Michael Knighton (born 4 October 1951
) is an English businessman, best known for his involvement in
Manchester United
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
and
Carlisle United
Carlisle United Football Club ( , ) is a professional association football club based in Carlisle, Cumbria, England. The team compete in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. They have played their home games at Brunton Par ...
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
clubs. Knighton first came to prominence in 1989 for his aborted £20 million bid to buy Manchester United, which resulted in him taking a seat on the club's board.
Early life
Knighton grew up in
Derbyshire
Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands, England. It includes much of the Peak District National Park, the southern end of the Pennine range of hills and part of the National Forest. It borders Greater Manchester to the nor ...
and was a footballer in his youth. His great-grandfather,
Willie Layton, was part of
Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional association football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Formed in 1867 as an offshoot of ...
's 1903 and 1904 league championship-winning teams, and also the FA Cup-winning team of 1907.
While still a schoolboy, Knighton trained with
Derby County
Derby County Football Club () is a professional association football club based in Derby, Derbyshire, England. In 2022, it was announced that DCFC was acquired by Clowes Developments (UK) Ltd, a Derbyshire-based property group.
Founded in 1884 ...
, and later spent a few months as an apprentice at
Everton before leaving due to
homesickness
Homesickness is the distress caused by being away from home.Kerns, Brumariu, Abraham. Kathryn A., Laura E., Michelle M.(2009/04/13). Homesickness at summer camp. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 54. Its cognitive hallmark is preoccupying thoughts of home ...
, and then spent over a year as an apprentice at
Coventry City
Coventry City Football Club is a professional association football club based in Coventry, West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. The team currently compete in the EFL Championship, Championship, the second tier of the English footbal ...
.
However, his football career was cut short due to a thigh injury.
He studied at
Durham University
, mottoeng = Her foundations are upon the holy hills (Psalm 87:1)
, established = (university status)
, type = Public
, academic_staff = 1,830 (2020)
, administrative_staff = 2,640 (2018/19)
, chancellor = Sir Thomas Allen
, vice_chan ...
's Bede College, where he gained a degree in
physical education
Physical education, often abbreviated to Phys Ed. or P.E., is a subject taught in schools around the world. It is usually taught during primary and secondary education, and encourages psychomotor learning by using a play and movement explorati ...
, before returning to St Cuthbert's College, Durham, to study philosophy, politics, and Mandarin Chinese. He became a teacher in physical education and geography, and took a position at St. David's School (now
Huddersfield Grammar School
Huddersfield Grammar School is a coeducational independent school located in Huddersfield in West Yorkshire, England. The school was established in 1995 on the site of the former independent St David's School, which closed on 1 September 1995. ...
) in 1976.
He was appointed headmaster in 1980, and bought the school in 1983. He stopped teaching in 1984 to focus on property interests.
Manchester United takeover
Knighton first came to the attention of the public in August 1989, when he made a takeover bid of £20 million for
Manchester United
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
. At the time, this was a record figure for a British football club and the offer was accepted by chief executive
Martin Edwards
Charles Martin Edwards (born 24 July 1945) is the former chairman of Manchester United, a position he held from 1980 until 2002. He now holds the position of honorary life president at the club and Director of Inview Technology Ltd.
Biography
...
. Knighton promised to invest £10 million in the team's stadium,
Old Trafford
Old Trafford () is a football stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, and the home of Manchester United. With a capacity of 74,310 it is the largest club football stadium (and second-largest football stadium overall after Wemb ...
, as well as re-establish the club as England's top side. Knighton appeared on the pitch at Old Trafford before the opening game of the
1989–90 season against
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
, dressed in a full Manchester United football kit as a public relations exercise intended to convince the club's supporters that he was a genuine football fan. Famously, he showed off his football skills by completing a long series of "
keepie uppie
Keepie uppie, keep-ups or kick-ups is the skill of juggling with an association football using feet, lower legs, knees, chest, shoulders, and head, without allowing the ball to hit the ground. It is similar to Kemari, a game formerly practiced in ...
s". United beat Arsenal 4–1 on the day. The vehicle for the takeover was a Knighton-controlled company, MK Trafford Holdings, based in the Isle of Man and set up specifically for the purpose.
A £10m contract for Edwards' 50.06% stake was signed, subject to an audit of the club's accounts, with a £20 per share offer submitted to the club's other shareholders.
