Red Rebels: The Glazers and the FC Revolution

2017 | Sport & Leisure

When the biggest club in the world is stolen from you, it's time to start again. In 2004, Manchester United was the richest football club in the world, with global commercial success to match its dominance on the pitch. By the end of 2005 the club had been plundered into record levels of debt, as Malcolm Glazer took over. To this day, the debt is estimated to be well in excess of 300m. The fans were furious. The club they loved was being used as an asset to secure huge loans. It was an insult to the achievements of their magnificent club - to the traditions andheritage that United represented. But whilst the fanbase was united in concern, one group took matters a step further. They were the Red Rebels. And if the club they loved was being stripped from them, they would walk away and build their own. This is the story of FC United of Manchester, the new club born out of a supporter revolution. It is a club built against all odds, with a transparent manifesto designed to protect their passionate fans. But, as generations that have gone before will testify, football today is a very different game. How long can a modern British club stay true to its principles? And in a noble attempt to do so, could it ultimately tear itself apart?

Richard Kurt (Author)

John-Paul O'Neill (Author)