The horse that ushered in Manchester United’s tragic arc | Jonathan Wilson
Summary
The article traces Manchester United’s troubles to a dispute over racehorse Rock of Gibraltar between manager Alex Ferguson and owner John Magnier. It says the dispute helped prompt Magnier and his associate JP McManus to sell their United shares, which Malcolm Glazer was positioned to buy, and argues that the club’s later ownership and management decisions contributed to its decline.Key Facts
- In 1999, John Magnier asked Alex Ferguson to deliver the traditional Gimcrack Dinner speech after Magnier’s horse Mull of Kintyre won the Gimcrack Stakes.
- Magnier later named Ferguson as the owner of horses including Rock of Gibraltar, which won seven Group One races in a row.
- Ferguson and Magnier disagreed over what Ferguson was owed from Rock of Gibraltar’s prize money or stud fees.
- Ferguson sued Magnier, but the dispute ended in a settlement in which Ferguson received £2.5 million to drop the case.
- Magnier and JP McManus sent Manchester United’s board 99 questions, which were reported in the Daily Mail, according to the article.
- The article says Magnier and McManus decided to sell their Manchester United shares, with Malcolm Glazer ready to buy them.
- The article links the club’s later difficulties to a succession of managerial and ownership decisions.
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