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Failsworth billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe says he’s ‘serious’ about buying Manchester United

Sir Jim Ratcliffe says he is "definitely a potential buyer" if the club is for sale.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 18th August 2022

Less than 24-hours after Elon Musk trolled the internet by joking that he was going to by Manchester United, another potential buyer for the club has thrown their hat into the ring.

And apparently, this one is “serious” about it this time.

After a recent Bloomberg report suggested that Manchester United‘s current owners, The Glazer family, are willing to sell a minority stake in the club, and after South African-born business tycoon Musk, who is the CEO and owner of a handful of major companies like Tesla and SpaceX – and just so happens to be the richest man in the world, with a net worth of US$242 billion – took to Twitter this week to say that he wanted to get his hands on the club that was his “favourite as a kid”, another fan has come forward to say they’re also interested.

Failsworth-born billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who is one of the richest men in Britain with a net worth of $7.18 billion (£5.96 billion), says he is “definitely a potential buyer” if the club is for sale.

The 69-year-old is not only the chairman and chief executive of chemical company, Ineos, but he also owns French Ligue 1 football team Nice, and Swiss club FC Lausanne-Sport, as well as Ineos Grenadiers cycling team, and an Ineos partnership with the Mercedes F1 team.

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Crucially, he’s also a massive Manchester United fan.

A spokesperson for Ineos told The Times that Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the company would be interested in purchasing a smaller stake, with a view to eventually buying the club.

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“If the club is for sale, Jim is definitely a potential buyer,” the spokesperson said.

“If something like this was possible, we would be interested in talking with a view to long-term ownership.”

Read more: Elon Musk says he’s going to buy Manchester United, apparently

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The spokesperson added that the company’s interest is “not about the money that has been spent or not spent”, explaining that Jim is “looking at what can be done now and, knowing how important the club is to the city, it feels like the time is right for a reset.”

According to Bloomberg, preliminary discussions have been held about bringing in a new investor at Manchester United after what has been a rocky relationship between fans and owners since the Glazers’ takeover back in 2005, and also after what has been a pretty painful start to the 2022/23 season for the club and new manager Erik ten Hag, with two defeats putting them at the bottom of the Premier League table.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe says he is “definitely a potential buyer” if the club is for sale / Credit: Manchester United (via Instagram)

The clubs has very-prominently been in decline since Sir Alex Ferguson retired as manager in 2013, and there have been multiple protests against the Glazers’ ownership in recent years – including one in May 2021 which caused a match against Liverpool to be postponed, and several over the club’s involvement in the proposed European Super League.

Read more: BBC apologises on air after trainee puts ‘Manchester United are rubbish’ as live news update

The club’s net debt had also grown 11% to about £496 million by the end of March.

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The Glazers have also been criticised for their handling of player transfers and contracts, as well as for not improving Old Trafford – which is the biggest club ground in the country with a capacity of around 74,000 fans.

Manchester United has declined to speak on rumours and speculation of potential new buyers.

Featured Image – INEOS (via YouTube)

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Mix-up leaves tourists bound for Peak District on a day trip to… Rochdale

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson A mix-up saw two tourists spend the day in Rochdale instead of the Peak District

Who needs rolling hills and country pubs when you could have *checks notes* roadworks and charity shops?

Well, that’s the situation two people ended up in recently after a mix-up rerouted their trip to the Peak District to Rochdale, of all places.

Thankfully seeing the funny side, Canadian TikTok creator Mackenzie shared a video of the day trip they got stuck with.

The pair of mates had been planning a trip to the honeypot town of Castleton in the Peak District, but accidentally ended up heading over to Castleton in Rochdale instead.

In the light-hearted clip, she says: “This is just a reminder to read the small print when you want to do a spontaneous trip. Because Margarita and I thought we were going to the Peaks, and this is where we are…” while panning to the sight of some roadworks.

She continued: “We thought we were going to see gorgeous green hills. Nope.

“Anyways, come with us on our Castleton Manchester, not Peak District adventure.”

Still, it looks like they made the most of their day out to Greater Manchester’s most underrated suburb.

They visited Springfield Park, went to a pub to eat onion rings (with a random giant dog staring at them), erm… went to a charity shop, and looked at some houses.

Okay so not quite the Peak District paradise they were picturing.

One person commented: “Absolutely howling. Come all the way from America to end up in Rochdale” (Mackenzie stressed in her reply that she lives in Manchester and also, is Canadian).

