Jim Ratcliffe is a ...

OldSchoolManc

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I have just been reading about Jim Ratcliffe, who is worth 20 billion.
He grew up as a Manchester United fan, then became a Chelsea fan and now he has just bought Nice for £100 million.
Have United dodged a plastic bullet here? He still proclaims himself as a ‘Tortured United fan’.
 

Madzik_92

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How's Nice doing these days? How much have they spent on transfers?
 

Snow

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Why do you say he's a Chelsea fan? He's a self-proclaimed United fan and I don't know why the richest man in the UK, who's a fan, owning United is a worse thing than the Glazers owning United.

He's been buying land in Iceland recently for the sole reason of protecting salmon.
 

Patience

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He is a United fan. But because he lived in London, he bought season tickets for Stamford Bridge - where he lived.

He showed interest in buying United at one point; I believe it is still his dream. Never happened for him; he couldn't get the monies right and besides, why woudl Glazers sell. The club is growing in value. It makes no sense to sell.

Best of luck to Jim at Nice. Hope it works for him.
 

OldSchoolManc

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Why do you say he's a Chelsea fan? He's a self-proclaimed United fan and I don't know why the richest man in the UK, who's a fan, owning United is a worse thing than the Glazers owning United.

He's been buying land in Iceland recently for the sole reason of protecting salmon.
Yeah, it was the buying a season ticket at Chelsea that surprised me. Maybe he’s just a football fan...
Either way, if he is still a big United fan, it would be great if he could take us out of the Glazers hands. I imagine he’d want to get an actual football structure in place, which the Glazers clearly have no clue about.
 

VorZakone

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I have just been reading about Jim Ratcliffe, who is worth 20 billion.
He grew up as a Manchester United fan, then became a Chelsea fan and now he has just bought Nice for £100 million.
Have United dodged a plastic bullet here? He still proclaims himself as a ‘Tortured United fan’.
That's...quite a lot.
 

Cloud7

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He isn’t likely to spend quarter of his net worth buying United outright. If he were to be interested, it would likely be another LBO, which would then saddle the club with a fresh wave of debt. There would be no splurging for quite a while.
 

arthurka

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Why do you say he's a Chelsea fan? He's a self-proclaimed United fan and I don't know why the richest man in the UK, who's a fan, owning United is a worse thing than the Glazers owning United.

He's been buying land in Iceland recently for the sole reason of protecting salmon.
That's a very debatable reason to say the least. Buying future land with clean water rights and his very own salmon rivers to play with has little to do with protection of the North Atlantic salmon but it's nice to see that his charm offensive is working. If he has so much interest in nature and the protection of wild life he might want to start by cleaning up his own filth all over the world. He has been vocal on EU carbon emission rules and is a firm advocate of fracking. So he should know all to well what is causing ground water pollution and fish dying from pollution and water temperature.
 

marktan

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He's got a season ticket at Chelsea, that's why some think he is a Chelsea fan. Maybe the expense of travelling to Manchester is why he does not get a quick flight up to Manchester.
Is it hard to buy a season ticket at Chelsea or other London clubs? I know Arsenal has a long waiting list right?
 

Snow

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That's a very debatable reason to say the least. Buying future land with clean water rights and his very own salmon rivers to play with has little to do with protection of the North Atlantic salmon but it's nice to see that his charm offensive is working. If he has so much interest in nature and the protection of wild life he might want to start by cleaning up his own filth all over the world. He has been vocal on EU carbon emission rules and is a firm advocate of fracking. So he should know all to well what is causing ground water pollution and fish dying from pollution and water temperature.
I said he wants to protect the salmon. He's an avid salmon sports fisher and that's why he wants to protect it. It's like a person being into horses and wanting to protect them as such because it's your hobby and also provides you an income. I didn't say it was selfless. Buying the land just means that he now controls that there won't be anything built that disrupts the salmon, that's all. People can be passionate about a specific thing you know.

Yeah, it was the buying a season ticket at Chelsea that surprised me. Maybe he’s just a football fan...
Either way, if he is still a big United fan, it would be great if he could take us out of the Glazers hands. I imagine he’d want to get an actual football structure in place, which the Glazers clearly have no clue about.
He's got a season ticket at Chelsea, that's why some think he is a Chelsea fan. Maybe the expense of travelling to Manchester is why he does not get a quick flight up to Manchester.
I imagine I'd also own a season ticket or two for London clubs if I'd live there and was worth 20 billion. He did say that he didn't buy Chelsea because of the stadium. Maybe the ticket was for research purposes? He doesn't seem the type to do business with things he doesn't know much about.
 

duffer

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I imagine I'd also own a season ticket or two for London clubs if I'd live there and was worth 20 billion. He did say that he didn't buy Chelsea because of the stadium. Maybe the ticket was for research purposes? He doesn't seem the type to do business with things he doesn't know much about.

Nah, he's had a season ticket at Chelsea for years. He has a home close by and likes to go to the odd game.
 

Snow

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Nah, he's had a season ticket at Chelsea for years. He has a home close by and likes to go to the odd game.
Yeah there you go. Would probably have some affiliation with Chelsea at this point then. A bit like Beckham with Spurs or any player that plays for a club long enough.
 

Mainoldo

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I don’t see why any smart in individual would use ‘their own’ money to buy United.
 

lsd

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I dont care how rich you are theres no reason for a Utd fan to buy a season ticket for Chelsea .

Even it would be to watch Chelsea vs Utd and nothing else unless you buy a season ticket for every other club it makes no sense
 

Jibbs

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No fan would spend around 2.5 bn to own a football club, where the returns on investment would never be as high as multiple other avenues.
 

OldSchoolManc

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I dont care how rich you are theres no reason for a Utd fan to buy a season ticket for Chelsea .

Even it would be to watch Chelsea vs Utd and nothing else unless you buy a season ticket for every other club it makes no sense
This was my concern.

No fan would spend around 2.5 bn to own a football club, where the returns on investment would never be as high as multiple other avenues.
If I had 2.56 billion, I would pay 2.5 to sort this shitshow out.
Afterwards, it would be worth 5 billion.
 

Jibbs

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This was my concern.



If I had 2.56 billion, I would pay 2.5 to sort this shitshow out.
Afterwards, it would be worth 5 billion.
Easier to say when we actually don't have. The reason united has failed to attract any investor in last 7 8 years is because of United's high valuation. At Current price only any Arab monarch, a sovereign fund or a very big corporate will be able to buy united.
 

Chripper

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Why do you say he's a Chelsea fan? He's a self-proclaimed United fan and I don't know why the richest man in the UK, who's a fan, owning United is a worse thing than the Glazers owning United.

He's been buying land in Iceland recently for the sole reason of protecting salmon.
Yeah. I heard he's eying Asda next.
 

Abraxas

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What more is to be said? It's well known he's looked at it in the past. But if you're rebuffed by the Glazers or quoted an absurd price which is the same as a refusal then what can you do. I think the Glazers are very content.