Full Interview with Joel Glazer

besty

Part 1:

Joel Glazer granted his first interview since his family's takeover of Manchester United to MUTV. Here, in an exclusive for ManUtd.com, we present the full transcript.

How does it feel to own Manchester United?
”It’s a tremendous feeling. When you’re around this club, following this club, the heritage, the history when you’re walking on Old Trafford, the feeling you get inside… it doesn’t matter how many times you walk in, you get that feeling every time. It’s an incredible feeling but with it comes a lot of responsibility and we take that very seriously.”

Is this your first visit to Old Trafford?
"No, actually we’ve been here before. I haven’t been in the past year or so but over the last several years I’ve been here and, as I’ve said, every time you walk in that great stadium you get that same feeling, and that’s part of the beauty of Man United and what sets Man United apart from other football clubs, and to be here talking to you with this in the background there’s nothing finer in the world.”

When you first came to Old Trafford did it grab you straight away?
“No question about it. You know, back in the US, football is not that big of a sport. You come here and this is what it’s all about, not only what you see on the pitch but also what you see in the stadium with the supporters, the passion and how much they care about their club and the connection with the club. It’s contagious so when you walk into it for the first time, when I did many years ago, it really changes your mindset and I’ve been really tremendously attached ever since."

How passionate are you about football?
“We grew up with my family being very passionate about two sports, American football and British football. I grew up in Rochester, New York, where we had the North American Soccer League. Rochester were at the time the worst team in the whole league, but week in week out I was there to support my team. What was fascinating to us was what was happening over here because this is where the best players in the world are. We had a very watchful eye overseas and while we were in the minority in America that minority is very passionate about the game as well. And we followed them through the years.”

How did you become a United fan?
“It’s probably a lot like many people around the world: the success the club has, the tradition the club has, the history the club has and everything about the club. The way the club has always gone about doing things, bringing the youth through the youth academy, bringing some great stars from other clubs. Man United has always had a unique aura about it, and when you watch them play everyone knows it’s something special.”

We believe you had a room-mate that was a Spurs fan. Is he to blame for all this?
“I had a room-mate in college who was from London and who to this day is still my best friend. Every Saturday morning he’d be there with his little radio trying to pick up the Tottenham games. He exposed me even more, it was infectious and the more I learnt about the game over here the more passionate I got. I taught him about American football and to this day he is a crazy American football fan as well. He speaks a lot about traditions and I’m very mindful of that and we’re not here to mess with the traditions and history of this club.”

It’s one thing supporting a team, it’s another owning one. What drove you to it?
“You know the one thing we always say about the club in Tampa is while we may be the owners, no one really owns the club. The fans, the supporters are the owners of the club and we are the stewards of the club. We have are club in the US, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which we have been involved in for 10 years and there’s nothing like it, being involved in something like that. But we always knew if we wanted to be involved in football it wouldn’t be in the US, it would be over here because this is where the top, top, top competition is. When you’re involved in sport it’s all about the competition and that’s what this is all about, the competition on the pitch, to compete at the highest level. This is where it is.”

Talk us through your Buccaneers experience. Will it hold you in good stead for all this?
“I think our experience there has been very, very important. I say this day in day out in Tampa to anyone who is associated with our club that it starts with the supporters, because without the supporters and their support and their passion there is no game, there is nothing to cheer for. So I stress day in day out that we have to reach out to our supporters, treat them the best we know how to treat them. People have put their time, energy and other parts of their life into this and we are very mindful of this and it all starts there and bringing our experience over here is an energy we think we can bring to the game. I keep stressing that, I know it’s a great emphasis here, but we keep stressing that the people who come here and around the world who care so much about this club, we’re respectful of them, mindful of them. It’s our job to do everything we can to put the best team on the pitch we can because people who put their hearts and souls into this club look upon us to put our heart and souls into the club.”

besty

Part 2
Have you learnt your lessons from your time in Tampa?
“There’s no question. Along the way you learn your lessons, you make some mistakes, there’s no question about that, but you learn from your mistakes and I think we have learnt a great deal. Being involved in sports, being an owner in sports, nothing can prepare you for that, I think we’ve seen that. It’s something you learn as you go along but the thing I think you appreciate and you learn as you go along is how important, I know growing up how important it was to me, but just how important it is to the supporters, to the community. This is a treasure of the community, of the country and followed throughout the football world, so you have to take that very seriously, you have to show your commitment on the pitch.

