In the s quiz show Bullseye, contestants would often fall at the final hurdle. Amid sympathetic groans from the audience, a giant dart board would then slowly revolve to reveal the big prize they had agonisingly missed out on.
Often it was a shiny new speedboat, or some other distant treasure. A toned-down version of the jocular theme music would then play as the credits rolled and the unlucky couple were left to reflect on what might have been. For Manchester United supporters, what follows is a journalistic equivalent of the above. Look at what you could have won In February , Mail Sport broke the bombshell story that a Qatari group was to enter the race to buy Britain's biggest football club.
They did not win that race. Their offer for full control was shunned by the Glazer family in favour of Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his own revised offer to take a quarter stake.
The deal was done and Ratcliffe, a lifelong fan, was effectively given the keys, taking control of all operations. The Americans quietly trousered the cash, retreated from the limelight and no doubt looked forward to benefiting from success built on the back of others' graft.
They did not, however, all live happily ever after. Almost 12 months on, the 'new' United lurches from one PR disaster to another under Ratcliffe and his Ineos lieutenants. On Christmas Day they find themselves in a lowly 13th place following Sunday's defeat by Bournemouth. After 17 games they are 17 points behind Liverpool , who spanked them at Old Trafford. Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos won the race to purchase a stake in Manchester United but things are not going smoothly. There have already been protests against Ratcliffe's methods of running United this season.
