Glazer Again Raises Stake in Manchester United
Malcolm Glazer, owner of the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers, increased his stake in Manchester United for the second time in four days, upping his ownership share Monday to 27.63% and taking himself even closer to forcing a takeover bid for the British soccer team.
Glazer spent $30.56 million on an additional 6 million shares in one of the world’s biggest soccer clubs, Britain’s Press Assn. and other media reported.
On Friday, Glazer spent $80.91 million to increase his stake to 25.3%.
The majority shareholders are Irish horse racing figures John Magnier and J.P. McManus, who hold 28.9% of the stock through their Cubic Expression company.
Glazer and Cubic own more than half of the club. If either party reaches 30% ownership, stock market rules require a formal takeover bid.
Manchester United fan groups oppose any takeover of the club, valued at the close of trading Monday at $1.34 billion. Negotiations between Cubic and Glazer over a joint takeover bid broke down last week, and Glazer has been aggressively seeking stock since.
*
Tennis
Albert Costa of Spain defeated Irakli Labadze of Georgia, 6-2, 5-7, 7-5, in the first round of the Madrid Masters, where female fashion models served as ball retrievers. The models, reportedly paid $1,100 for the week, are appearing in one televised match each day.
Two-time Grand Slam finalist Elena Dementieva has earned a spot in the eight-player WTA Tour Championships after reaching the final of the Kremlin Cup in Moscow on Sunday. The WTA event starts Nov. 10 at Staples Center.
*
College Basketball
USC junior point guard Dwayne Shackleford had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee because of a cartilage tear. Shackleford, a transfer from Allegany College in Cumberland, Md., is expected to be out three to five weeks. He was injured Saturday in the team’s first practice.
Ryan Wright, a 6-foot-9 forward at Loyola High in Mississauga, Canada, has committed to play at UCLA.
Indiana women’s leading scorer and rebounder Jenny DeMuth will sit out the season because of a torn knee ligament suffered Saturday.
*
Baseball
Colorado declined a mutual 2005 option for reliever Steve Reed, who on Sept. 23 became the 30th pitcher in major league history to appear in 800 games.... The online auction for Barry Bonds’ 700th home run ball topped $100,000 on the first day of bidding, which ends Oct. 27.
*
Jurisprudence
A former captain of the New York Rangers’ skating cheerleading squad, 25-year-old Courtney Prince, sued Cablevision Systems Corp., which manages the Madison Square Garden sports and entertainment business, saying she was fired after she told cheerleaders she was sexually harassed by an MSG staff member at a postgame party Dec. 22.
*
Miscellany
The semifinals and the final of the NCAA men’s soccer championships Dec. 10 and 12 will be played at the Home Depot Center, with UCLA the host. Ticket information: (866) 524-7687.
The Arena Football League will play its championship game, the ArenaBowl, June 12 in the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. The previous 18 ArenaBowls were played in the home of the highest-seeded participating team.
U.S. Figure Skating said it would award bonuses ranging from $1,000 to $35,000 to U.S. skaters who win a medal at any of 11 international events, starting with competition this week.
The fledgling World Hockey Assn., which began play two weeks ago, said it had reached an agreement with a Toronto group for the purchase of its trademarks.
Claire Bevilacqua of Australia won the $20,000 Hello Kitty Boardfest surfing competition Sunday at Huntington Beach.
*
T.J. Simers is out golfing again.
