Football: Manchester United chief executive David Gill has insisted that the Glazer family are going nowhere and pointed to a new seven-figure sponsorship deal as evidence of the benefits brought to Old Trafford by the club's controversial owners.
The highly visual green and gold campaign aimed at highlighting opposition to the Glazer family received an unexpected publicity coup when David Beckham picked up one of the scarves and placed it around his neck before he made his way down the tunnel after last night's Champions League demolition of AC Milan.
Images were flashed round the world almost immediately, bringing instant recognition to the focal point of the protests and a desire for more knowledge about the Red Knights group aiming to wrest control of the club.
The drip-feed of information from that section continued today when it was confirmed leading global investment bank Nomura would be advising the Red Knights about their prospective takeover bid.
Sources close to the Glazer family have continued to insist the club is not for sale and they have no intention of off-loading, despite debts in excess of £700 million.
It was a message reinforced by Gill as he was announcing a new five-year deal with Telekom Malaysia to become the "Integrated Telecommunications Partner" of the Old Trafford outfit.
"There are protests," said Gill. "Everyone has the right to protest and there was certainly a lot of green and gold there last night, you cannot deny that.
"But this partnership demonstrates the strength of the club. It is a long-term partnership for five years.
"We will be around for the length of this five-year deal and many more in addition to that.
"We have a sound business model and Telekom Malaysia is partnering one of the best teams in world football. That will always be the case."
The sponsorship agreement is part of a new commercial strategy implemented by the Glazer family.
Instead of taking a global approach, United adopt a territorial stance, doing exclusive deals in specific areas to maximise income and make the most of an estimated 333 million supporters worldwide.
It was one of the facts the Glazers took into account when they launched their own takeover, which at the time even Gill felt involved too much debt.
Now, though, he feels the evidence points to a streamlined business model that, in the day-to-day running of the club, delivers huge profits.
"The owners thought we were doing very well on the commercial front but that there were other opportunities out there," he said.
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