"I think the supporters appreciate it if you’re doing everything you can to put a successful team on the pitch, I think people are forgiving if they know you are doing that. You’re letting people know what they’re doing, whether it be the football manager making those decisions, or the Chief Executive making his decisions. Give them the tools, give them what they need to do their jobs, which has always been the case here. We’re just going to carry that on and make sure they have what they need, then the rest usually takes care of itself.”

How important were the manager and the chief exec in the talks you’ve had with them?
“Very important and Manchester United are very, very fortunate as everyone knows to have the most wonderful manager in Sir Alex Ferguson and the success he has had, and what he’s brought to Old Trafford, you can’t even describe it in words. He’s just done a tremendous, tremendous job. We have the greatest, greatest respect for him and hope to work with him for many, many years to come, and then you’ve got David Gill who’s done a tremendous job here. Not only David Gill, the whole staff here. We were talking to them earlier today, they are all working towards the same goals. Everyone is passionate about what they do, and it’s infectious, when we walk around here today, just how much it means to everybody, but it’s one thing to know it but it’s another thing when again you talk to people and hear from people so it’s really very rewarding to see that.”

Can you assure the fans that David Gill and Sir Alex Ferguson will have the same input?
”Absolutely. Nothing will change and it’s one thing we keep saying, and again, people will only see this with time and we can’t make time move forward. We understand the scepticism, we understand that when there is change there’s uncertainty. But things are, to me, business as usual. David Gill will continue to do the great things he’s been doing with his team. Sir Alex Ferguson will be given all the resources for him to compete on the field at the highest possible level, so we are always going to provide them what they need, when they need it, to be successful."

What type of owner are you going to be?
“Very passionate. I can say that much from our experience in Tampa. In the 10 years we’ve owned the team, I’ve never missed a match. You’re passionate about the sport but part of the rule, this rule is to make sure people have what they need to do the job to the best of their ability, so again whether it’s Sir Alex with the budget, the transfer budget to make sure he can get whatever he needs on the pitch, David Gill to expand what has already been built at Manchester United, it’s our duty to make sure that happens but also to be a great steward of this club for the supporters. We’ve got to keep reminding people that the supporters are the lifeblood of this club and sometimes people forget that. I know I don’t forget that on a daily basis and I will keep reminding people of that.”

How’s the managerial structure going to work?
"Our family is involved in a lot of different things. Myself and my two brothers have been put on the board here, but we’re here at a board level and we’ll be supportive of what is happening with David Gill and Sir Alex."

Will you have an office here?
"I think we would have a presence but, again, in a supportive role because there is a wonderful management team in place, wonderful people in place. It only makes sense when you are passionate about something to have a presence there but it’s in a supporting role."

Why have you waited until now to speak up?
"That has been a little frustrating for us because people who know me and know my family know that anytime they can come up to us and approach us and we’re happy to talk. Part of the problem with being a PLC as we just saw over the last several months is you’re very restricted with what you can and can’t say and when you’re working under those types of guidelines everyone says you’ve got to be very careful. You try and say something and if you say the wrong thing it may have problems based on the regulations so it was really an effort to stay clear of that.

"The thing I emphasise is this: it’s going to be a long-term situation and nothing I can say today or could have said yesterday is going to completely change people’s views. The only thing that’s going to change views is things that happen over time so I caution people that this is a marathon and not a sprint. Judge us over the long haul, don’t judge us on a day or the last several months. It’s been frustrating for us not being able to communicate because people are so passionate about this club and it’s not good when you’re not having communication or dialogue with people. It’s very frustrating when you can’t say everything you want to say. It’s frustrating, I can’t make time move forward, but like we experienced with Tampa, there was scepticism at the beginning but time changed that. We firmly believe whilst there is scepticism today and uncertainty today, time will change that as well.”

Is communication with the fans important to you?
"It’s extremely important. Again I keep coming back to it, fans are the lifeblood of the club. People want to know what’s happening, people want to know where things are heading but we will be communicating. Again, I think it’s important that the chief executive is communicating on a regular basis and the manager communicates on a regular basis and we can communicate certain things ourselves but not much is going to be changing at Old Trafford.

