March 2003 – The Glazers, fronted by Malcolm, buy a 2.9 per cent stake in the club after a £9million investment and steadily increase their holding over the next two years.
May 2005 – Now owning more than 50 per cent of the club, the Glazers make a formal takeover bid. Their holding increases to 76 per cent.
June 2005 – Takeover is accepted and completed with the Glazers, having loaded £525m of debt onto the club, now owning 98 per cent of shares. Fan revolt begins with Glazer family members needing police protection on their first visit to Old Trafford and protest club FC United of Manchester formed.
May 2006 – ‘Love United Hate Glazer’ banners appear at Old Trafford for first time.
May 2010 – The anti-Glazer ‘green and gold’ campaign gathers momentum with a protest before the final game of the 2009-10 season.
August 2012 – Club listed on the New York stock exchange with the Glazer family making profit from selling a portion of their shares.
May 2014 – Malcolm Glazer dies but the operating of the club is not affected.
April 2021 – Joel Glazer is revealed as one of the main players behind the plans for the ill-fated Super League, reigniting supporter anger. Disgruntled fans break into the training ground to protest.
May 2021 – Up to 10,000 United fans break into Old Trafford amid a vociferous protest against the owners which led to the Premier League game with Liverpool being called off.
August 2022 – Protest march takes place ahead of Premier League clash with Liverpool.
November 2022 – The Glazer family announce they are “exploring strategic alternatives” including a sale of the club.
February 2023 – Bids received for the club. Ratcliffe’s Ineos firm and Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani of Qatar go public with their intentions to buy out the Glazers but there are thought to be other parties interested in either a full takeover or making significant investment.
March 2023 – Ratcliffe says he will not pay a “stupid” price after his team held talks with the club.
March 2023 – Finnish businessman Thomas Zilliacus confirms he has submitted a bid to buy United. Zilliacus, founder and chairman of investment company Mobile FutureWorks, heads the third group to have publicly declared interest.
April 2023 – Manchester United Supporters Trust calls for a potential takeover to be concluded “without further delay”.
April 2023 – A group of Manchester United fans protest against the Glazer family and demand a full sale of the club ahead of the Premier League match against Aston Villa.
May 2023 – Ratcliffe is now the second richest person in the UK, according to the Sunday Times Rich List, with an estimated wealth of almost £30billion.
May 2023 – An LGBTQ+ activist from Qatar, Dr Nasser Mohamed, says “people need to be worried” about Sheikh Jassim’s bid to buy United.
June 2023 – Sheikh Jassim waits to hear whether his fifth and final offer for has been successful, according to sources close to the Qatari.
June 2023 – Supporters block the entrance to the club’s Megastore to protest against the Glazer family amid the ongoing ownership saga.
August 2023 – Thousands of United fans stay behind at Old Trafford to protest against the Glazers’ ownership after a 3-2 win against Nottingham Forest.
September 2023 – Manchester United’s valuation on the New York Stock Exchange plummets by more than £500m in the wake of a report that the Glazers have decided not to sell.
October 2023 – Sheikh Jassim withdraws from the process to buy Manchester United.
October 2023 – Manchester United report a Premier League record revenue figure of £648.4m for the year ending June 30. The figure is 11 per cent up from the previous year but the club still report a loss of £42.1m.
November 2023 – Richard Arnold steps down as United chief executive after less than two years in the job, with Patrick Stewart taking interim control.
December 24, 2023: Ratcliffe’s deal to purchase 25 per cent stake in club is confirmed.
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
