Exclusive expose of champions' expenditure
WITH 55,000 season ticket-holders paying up to ?1,000-a-head each year, Manchester United fans have every right to wonder where the money goes.
And for more than 130 years it has been a closely guarded secret.
But today, for the first time in United's illustrious history, a special Sport of the World investigation can reveal the extraordinary costs behind the most famous club in the world.
We have seen an official document detailing a whopping total of 287 different companies paid in excess of ?93.85MILLION during a two-year period up to the end of May last year.
The club boasts an annual turnover of ?250m in running the Theatre of Dreams. However, the 287 firms on the United payroll cover the most diverse range of professions - from magicians to demolition experts; from cabinet makers to pilots; from dry cleaners to wine merchants; from surveyors to school teachers; from drainage experts to frozen food suppliers and from clowns to estate agents.
The spending includes all the necessary services United need to function as a top Premier League club.
But the exact figures are not available because they have been grouped in seven separate categories: ?50k-100k, ?100k-250k, ?250k-500k and in excess of ?1m, ?2m, ?4m and ?6m.
All the figures are for a two-year period from June 1, 2006 to May 31, 2008. Think Magic, proudly boasting the north's finest MAGICIANS, earned more than ?50,000 for matchday work.
Superbfunctions, suppliers of CLOWNS for parties, were also paid a similar sum, while a minimum of ?1m was paid to ACF Sports Promotions, which lists both United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and his wife Cathy as directors.
This payment is on top of the ?8m wages Fergie banked over the same period.
Six companies - Platinum One Limited, Trafford MBC, Harlem Springs Corporate Inc, Laing O'Rourke and HWBC Chartered Surveyors - received more than ?6m each, again over the two years.
Embarrassingly for United, Platinum One chairman Fintan Drury is a Manchester City supporter!
Travelcare Sports picked up in excess of ?4m, while 14 companies including the Royal Mail, Print Search Ltd, Freshchoice, Haymarket Publishing Services and Brake Brothers all pocketed over ?1m.
Printing and framing firm Pineapple Aroundshot Ltd, fitness bike suppliers Keiser UK Ltd, drainage specialists Drain Alert, Grove Dry Cleaners, Encia Demolition Ltd, cabinet makers Atlantic Creative Services, Jordan Fishwick Lettings, the Performing Rights Society, US private jet firm Clay Lacy Aviation and London's Ritz Hotel are all listed among the 91 beneficiaries in the ?50,000-?100,000 section.
A further 103 companies - including former United player Carlos Tevez' representative Adrian Ruocco, Lancashire County Cricket Club, Ashton-on-Mersey School and London wine and spirit wholesalers Marne and Champagne appear in the ?100,000-?250,000 list.
Michael Carrick Ltd is named among 46 firms in the ?250,000- ?500,000 recieving bracket.
Chinese football club Dalian Shide together with Scottish print firm Pillans and Waddies - which went bust in August 2006 - are among the 23 firms named in the ?500,000-plus category.
There is absolutely no suggestion that United, or any of the names listed, have done anything improper, nor have they failed properly to disclose matters in relevant accounts.
Profit
And an Old Trafford spokesman declared: "Manchester United is a multi- faceted business which operates 364 days a year across many areas aside from football matches.
"These include catering, conferencing, maintenance and the other central administrative costs you would find in any company.
"In 2007-08 we had operating expenses of ?170m on a turnover of ?257m - the biggest profit ever recorded by a football club."
Despite the club's record profit, United are still servicing a crippling debt of ?650m.
And they have yearly interest payments approaching a staggering ?50m following the 2004 takeover by the Glazer family.
The document also reveals how the club paid Cristiano Ronaldo's agent, operating under the company name of Gestifute International, more than ?2m.
It means advisor Jorge Mendes picked up the equivalent of ?20,000 a week for two years - let alone the cash he raked in during the other four years Portuguese superstar Ronaldo was at United before his ?80m summer move to Spanish giants Real Madrid.
Mendes' extraordinary earnings figure is only a fraction short of what it cost United to heat the stadium offices and provide lighting at Old Trafford through their main energy supplier EDF.
United midfielder Carrick's agent David Giess is also in the money. He is a director at Skillequal, the company which looks after Carrick and Chelsea star Joe Cole. Skillequal negotiated a fee of at least ?1m when Carrick moved from Tottenham to Old Trafford three years ago and Michael Carrick Ltd was paid upwards of ?250,000.
In the same financial bracket is Nemanja Vidic's agent Paolo Fabbri, given a huge reward for negotiating the terms of the Serbian defender's move from Spartak Moscow in 2006.
Even the Brazilian twins Rafael and Fabio Da Silva brought a whole new meaning to the term "Welcome to Manchester" when they were paid more than ?250,000.
The full-backs are in the same league as the annual BUPA payments to cover employees and also the club's bill with Vodafone Corporate.
Respected Argentinian agent Adrian Ruocco was paid upwards of ?100,000 for his part in the transfer of Carlos Tevez from West Ham.
Rubbing shoulders with Ruocco are A List Jets and Executive Jet Management, while Nestle UK were also paid more than ?100,000.
United scout Gilles Rouillon received at least ?50,000, as did former United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy's Dutch agent Roger Linse.
Linse set up RL10Image Limited, which is listed as receiving money in the ?50,000- ?100,000 category.
A number of firms, including Campey Turf Care Systems and FineTurf were each paid at least ?50,000 for looking after the Old Trafford pitch, while Keiser received a similar payment for supplying fitness bikes and gym equipment for the Carrington Training Centre.
