Man United Close To Launching Fans’ Share Scheme
Manchester United are close on finalising details towards creating a new Fans’ Share Scheme to open a path for supporters to build an ownership stake in the club.
Discussions have been under way for several months with the Manchester United Supporters’ Trust (MUST) about the proposed scheme.
The proposed share scheme would involve a new class of fan shares each with the same high-vote rights as the B shares held by the Glazer family, who took control of Manchester United in 2005.
In a statement on Monday, the club said: “We are in advanced talks with MUST about a Fans’ Share Scheme which would open a path for fans to build, over time, a meaningful ownership stake in Manchester United.
“This would give fans a strong collective voice within our ownership structure and help cement a new spirit of long-term partnership between fans and the club.
“There are significant legal and regulatory complexities being worked through, together with MUST and expert advisers.
“As well as making progress on the Fans’ Share Scheme, we are also creating a Fans’ Advisory Board as a new channel for board-level dialogue with supporters and this is close to launch.”
It is hoped that the Fans’ Share scheme will “reset the relationship” after fan protests which have come in the wake of the club’s entry into controversial European Super League (ESL) as well as it being the culmination of over a decade’s worth of growing discontent about how the Glazers have operated since their acquisition of United.
