From exclusion under Woodward to growing prominence - the Manchester United football board is making a comeback
Since Manchester United floated on the New York Stock Exchange in August 2012, there have been two boards: the company board and the football board.
The six Glazer siblings - Joel, Avram, Bryan, Edward, Kavin and Darcie - sit on the company board along with chief financial officer Cliff Baty, interim chief executive Patrick Stewart and three independent directors: Robert Leitao, Manu Sawhney and John Hooks.
Then there is the football board, which currently only has three sitting on it: Sir Alex Ferguson, David Gill and Michael Edelson. Sir Bobby Charlton used to be on it.
In the United Review programme, Joel and Avram Glazer are listed as co-chairmen, while their four siblings, Ferguson, Gill and Edelson are billed as directors.
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Edelson, 79, is not as frequent an attendant at Old Trafford but attended Charlton's funeral at Manchester Cathedral in November. Ferguson has been a near ever-present since he headed upstairs in 2013. He spent four months away from the stadium after suffering a brain haemorrhage in May 2018 and was conspicuous by his absence for more than two months earlier this season as he cared for his wife, Lady Cathy, who passed away in October.
Gill stepped down as chief executive at the same time as Ferguson and has hardly stayed away. He has been a director at United since 1997.
The schism between the company and club boards came to a head midway through the 2015-16 season when Ed Woodward had absolute control of football matters, empowered by the Glazers. Woodward sounded out Jose Mourinho to replace Louis van Gaal. Ferguson
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