Another said: “It’s the Springfield park for me”

Someone else suggested: “Rochdale should rename all of its areas to encourage more tourists. Hahah”

Dying to know if these girls ever made it to Castleton, Derbyshire.

@mackenziekh2424

don’t trust us to book anything.. @Magui V #castleton #manchester #not #peakdistrict #dayinmylife #sunny

♬ Bar Mediterraneo – Nu Genea

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Featured image: Unsplash, Photo by Benjamin Elliott on Unsplash

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Travel warning issued as Manchester braces for busiest day of the year so far

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Travel warning issued ahead of busiest weekend of the year for Manchester Marathon

A ‘plan ahead’ travel warning has been issued for this weekend as the Manchester Marathon brings the busiest day of the year so far on the tram network.

Tens of thousands of people will hit the streets to take part in the race itself, with thousands more cheering them on from the sidelines.

This year’s Manchester Marathon route takes 36,000 runners through Sale, Stretford and Timperley before finishing up at a new finish line on Oxford Road – and there’ll be some big changes to your usual travel routes to accommodate this.

TfGM has said that Bee Network trams will be very busy before, during and after the 26.2 mile race, especially in Manchester and Trafford, with a number of road closures in place too.

Taking place on Sunday 27 April, the Manchester Marathon will coincide with Manchester’s popular St George’s Day parade which starts and ends across town around Oldham Road and Great Ancoats Street.

People are being encouraged to plan their journeys carefully this weekend, as it’s expected to be the busiest day of the year on the Bee Network trams.

The Manchester Marathon last year set a new personal best for the tram network, with 175,000 tram journeys racked up – the highest ever recorded on a single Sunday.

Trams will be the best choice to get around the Manchester Marathon course with key stops along the route including Sale, Timperley and Chorlton.

Many road closures will also be in place but at different times of day, so make sure you check HERE for the latest.

This will impact bus services, which will be on diversion from 8am until the end of service on Sunday, with traffic and congestion expected on surrounding roads.

Runners heading to the start line will only be able to access the athletes’ village from Old Trafford and Trafford Bar tram stops up until 9am. Participants arriving after 9am should get off at Wharfside or Exchange Quay instead.

Metrolink is promising to deploy as many double trams as possible across the network, with additional services between Piccadilly and Timperley.

Manchester Marathon guide 2025 important info

As for other modes of transport, those who wish to drive should make us of Park and Ride facilities where possible; and those on the train should note that Salford Central remains closed with bus replacements in place.

Danny Vaughan, Chief Network Director at TfGM said: “The Manchester Marathon is a highlight of the Manchester city centre calendar and our job is to make sure everyone can get to and from the event as smoothly as possible.

“We want everyone to have a great day – whether they are taking on the run themselves or cheering on a friend or loved one – and would urge people to plan their journey in advance, leave plenty of time and check the Bee Network app or website for the most up-to-date information.

“The start and finish lines will be especially busy so if you are coming to watch you may be better off catching the tram to Sale, Timperley or Chorlton, grabbing a coffee and claiming afront row seat to cheer runners on.

“Using public transport is the best way to avoid congestion and delays – and with Tap and Go contactless payments it’s never been easier or more seamless to get around Greater Manchester by bus and tram.”

Passengers can now travel seamlessly between bus and tram and pay for their journey by tapping on when boarding a bus without the need for a ticket, making it the quickest and easiest way to pay for travel.

People travelling on Bee Network buses on Marathon Day can simply tap in and pay £5 for the day on as many buses as they need and just £4.90 on the tram. You can use all Bee Network buses as much as you want all day from just £5.40*.

Kirsty Wilde, Operations Director, from Manchester Marathon organisers A.S.O. UK, said: “The TfGM tram service is an invaluable part of our event, which allows thousands of participants and supporters to navigate around the city. With a record-breaking 36,000 participants set to take part on Sunday 27th April – and more exciting activities taking place over the weekend as a whole – we’re anticipating a rise in tram journeys, which will subsequently bring economic benefits to local vendors, the hospitality sector, and retail businesses.

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“We’d like to thank Transport for Greater Manchester for its continued hard work helping to facilitate what will be the largest event yet, and would also like to say a big thank you to the residents and businesses across Greater Manchester for their understanding and support.”

For further information and travel advice visit the dedicated Manchester Marathon page on the Bee Network website.

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Featured image: Supplied

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