Man U chief executive dismisses 'very domestic' Glazer critics

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Manchester United chief executive David Gill has insisted the club's huge debts have had "no impact" on its ability to buy players.

Appearing before the Commons culture, media and sport committee this morning Gill defended the American Glazer family, whose purchase of the premier league club in 2005 left it with debts currently in excess of £500m.

"It's not hampered us developing the club, our net spend on players since they took over is greater than in the five years before that," he said.

He added: "There had been no impact in terms of our transfers.

"There is no issue in terms of has Manchester United been hampered in terms of investing in facilities, players and players contracts."

Pressed by an MP on whether the debts "loomed" over the activities of the club he said: "Fom my perspective we know its there but it doesn’t impact what we do."

Many fans are unhappy with the way the club is being run and have staged protests during matches. Some have even set up a splinter club, FC United, leading one MP asked Gill why he thought so many fans "loathe" the American owners.

Gill said that while the opponents of the Glazer family were well organised they were "very domestic" and given an estimated worldwide fan base of 333 million it was clear "not everyone hates the owners".

He told MPs he had regular meetings with fans and took their "fears, their requests and their side of the story" seriously.

"We look at ways of comforting them that their club is being run properly," he said. "Just last night I had a forum with 400 fans I have another tonight with 500 fans."

But he said while it would be "naive and stupid" to ignore the fans, he would not talk to groups of supporters whose sole goal was to see the Glazer's ejected from Old Trafford.

"We understand the importance of communication, we don’t take it lightly," he said.

"If we're going to be castigated for not speaking with one or two groups who have very specific agendas, then so be it."

He added: "Unless they change their situation I do not see a reason to sit down and talk to them."

MPs are conducting an inquiry into the running of English football and devoted a lot of today's session to the issue of foreign ownership of clubs.

Labour MP Tom Watson suggested it was a "national embarrassment" that a hugely successful English club like Manchester United was owned by a company based in Delaware, in the United States.

But Gill said the club should be a "source of pride for England" and that ownership of should not be a "passport issue" but rather one of competence.

"You can have very bad English owners, very bad British owners," he said. "We should shy away form saying it’s a passport issue".

Gill was also tackled over the recent pay rise given to the club's star striker Wayne Rooney, who angered many by handing in a transfer request earlier this season apparently as a ploy to secure a better contract.

Labour's Paul Farrelly said rewarding the England star in such a way sent a message that "bad behaviour pays off".

But Gill said Rooney was a "great player for this country and Manchester United" and the club did what it had to to stop him leaving. "We want to keep him" he said.

In a hearing last month former FA chairman Lord Triesman attacked macho' Premier League chair Sir Dave Richards and called for football's governing body to be radically reformed.

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