Edwards becomes United president

OUTGOING chairman Martin Edwards is to become only the third president in Manchester United’s 125-year history.

The news was confirmed by chief executive Peter Kenyon at a dinner in Edwards’ honour at Old Trafford on Tuesday night which was supposed to mark the end of his controversial 30-year stint on the club’s board.

Edwards will follow in the footsteps of John Henry Davies and Sir Matt Busby in taking up the non-executive position, although whether the appointment will be greeted with too much joy by fans is open to debate.

Son of former chairman Louis, Edwards was chief executive of United for 20 years from 1980, during which time he attracted widespread criticism for his attempts to sell the club to Robert Maxwell, Michael Knighton and latterly Rupert Murdoch-owned satellite broadcaster BSkyB.

While admitting he regretted the Knighton affair, only last month Edwards insisted if the £623million deal with BSkyB had gone through instead of being blocked by the Monopolies and Mergers Commission following a massive public outcry.

United would now be able to compete with big-spending Real Madrid in the transfer market.

The club have still far more than most of their rivals to spend this summer, with Ronaldinho and Harry Kewell likely arrivals with others expected to follow.

However, it is the possibility of David Beckham’s departure which is continuing to make the headlines, with Mr Kenyon appearing to indicate for the first time that United were willing to sell the England skipper.

“I cannot confirm anything at this stage,” Kenyon is reported to have said after a meeting with Barcelona official Sandro Rossel, whose club are said to be willing to pay £30m for Beckham.

“But put it this way: you won’t look silly if you write the story.”

Coming less than a month after Beckham, who has also been linked with AC Milan and Real Madrid, had re-stated his desire to stay with United, the talk is bound to be unsettling for the player, currently on a tour of the United States with wife Victoria in a bid to boost his profile.