joint asset managers M&G Real Estate.
“We’re proud to support the growth of innovative brands like Alo Yoga who are seeking high-quality, well-located space to connect with new audiences, and their arrival highlights the strength and diversity of Manchester’s retail offer.”
Steve Gray, who is the Head of European Retail Asset Management at Global Mutual, added: “Welcoming Alo Yoga to New Cathedral Street underlines its reputation as one of the UK’s premium retail destinations.”
No opening date for Alo Yoga in Manchester has been announced yet, so interested shoppers will need to keep their eyes peeled.
Featured Image – Alo Yoga (Press Pictures)
Sport
Ex-Manchester United player Brandon Williams issues public statement following sentencing
Danny Jones
Former Manchester United youngster Brandon Williams and his legal team have issued a statement following his recent sentencing over dangerous driving charges.
The Crumpsall-born defender left the club last year after being released following a 14-year stint in Red, graduating from Man United’s academy and making a number of first-team appearances before being sent out on a pair of loan spells.
After representing Norwich City 26 times and then making just 15 appearances for former youth coach Kieran McKenna‘s Ipswich Town, he hasn’t played professional football for more than 17 months.
Williams was officially given a 14-month prison sentence this past Friday, 23 May, but the term has been suspended for two years, and now Brandon himself has responded following the decision.
Once tipped to succeed Luke Shaw, Brandon Williams has not played a game for almost 18 months.
The free agent pleaded guilty to driving dangerously earlier this month after it was found had been driving at speeds of up to 99mph in a 70 zone prior to crashing his Audi A3.
Issuing a statement to The Manc via his lawyers at Blackfords LLP, he said: “I would like to thank my legal team headed by Richard Littler KC and Philip Williams of Blackfords LLP for establishing that I was not under the influence of any substance at the time of the accident.
“I have always accepted that my driving that day fell below the standard that is expected of me. It was never my intention to cause injury to anyone, but I am responsible for the standard of my driving. I make no excuses. I have learnt from this experience and will ensure there is no repetition.
“I wish to apologise again to those who were involved in the accident. Now that the case has concluded, I look forward to resuming my career with a new team later this year.”
Despite Chester Crown Court hearing that he and his female passenger at the time “appeared to have yellow balloons in their mouth” – typically associated with imbibing nitrous oxide a.k.a. ‘laughing gas’ – Williams has maintained that he was sober during the incident throughout the investigation.
On Friday, the former Manchester United defender Brandon Williams was given a 14-month sentence, suspended for two years, along with a three-year driving ban and 180 hours of community service after crashing his car while speeding at 99mph with a nitrous oxide balloon in his… pic.twitter.com/eeIKM6Z96n
— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) May 24, 2025
The crash, which occurred on the A34 near Handforth in Cheshire back in August 2023, saw the left-back collide with a Ford Fiesta after a female motorist travelling behind him on the dual carriageway around 6pm claimed he seemed out of control of the vehicle. Both cars were heavily damaged.
While Williams will be avoiding jail time, his suspended prison sentence has not only seen him banned from driving for three years but will also see him have to complete 180 hours of community service.
In addition to the collision itself, Williams racked up a total of 30 points on his license for multiple offences, including twice failing to declare who was driving, operating a vehicle without third-party insurance, and now this latest development, having already paid a £1,000 fine in May 2024.
The 24-year-old has since spoken out about the incident in brief detail with Ben Foster (a fellow former United player) on his podcast.
Brandon Williams’ most recent statement isn’t the first time he’s touched upon the incident.