"What attracted us and allured us to Old Trafford are all the great things, all the great history, and all the great heritage. People keep saying, “What are you going to change”? And the thing I keep saying is people aren’t going to notice a change. We don’t want people to notice a change because in the end we’ll be doing a disservice to this great club. We just want to help carry it on and grow what Manchester United has been, whilst recognise worldwide maybe there is some more things we can do overseas to grow Manchester United which again benefits the community and the football at large.”

What are your plans and priorities for Manchester United?
"Priorities always have to start on the pitch and the focus has to be on the pitch. The priority is to do better than we did last season and better than we did the previous season. We always want to do better, always compete at the top level and I know this much – I know we have the manager to make that happen. I know that he will not rest until the success is found so we’re very supportive of that and that’s one great comforting aspect when you have somebody, a manager like Sir Alex that is so committed and so driven. He’s been there before, he’s done it before and has such a great rapport with the supporters. You take great comfort from that."

What is your response to the allegations you are going to sell and lease back Old Trafford?
"Absolutely ridiculous! That’s been one of the real frustrating things we’ve read about and you just want to communicate directly that that’s not going to happen. There are absolutely no plans to do that. This is the heritage and the real foundation of this club so there is no thought process whatsoever to be doing that.”

What about the transfer kitty?
“It’s another thing we’ve read, talking about caps on transfers and different aspects of that. Again, that’s just not true. We are going to provide the manager with the resources necessary to field the best team on the field, so again when I read about caps and hands being tied it’s very frustrating. It’s absolutely not true. We are there to provide the manager what he needs to compete and to win at the highest level.”

So reports of it being capped at £20million per season are not true?
“Absolutely not true. In this type of game you can’t plan to have caps. It doesn’t work. Situations arise, things change. We will not get involved with this from the start unless we can compete at the highest level, not having our hands tied. So when you read about that you get kind of very upset. You want to let people know that’s not the case. The way this club has been operating in the past is going to be the way it’s going to operate in the future.

"One of the other great things about this club is when they’ve gone into the transfer market it’s been for the right reasons, not just for the sake of a headline. That will continue. The other great thing about this club is the history of bringing up young players through the academy on to the pitch. There’s a connection with that kind of situation that you don’t get anywhere else. It’s because the player grew up with the club and the connection has always been there. That’s special and I know that that is a priority of this club and that will continue.”

besty

Part 3

So reports of it being capped at £20million per season are not true?
“Absolutely not true. In this type of game you can’t plan to have caps. It doesn’t work. Situations arise, things change. We will not get involved with this from the start unless we can compete at the highest level, not having our hands tied. So when you read about that you get kind of very upset. You want to let people know that’s not the case. The way this club has been operating in the past is going to be the way it’s going to operate in the future.

"One of the other great things about this club is when they’ve gone into the transfer market it’s been for the right reasons, not just for the sake of a headline. That will continue. The other great thing about this club is the history of bringing up young players through the academy on to the pitch. There’s a connection with that kind of situation that you don’t get anywhere else. It’s because the player grew up with the club and the connection has always been there. That’s special and I know that that is a priority of this club and that will continue.”

If the manager saw a player, would we be in a position to buy him?
"No question. Nobody was more excited last year when the club signed Wayne Rooney than us but if that situation arises again this club will be in a position to go after that player and bring him to Old Trafford because we know players love to play here and this club will be in a position to do that absolutely.”

But it's not a bottomless pit?
"Well it’s not a bottomless pit and this club has been prudent to do the right things. That is what has kept this club so successful over the years: not spending unwisely, spending wisely on the right players, the right fit and being prudent because in this game it doesn’t matter what the situation is, you can get reckless and it can get the club in trouble. So there does have to be some restraint but again if it’s the right situation, if the manager feels it’s the right situation, then you have to facilitate that.”

Are you going to change the club’s logo?
“That’s another one of those absolutely ridiculous things we’ve been reading and again people who know me know that I’m big on tradition in any sport. I’m very averse to change. That is part of the fabric of this club so just because something may have happened many years ago in Tampa, which is a completely different situation to this, they immediately jump to conclusions that this is going to happen. There’s something beautiful about the fabric of this club. There are absolutely no plans to change that.”

