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Glazer buys more of Manchester Utd
LONDON, England -- Malcolm Glazer, owner of Super Bowl winners Tampa Bay, has increased his stake in English Premiership champions Manchester United to almost 10 percent. United said in a statement to the London Stock Exchange on Monday that Glazer's holding in Manchester United plc had risen to 9.66 percent, which represents more than 25 million shares. Glazer shot to fame in the United States when he splashed out $192 million in 1995 for the struggling Tampa Bay franchise. He funded a new $200 million stadium and helped drag the club out of the doldrums, culminating in this year's Super Bowl victory. Glazer, whose family made their money from the oil and gas industries, is listed as the 244th richest American by Forbes magazine, worth an estimated $1 billion. The Florida-based businessman, who was born in New York, is not believed to have had any direct contact with United, instead preferring to buy up shares discreetly. Two weeks ago Irish racing tycoons John Paul 'J.P.' McManus and John Magnier sparked takeover rumours by doubling their own stake to 23.15 percent, making them the club's biggest shareholders. The bulk of the extra shares were bought from British satellite broadcaster BSkyB, which sold its 9.9 percent stake for around £62 million ($103m). And Dutch television mogul John de Mol increased his holding in United to 4.1 percent. De Mol's company Endemol created the hit reality TV show "Big Brother". Takeover rumours have swirled around a series of English clubs since Russian oil billionaire Roman Abramovich snapped up Premiership Chelsea in June. Manchester United are seen as a particularly attractive proposition due to the combination of their success on the pitch and huge commercial revenues from sponsorship and merchandise sales. United -- the richest as well as possibly the most famous football club in the world -- announced a 22-percent rise in annual profits to £39.3 million two weeks ago. The Old Trafford club is valued at around £500 million ($830m).
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