The Archive

Malcolm Glazer may have won one battle, but the fight goes on. Adam Brown – now a former Old Trafford season-ticket holder – explains how fans still hope to drive the American out

The “phoney war” waged around Manchester United for the past year or so became a real one when Malcolm Glazer swooped to buy a controlling interest in the club on May 12. He is expected to complete his £800 million buyout shortly, making the club his personal property – but one with a huge debt. Dismayed fans are refocusing campaigning efforts to make his tenure a short one.

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Two years ago Luton teetered between farce and oblivion, with a new manager ‘elected’ by a dubious poll. Now, as Neil Rose reports, Mike Newell’s side are firmly on the up

You could tell it was a special day. Luton fans could not really bring themselves to hate the Milton Keynes Dons – and they have more reason than most.

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Thanks to the bitter legacy of English rule it has always been impossible to play association football in Ireland’s finest stadium, Croke Park – until now, as Robbie Meredith reports

Describing football grounds as shrines or cathedrals is fairly commonplace; a lazy marketing trick exploiting a supporter’s passion for their team. One stadium in Dublin, however, explodes the cliche.

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Coventry filled their old ground for a fantastic finale, but often struggled to do so and Neville Hadsley wonders why they have to move to a venue fit for Kylie and U2

It hasn’t been a good 12 months for Coventry City chairman Mike McGinnity and his board. First he sacked a popular manager, Eric Black, then compounded the error with City’s worst appointment in living memory – Peter Reid – who, instead of achieving the “instant success” McGinnity declared he wanted, pitched the club into a relegation battle.

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Thailand’s answer to Zico did not have a happy time in West Yorkshire but, as Steve Wilson reports, there are corners of Asia that are forever Huddersfield

When Kiatisak Senamaung touched down at Pleiku airport, Vietnam, in February 2002, he was overwhelmed by the number of fans there to greet him. The 30-year-old captain and leading goalscorer of neighbours Thailand had signed for second division Hoang Ahn – who gave him a brand new Mercedes, a five-bedroom house and a contract worth £5,600 a month, more than 300 times the average local wage. An open-top car took him to the training ground where 4,000 fans turned out to watch his first training session. One of the number told the Bangkok Post just what Senamuang’s arrival meant to the team: “It’s great that such a famous player is coming to play for us. We’ll probably become champions!” 

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