WITH 55,000 season ticket-holders paying up to ?1,000-a-head each year, Manchester United fans have every right to wonder where the money goes.
And for more than 130 years it has been a closely guarded secret.
But today, for the first time in United's illustrious history, a special Sport of the World investigation can reveal the extraordinary costs behind the most famous club in the world.
We have seen an official document detailing a whopping total of 287 different companies paid in excess of ?93.85MILLION during a two-year period up to the end of May last year.
The club boasts an annual turnover of ?250m in running the Theatre of Dreams. However, the 287 firms on the United payroll cover the most diverse range of professions - from magicians to demolition experts; from cabinet makers to pilots; from dry cleaners to wine merchants; from surveyors to school teachers; from drainage experts to frozen food suppliers and from clowns to estate agents.
The spending includes all the necessary services United need to function as a top Premier League club.
But the exact figures are not available because they have been grouped in seven separate categories: ?50k-100k, ?100k-250k, ?250k-500k and in excess of ?1m, ?2m, ?4m and ?6m.
All the figures are for a two-year period from June 1, 2006 to May 31, 2008. Think Magic, proudly boasting the north's finest MAGICIANS, earned more than ?50,000 for matchday work.
Superbfunctions, suppliers of CLOWNS for parties, were also paid a similar sum, while a minimum of ?1m was paid to ACF Sports Promotions, which lists both United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and his wife Cathy as directors.
This payment is on top of the ?8m wages Fergie banked over the same period.
Six companies - Platinum One Limited, Trafford MBC, Harlem Springs Corporate Inc, Laing O'Rourke and HWBC Chartered Surveyors - received more than ?6m each, again over the two years.
Embarrassingly for United, Platinum One chairman Fintan Drury is a Manchester City supporter!
Travelcare Sports picked up in excess of ?4m, while 14 companies including the Royal Mail, Print Search Ltd, Freshchoice, Haymarket Publishing Services and Brake Brothers all pocketed over ?1m.
Printing and framing firm Pineapple Aroundshot Ltd, fitness bike suppliers Keiser UK Ltd, drainage specialists Drain Alert, Grove Dry Cleaners, Encia Demolition Ltd, cabinet makers Atlantic Creative Services, Jordan Fishwick Lettings, the Performing Rights Society, US private jet firm Clay Lacy Aviation and London's Ritz Hotel are all listed among the 91 beneficiaries in the ?50,000-?100,000 section.
A further 103 companies - including former United player Carlos Tevez' representative Adrian Ruocco, Lancashire County Cricket Club, Ashton-on-Mersey School and London wine and spirit wholesalers Marne and Champagne appear in the ?100,000-?250,000 list.
Michael Carrick Ltd is named among 46 firms in the ?250,000- ?500,000 recieving bracket.
Chinese football club Dalian Shide together with Scottish print firm Pillans and Waddies - which went bust in August 2006 - are among the 23 firms named in the ?500,000-plus category.
There is absolutely no suggestion that United, or any of the names listed, have done anything improper, nor have they failed properly to disclose matters in relevant accounts.
Profit
And an Old Trafford spokesman declared: "Manchester United is a multi- faceted business which operates 364 days a year across many areas aside from football matches.
"These include catering, conferencing, maintenance and the other central administrative costs you would find in any company.
"In 2007-08 we had operating expenses of ?170m on a turnover of ?257m - the biggest profit ever recorded by a football club."
Despite the club's record profit, United are still servicing a crippling debt of ?650m.
And they have yearly interest payments approaching a staggering ?50m following the 2004 takeover by the Glazer family.
The document also reveals how the club paid Cristiano Ronaldo's agent, operating under the company name of Gestifute International, more than ?2m.
It means advisor Jorge Mendes picked up the equivalent of ?20,000 a week for two years - let alone the cash he raked in during the other four years Portuguese superstar Ronaldo was at United before his ?80m summer move to Spanish giants Real Madrid.
Mendes' extraordinary earnings figure is only a fraction short of what it cost United to heat the stadium offices and provide lighting at Old Trafford through their main energy supplier EDF.
United midfielder Carrick's agent David Giess is also in the money. He is a director at Skillequal, the company which looks after Carrick and Chelsea star Joe Cole. Skillequal negotiated a fee of at least ?1m when Carrick moved from Tottenham to Old Trafford three years ago and Michael Carrick Ltd was paid upwards of ?250,000.
In the same financial bracket is Nemanja Vidic's agent Paolo Fabbri, given a huge reward for negotiating the terms of the Serbian defender's move from Spartak Moscow in 2006.
Even the Brazilian twins Rafael and Fabio Da Silva brought a whole new meaning to the term "Welcome to Manchester" when they were paid more than ?250,000.
The full-backs are in the same league as the annual BUPA payments to cover employees and also the club's bill with Vodafone Corporate.
Respected Argentinian agent Adrian Ruocco was paid upwards of ?100,000 for his part in the transfer of Carlos Tevez from West Ham.
Rubbing shoulders with Ruocco are A List Jets and Executive Jet Management, while Nestle UK were also paid more than ?100,000.
United scout Gilles Rouillon received at least ?50,000, as did former United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy's Dutch agent Roger Linse.
Linse set up RL10Image Limited, which is listed as receiving money in the ?50,000- ?100,000 category.
A number of firms, including Campey Turf Care Systems and FineTurf were each paid at least ?50,000 for looking after the Old Trafford pitch, while Keiser received a similar payment for supplying fitness bikes and gym equipment for the Carrington Training Centre.
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