United fans' group dismisses 'scam' claim

Influential Manchester United fans’ group Shareholders United (SU) have ridiculed suggestions they are ‘scamming’ supporters.

SU officials insist they are ready to combat any dirty tricks campaign.

They claim to have received an e-mail from a prominent member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers UK supporters’ club which suggested stories were circulating that ‘unsuspecting United fans had been scammed out of money by Shareholders United’.

“This desperate threat of a dirty tricks smear campaign is laughable,” said SU spokesmen Oliver Houston.

“SU is an open, democratic, respectable organisation with 22,000 committed and active members and we are backed by a number of highly regarded individuals and institutions.

“We have nothing to hide. If people would like to make these allegations in public, let’s hear them.”

It is the latest development in what could turn into an increasingly nasty battle for ownership of the Old Trafford club should Glazer decide to formalise his £800m (€1.2bn) bid plans.

The 76-year-old American is currently carrying out due diligence after being granted limited access to club accounts, and will then consult with bankers JP Morgan and NM Rothschild before making his next move.

It is widely anticipated he will lodge a bid at some stage over the next couple of weeks, which will turn ‘hostile’ unless there are substantial alterations from the proposals Red Devils’ chief executive David Gill described as “aggressive and damaging” in a statement on Friday.