Michael Knighton, who once owned Carlisle United, has confirmed that he wants to buy Manchester United.
The larger-than-life character, who attempted a £20 million takeover bid of Man Utd in 1989, which later failed, has revealed that he is planning to submit a formal bid to buy the club from the Glazer family.
Following his last takeover bid – which also included him appearing at Old Trafford in a Manchester United kit and doing keepie uppies in front of a stunned crowd – he bought Carlisle United.
He spent 10 years at Brunton Park as owner, chairman and even managed the team for a short, unsuccessful spell. He was at the club until 2022.
Knighton says he is working with a consortium to buy Manchester United and has said the club is in crisis.
The Glazer family took over the Red Devils in 2005 – having bought their first shares in the club two years prior to that – and enjoyed plenty of success at Old Trafford.
But there has been growing unrest since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson as United have become the fallen giants of the Premier League, slipping further behind main rivals Man City and Liverpool, and a club who could only finish sixth last season.
He told Man Utd the Religion: “We are now working on the offer document. Remember, it is a hostile bid – that simply means that the club isn’t officially for sale. But my intention is to present these owners with a legitimate, potent and commercial offer to say: ‘You have run out of road, it’s time go, because your time is up’.”
Knighton, 71, had recently said he was retired from football and was featured on TV, spending time painting, sculpting and writing poetry.
