We are not just a business! United bringing the words 'Football Club' back to their badge in attempt to banish Glazer worry



Manchester United want to restore the words ‘Football Club’ to their club badge after 15 years, in the hope of dispelling the image that the Glazers are only interested in United as a business rather than their history as one of England’s great sporting institutions.

Owner Joel Glazer is behind plans to change the badge again after the football reference was removed in a re-design in 1998. New chief executive Ed Woodward has confirmed United have reservations about the current badge which was launched seven years before the Glazers bought the club.

‘I didn’t like that change of badge,’ said Woodward. ‘Joel didn’t like that change. We will look at that and have a think about that. We are a football club, not a business.'

Unpopular: Joel (left) and Avram Glazer have built an unsavory reputation at Manchester United

Spot the difference: Manchester United's old badge (left) compared to the new

‘I described it to our staff that we are a 135-year-old club and that’s what you have to remember. We are a football club, a club with a capital C.'

‘Strapped to that is a commericial business that’s going to fund a lot of the player purchases going forward here and we have to be supportive of both.

We’ve got to make sure they co-exist together but don’t impact each other and that’s where we are trying to balance it.’

Busy man: Ed Woodward (second from left) has departed Sydney to conduct 'important transfer business'

Jet setters: United in action in Australia in the all-new kit

United were lambasted in 1998 when they removed the words ‘football club’ from their 43-year-old crest. It was considered easier to digitally reproduce the new badge which has ‘Manchester United’ in larger letters.

Woodward, who has replaced long-time Chief Executive David Gill, speaks daily to Joel Glazer, the club’s joint-chairman and one of three brothers who effectively own the club after it was purchased by their father Malcolm.

The family have been heavily criticised by certain sections of United fans for placing debt onto the club but both Sir Alex Ferguson and David Moyes have praised them for the way they run the club and support the manager.

Woodward insists The Glazers have no intention of selling United despite the club’s valuation soaring beyond £1billion and interest from bidders in China and Qatar.