Glazer keeps address secret after Man Utd fans' threats By James Mackintosh FT: May 20 2005
Malcolm Glazer is using laws designed to deter animal rights activists to protect himself against retaliation from aggrieved Manchester United supporters after taking control of the Premiership club. The reclusive American tycoon has persuaded British police to keep his address off the register at Companies House, where other directors have to list theirs, because he faces a serious risk of "violence or intimidation". Mr Glazer's action comes even though pictures of his two multi-million dollar mansions on South Ocean Boulevard in Palm Beach have been circulated. Shareholders United, which is opposed to his takeover of the club, lists one of them on a website urging fans to "focus your venom" on him by post or e-mail. However, Mr Glazer is thought to be selling both Palm Beach homes and the confidentiality order will prevent him having to reveal his new address. One person close to Red Football, his British acquisition vehicle, said the secrecy was a "precautionary measure". "While the vast majority of [the protests] have been peaceful there is a small element which is not so friendly," he said. Serious threats have been made against Mr Glazer, and an effigy of him was strung up outside Man Utd's Old Trafford ground last week. Cars owned by club directors who sold their shares to Mr Glazer have been damaged and wine was thrown over guests when a party held by JPMorgan, his financiers, was invaded by fans. An attempt by an anti- Glazer group to occupy the Manchester offices of NM Rothschild, his adviser, backfired when protesters got stuck in the lift and had to be rescued by firefighters. The option of keeping company directors' addresses secret was introduced three years ago after attacks by animal rights protesters. "There must be some genuine threat to themselves or their family or property to get an order," Companies House said. "Just because they are well known . . . is not enough." Red Football and three linked British companies have kept their directors' addresses secret, instead providing a service address at the offices of law firm Allen & Overy near St Paul's Cathedral, London. The other directors are two of Mr Glazer's sons, Joel and Avram, and William Sondericker, a US-based employee of Mr Glazer's shopping centre company. Allen & Overy, which advises Red Football, removed the home addresses of all its partners from the public record due to animal rights threats before it began working for Mr Glazer. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> In low income neighborhoods, 84% do not own computers. At Network for Good, help bridge the Digital Divide! http://us.click.yahoo.com/B9pRWD/3MnJAA/Y3ZIAA/GtUolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Please use [email protected] for general discussion. To unsubscribe send a blank message (from the email account in question) to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Join as a full member of IMUSA today: http://www.imusa.org/join.htm Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/imusa/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
