Manchester United part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has drawn the ire of John-Paul O'Neill, the fan behind the formation of breakaway club FC United of Manchester in 2005
Sir Jim Ratcliffe in March 2025
Manchester United have confirmed the series of questions for Sir Jim Ratcliffe have been received by the club
The Manchester United fan who was once the scourge of the Glazers has written to Sir Jim Ratcliffe to demand clarification on his plans for the club.
John-Paul O’Neill, the man behind the formation of rebel club FC United of Manchester when American tycoon Malcolm Glazer completed his controversial leveraged buy-out of the Reds almost 20 years ago, has sent an email to Ratcliffe containing 99 questions for Britain’s richest man to answer.
His call for greater transparency mirrors a request from former United shareholders John Magnier and JP McManus back in 2003 for the club to answer 99 questions regarding financial affairs and transfer dealings when they were involved in a legal row with manager Sir Alex Ferguson over the ownership of champion racehorse Rock of Gibraltar.
United have confirmed they have received O'Neill's questions. His questions to Ratcliffe include "Why did he claim last week that United would run out of cash before Christmas without declaring the perilous financial position to the Securities and Exchange Commission in the USA?"
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O'Neill also asks: "Why did his accountants fail to warn that the club’s finances were in a desperate state before Ratcliffe paid £1.27billion for his shareholding?"
Another question sees him ask Ratcliffe: "Why did the club’s ‘Going Concern’ statement, filed in the accounts published in February, conclude that United were in a position to meet their financial commitments for 12 months?"
O’Neill was also the driving force behind the now-defunct United fanzine ‘Red Issue’, a publication that was a must-read for fans and players alike for 26 years before closing in 2015. He said: “A lot of United fans are prepared to take Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s words as gospel because they are excited about having a new stadium - but just as many have questions that remain unanswered.
“Are we really supposed to believe that one of the world ’s most successful businessmen paid the Glazers over £1billion for a stake in United without knowing every single detail of their finances? Ratcliffe has done nothing more so far to suggest he's anything but Glazer 2.0."
*** To read all of the 99 questions sent to Sir Jim Ratcliffe visit I Got Ninety-Nine Questions, But The Pitch Ain’t One ***
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