Just 25% of the New York Stock Exchange-listed club is being sold to INEOS founder Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the petrochemicals entrepreneur.
Just another reminder of how little the say of supporters – or at least the most vocal ones – counts at Old Trafford.
Human rights activists – and those against state involvement in clubs – would argue for the better.
Not even a bid of around £5bn for a full buyout from Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al Thani – with funding linked to the Qatari state – could tempt the Glazers to sell up.
The American family valued their footballing asset – bought for £790m with a leveraged takeover in 2005 – at £6bn and counting.
Advertisement
The Sheikh Jassim offer seemed a handsome return on the initial investment, especially when servicing the debt the Glazers loaded on to the club has cost United more than £1bn.
It is cash that has gone to banks rather than building work so desperately needed at Old Trafford and the Carrington training complex.
The women’s team – disbanded in 2005 and only re-formed in 2018 – lacks a dedicated stadium or regular access to Old Trafford.
Ageing infrastructure symbolises the decay of the club.
The hope among fans will be that Sir Jim’s promised investment starts the regeneration of facilities that have fallen behind rivals.
The Glazers would see growing the commercial operations at United as a great success.
Revenue at the club has trebled during their 18-year ownership.
But that funded transfer fees and salaries in the struggle to keep up with rivals.
And how they spent – so often wastefully on the wrong players – reflects the shortcomings of the Glazers to identify the smartest sporting minds in the game to run football operations.
A new chief executive is being sought with the departure of Richard Arnold.
Sir Jim’s arrival offers the prospect of fresh ideas, sporting expertise and improved public engagement.
He can tap into the mind of Sir Dave Brailsford, the mastermind behind Team GB’s golden Olympic cycling dominance who serves as INEOS director of sport with roles across cycling, football, sailing and rugby.
But Sir Dave’s legacy has been tainted by investigations into the cycling successes with Team Sky, the forerunner to INEOS Grenadiers when owned by the parent company of Sky News.
Sir Dave previously acknowledged “mistakes were made” by Team Sky in relation to anti-doping and testing practices but denied wrongdoing.
And there are questions about how supremacy has been achieved at Manchester City, the football club that now sets the benchmark for glory.
Contrasting the fortunes of City and United are muddied until a Premier League case into vast alleged financial wrongdoing concludes.
With Abu Dhabi wealth, Manchester City now dominate not just locally in men’s football but across England – and Europe.
It is why the prospect of Qatari investment proved so enticing to some United fans, although not those with the anti-sportswashing banners at matches.
Protests have replaced parades.
In the decade since United last won the Premier League as Sir Alex Ferguson retired, City have won the title six times.
And their maiden Champions League success last season was part of a Treble that emulated United’s greatest achievement in 1999 – four years before the Glazers bought their first shares in the club.
They steadily built up control before gaining complete ownership amid fan protests.
The hope for many supporters will be that the Glazers selling off 25% to Sir Jim is the start of their route out of Old Trafford.
And that the strategic review does indeed produce a better strategy.
But rejecting a complete sale could only deepen the discord in the stands at Old Trafford with the Glazers still owning the most shares.
“I’m never drinking tap water again,” Kayley Lewis says.
“My symptoms have made me lose a stone in two weeks.”
Ms Lewis and her two children have been suffering from diarrhoea, vomiting and stomach cramps for over a fortnight – since South West Water found small traces of the parasite cryptosporidium in the Hillhead reservoir.
“I can’t trust them [South West Water] again.
“I might start using tap water for dishes… but definitely never to drink. Ever.
“I’ve been completely put off now… especially because of how poorly it makes you feel.
“I just don’t think I could ever try and risk going back to that.”
At least 46 people are confirmed to have the disease, while as many as 70 other cases of diarrhoea and vomiting are also under investigation, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said.
South West Water (SWW) has repeatedly apologised – telling Sky News today that they are working “around the clock” to get all households back to using safe water again.
Advertisement
This could be as early as this Wednesday, drought and resilience director at SWW David Harris told me.
“We’re looking at somewhere between mid to late next week before we’ll be in a position to be able to responsibly lift that boil water notice.”
So far, 14,500 households in the Alston supply area can drink their tap water without boiling it first – as advised by SWW.
However, some 2,500 homes in Hillhead, upper parts of Brixham and Kingswear have been told to continue boiling – and cooling – their water supplies before drinking it.
Steve Price, who runs the Station Guest House B&B near Brixham, said he lost a couple of thousand pounds in bookings due to – understandably – paranoid customers.
“Losses we anticipate are roughly around £2000 from people that have cancelled and directly stated that the cancellation was due to the water situation.
“So we would anticipate that at the bare minimum as compensation.”
At every step through the Infected Blood Inquiry, he has been in his family’s hearts and minds.
Just like every other bereaved family carrying the memories of loved ones throughout their long fight for justice.
“The way I feel… I don’t feel like my brother can rest until we all rest,” Peter Lloyd’s sister Sarah told Sky News.
Mr Lloyd was the second of seven siblings.
He joined the RAF and loved serving his country. He became a chief technician and was posted to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus.
However, it was a car crash in the UK in July 1985 that caused him to suffer horrendous injuries.
He had a blood transfusion in hospital that he and his family believed had saved his life. That may have been true, but it also, years later, led to his death.
He was only told more than a decade after the transfusion that he’d received contaminated blood. He was diagnosed with hepatitis C shortly after.
Mr Lloyd later developed bowel and liver cancer and died aged 55 in 2008.
Advertisement
‘It tears your life apart’
His family’s mission since then has been to help ensure the whole scandal of contaminated blood transfusions is fully understood.
His sister Sarah Martin, 66, told Sky News that compensation should be paid, but that it can’t put right the wrongs: “I’d rather have my brother, I’d rather not have any money.
“He’s gone – they have taken him through reckless blood transfusions.
“It’s just heartbreaking it tears your life apart.”
Spreaker
This content is provided by Spreaker, which may be using cookies and other technologies.
To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies.
You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable Spreaker cookies or to allow those cookies just once.
You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options.
Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to Spreaker cookies.
To view this content you can use the button below to allow Spreaker cookies for this session only.
One of the boys, aged 13, was rescued from the river and taken to hospital, where he remains “in a critical condition”, Northumbria Police said in a statement on Sunday morning.
A huge search, which involved the police, ambulance, fire and mountain rescue services, then continued as crews raced to find the second boy.
“Sadly, the 14-year-old’s body was later found in the water and he was pronounced dead at the scene,” police said.
Chief Superintendent Helena Barron, of Northumbria Police, said it was an “absolutely tragic incident”.
She added: “Our thoughts are with the families of both boys at this difficult time as we continue to support them.
“A number of agencies were involved in the incident and their support was hugely appreciated.
“It is with great sadness that we could not provide a more positive update.”
Advertisement
Police said the parents of both boys are being supported by specially-trained officers.