But after the injury of losing freekick prodigy and metrosexual icon David Beckham, the 127-year-old soccer club has been dealt the insult of losing ownership to an American billionaire, Malcolm Glazer.
Mr. Glazer - owner of the 2003 Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers - last week went public with a $1.5 billion buyout, and mopped up the last few shares needed to control the club on Monday.

　　Mop up表示“作扫尾工作，擦去，揩干，吃光，肃清残敌”，mop有“用拖把擦洗”之意，例如：mop one's brow（擦去额上的汗水）；mop the floor（拖地板）。此外mopper-up意为“扫荡者”，而mop-haired则表示“头发乱蓬蓬的”。

　　据悉，被称为“球盲大亨”的格雷泽从此可以根据自己的喜好制定俱乐部的任何计划，不需经过其他股东批准。愤怒的曼联球迷声称要和格雷泽对抗到底，目前一些曼联球迷正以高于格雷泽报的价格收购曼联股票，以阻止后者实现他的第三个战略目标——将自己持有的曼联股票比例提高到90％以上，从而通过法律强迫其他股民向他出售股票。