Has the heritage honestly gripped you?
"It’s funny, we were doing some other things today and I only had a limited time to be in there (the museum) and I could have spent three hours there. I love to be around the history and the heritage and the trophies and all the interactive stuff they have at the museum, I could spend hours upon hours there and I was almost wishing they would let me stay there and do that rather than do all this other stuff that I know is important. The feeling you get when you walk round there and you see the history and you see everything in front of you – again it’s like we’re walking in here and it brings it even more to life and it sends shivers down your spine.

"There’s very few things in this world, clubs in this world that can put together a history like that which you get to go and see. That’s what sets this club apart from any other club. You see it and you’re reminded of it… even when I talk about it I get goose-bumps. It’s what sports are all about, it’s what this club is all about, it’s why people gather here every week, it’s about why people watch matches and tears roll from their eyes, it’s why people remember back about their fondest memories and continue to talk about it. That’s what this is all about. That’s part of why we’re here, that’s part of why we want to be associated with this. Just to be part of that – to see it in front of you, to experience it – there’s nothing else in the world that can make you feel like that.”

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To be fair to MUTV, I think these questions are really really good. Some reassuring answers, but I'm still very wary as to the outcome of this whole takeover. Still, at least we have some insight into the Glazer camp now

Jimi-Spandex

Glad to see he calls it football at least

Some reassurance at least, though I would have liked some info on how he intends to service the debt and increase profits.

I've read some very cynical things about this on some manu forums, but I'm willing to take this guy for his word until he gives me reason to do otherwise.

Nice to see him acknowledge the importance of the fans also, must be the beginning of


While I still have fears for the future of the club due to the debts and would rather that it had remained under the previous owners I'm not too disappointed with Joely boy.

andyman

I'll take his word for now. We'll see how the club progresses.

Although this was the same with Abramovich but since then he has been the best thing to happen to Chelsea so I'm going to look at it from that perspective.

BKtje

Good interview and answers some questions. Lets hope its not all bull.

Headshot

people should give Glazer a chance, bloody shareholders united give the man a break at lest give him a season

RVN10

Im glad they are in charge

scuba steve

Jimi-Spandex wrote:

Glad to see he calls it football at least

Some reassurance at least, though I would have liked some info on how he intends to service the debt and increase profits.

I've read some very cynical things about this on some manu forums, but I'm willing to take this guy for his word until he gives me reason to do otherwise.

Nice to see him acknowledge the importance of the fans also, must be the beginning of


While I still have fears for the future of the club due to the debts and would rather that it had remained under the previous owners I'm not too disappointed with Joely boy.

When Americans do say soccer, its the same as football here, so that wouldnt have been a big deal if he did say soccer. They at least deserve a chance

astrofool

i'd find myself saying soccer now and then, depending who I was talking to (i.e. GAA follower or not).

county

as a member of shareholders united i am getting a bit pissed off with them they are getting more militant by the day

besty

county wrote:

as a member of shareholders united i am getting a bit pissed off with them they are getting more militant by the day

are you talking about SU?
They are pissing me off to be honest

Devious

county wrote:

as a member of shareholders united i am getting a bit pissed off with them they are getting more militant by the day

Indeed. I think at this stage they pose more of a threat to United than the Glazers, what with the potential for future riots and God knows what else. Their fanatical opposition to the takeover has been hugely embarrassing for sport in general and Manchester Unitd in particular. Roll on the new season.....

SteM

Can't believe anyone can compare this takeover with the Abramovich take over of Chelsea. That guy could buy and sell the Glazers x times over, the Chelsea money is pocket change to him. This is not the case with the Glazer takeover of United. The fact is they've gone into debt to buy United, he bought Chelsea and still has plenty of money to bankroll purchases for them without having to worry about turning a profit any time soon.

Their fanatical opposition to the takeover has been hugely embarrassing for sport in general and Manchester Unitd in particular.

??? - During the takeover they were a group who had a vested interest in who was buying the club. By their very name they were a group of SHAREHOLDERS in a PLC and if they had an opposition to any takeover they had every right to voice that opinion surely? If you were a member in SU and they weren't voicing your own opinions then you had and still have every right to cancel your membership, simple really.