The more astute among you will have noticed, in recent days, that the Shareholders United banner has been promoted to the top of the page. Those of you who just looked at the top of the page and glanced at the banner in mild surprise, you are not very astute.

The reason for this is simple. Manchester United, the football club I've supported since I was a boy and love passionately, needs help. It is under assault from businessmen who wish to take ownership of it in order to line their own pockets with the money of the supporters. The supporters would rather own it themselves, or at least ensure that the club remains independant.

Wher these businessmen come from makes little difference. Americans, Russians, Middle Eastern oil tycoons, or even fellow Englishmen, it doesn't matter. Businessmen are called so because they are good at sniffing profit opportunities. These opportunities are not defined by mould-breaking efforts to invest club revenue wholly back into the club. Instead it's all about raping the supporters for every penny. Higher gate prices, more expensive club merchandise and other unpleasantries. The new players will dry up, and with them, the trophies and the success. Old Trafford itself may be sold or, unthinkably, renamed, to finance the greed of such businessmen.

This I will not allow, and so I am making greater efforts to promote the best chance we supporters have of ensuring that the club remains independent and public. That chance is buy buying shares and grouping together. Shareholders United has almost 20,000 members at the time of writing, and is an organisation dedicated to the above cause of independence. While I have no right to demand such of you, I do ask that you click the banner above, and join Shareholders United. It only costs �10 to join, and that gets you a year's membership and a genuine Manchester United share and an SU share certificate to prove it. Note that this is significantly cheaper than buying a Manchester United share via other sources, some of which charge as much as �40 with no membership to any organisation.

There are plenty of other important details on the Shareholders United website, and I urge you to take a look.

IB

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