Who is Michael Knighton? Ex-Man Utd director preparing ‘hostile’ Glazer family takeover
ENGLISH businessman Michael Knighton was once heavily involved in Manchester United – and he could be in for a second bite of the cherry.
The successful Englishman is reportedly preparing a hostile bid to buy United back from the Glazer family.
And Knighton went as far as to label Manchester United a ‘club in crisis’.
But who is Michael Knighton and what happened when he last was involved with the Red Devils?
Who is Michael Knighton?
Born October 4, 1951, Michael Knighton was raised in Derbyshire and spent most of his youth playing football.
As a teenager, Knighton represented Coventry City as an apprentice for a year before his career was cut short due to a thigh injury.
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However, this enabled the successful businessman to focus on his studies at Durham University’s Bede College where he secured a degree in Physical Education (PE).
And then Michael went to St. Cuthbert’s College to study philosophy, politics and Mandarin Chinese before becoming a PE teacher as well as teaching geography in 1976.
But by 1984, the Englishman quit to focus on property interests with his first huge asset being Manchester United.
What happened with the previous Manchester United takeover deal?
Knighton made a £20 million takeover bid for Manchester United in August 1989.
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This was the second record figure for a British football club – a offer which was accepted by former Chief Executive Martin Edwards.
Michael made promises to his board members that he would invest £10m in Old Trafford.
He even appeared on the pitch before a game fully dressed in the kit before completing a series of kick-ups.
The driving force for the takeover was a Knighton-controlled company named MK Trafford Holdings and a £10m contract for Edwards was signed.
However, former Debenhams executive Bob Thornton and Stanley Cohen who were investors of MK Trafford, pulled out in mid-September which led Knighton to source other financial backers.
And despite, Michael proving to United chief executive Martin Edwards that he had the funds to complete the takeover deal, Knighton abandoned his bid for a seat on the board.
But in 1997, the wealthy icon resigned from the football club after being “publicly humiliated’ over claims he and his wife Rosemary had seen a UFO in 1976.
What other teams has Michael Knighton been involved with?
Michael Knighton turned his attentions to Carlisle after the Manchester United deal.
The wealthy Englishman bough Carlisle in 1992 when they were at the bottom of the Football League.
However, initial success saw his new club win Division Three and secure promotion in 1995 with a record number of 91 points.
What is Michael Knighton’s net worth?
Knighton walked away from football in 2002 and now he currently spends his time painting, sculpting and writing poetry.
The Englishman has a reported net worth of £5.7 million.