The MK Trafford investors comprised Knighton, former
Debenhams
Debenhams plc was a British department store chain operating in the United Kingdom, Denmark and the Republic of Ireland. It was founded in 1778 as a single store in London and grew to 178 locations across those countries, also owning the Danish ...
executive Bob Thornton and Stanley Cohen of the
Betterware
Betterware is a United Kingdom multi-level marketing company that sells household products. The company was founded in 1928 and passed through several owners. The current owners of the Betterware trademarks are Betterware Global Ltd who purchas ...
home shopping company. However, Thornton and Cohen pulled out in mid-September. Knighton sought other backers, with
David Murray and
Owen Oyston
Owen John Oyston (born 3 January 1934) is an English former businessman best known as the former majority owner of Blackpool Football Club. Oyston was convicted of rape and indecent assault of a 16-year-old girl in 1996. He served three years and ...
among those approached. Knighton proved to Martin Edwards and his legal team that he had secured funds to complete the deal, but as the deadline to complete the takeover loomed, Knighton abandoned his bid for control in exchange for a seat on the board.
Carlisle United
In 1992, Knighton left his job on the Manchester United board after buying out
Carlisle United
Carlisle United Football Club ( , ) is a professional association football club based in Carlisle, Cumbria, England. The team compete in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. They have played their home games at Brunton Par ...
, a football club based in the
Cumbria
Cumbria ( ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in North West England, bordering Scotland. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local government, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumb ...
n city of
Carlisle
Carlisle ( , ; from xcb, Caer Luel) is a city that lies within the Northern England, Northern English county of Cumbria, south of the Anglo-Scottish border, Scottish border at the confluence of the rivers River Eden, Cumbria, Eden, River C ...
. At the time, Carlisle United were in the bottom division of
the Football League
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...
and Knighton set about building up the club who he claimed he could return to the top league of English football, the
Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
(Carlisle had previously played at that level in the
1974–75 season).
Initial success saw Carlisle win
Division Three
The Football League Third Division was the third tier of the English football league system in 1920–21 and again from 1958 until 1992. When the FA Premier League was formed, the division become the fourth tier level. In 2004, following the ...
and achieve
promotion
Promotion may refer to:
Marketing
* Promotion (marketing), one of the four marketing mix elements, comprising any type of marketing communication used to inform or persuade target audiences of the relative merits of a product, service, brand or i ...
in 1995 with a record number of 91 points, which remains a club record today, as well as reaching the final of the
Football League Trophy
The English Football League Trophy, known for sponsorship purposes as the Papa Johns Trophy after restaurant chain Papa John's Pizza, is an annual English association football knockout competition open to all clubs in EFL League One and EFL Leag ...
; they were
relegated
In sports leagues, promotion and relegation is a process where teams are transferred between multiple divisions based on their performance for the completed season. Leagues that use promotion and relegation systems are often called open leagues. ...
the following season but promoted back again to
Division Two in 1997. In 1997 they also reached a second Football League Trophy final, beating
Colchester United
Colchester United Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Colchester, Essex, England. The team competes in , the fourth tier of the English football league system.
Founded in 1937, the club spent its earl ...
on penalties.
In 1996, Knighton threatened to sue the local newspaper, the ''Evening News and Star'', and resign from the football club after being "publicly humiliated" over claims he and his wife Rosemary had seen a UFO in 1976.
After a poor start to the
1997–98 season, Knighton dismissed popular manager
Mervyn Day
Mervyn Richard Day (born 26 June 1955) is an English former professional footballer who played in the Football League as a goalkeeper for West Ham United, Orient, Aston Villa, Leeds United, Luton Town, Sheffield United and Carlisle United. He la ...
and took over the management and coaching of the team himself.
[David Wilkes, Michael Knighton & John Halpin](_blank)
The move proved unsuccessful, and Carlisle were relegated back to Division Three. He kept himself as head coach until December 1998, when he handed the job over to
Nigel Pearson
Nigel Graham Pearson (born 21 August 1963) is an English football manager and former professional player, currently the manager of Championship club Bristol City. During his playing career, he was a defender and played for Shrewsbury Town, Shef ...
. Knighton remained chairman of the club, but no longer had the financial resources to achieve another promotion. Carlisle struggled in the bottom division, only avoiding relegation to the
Football Conference
The National League (named Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons) is an association football league in England consisting of three divisions, the National League, National League North, and National League South. It was called the ...
with a last-minute goal by
goalkeeper
In many team sports which involve scoring goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or intercepting o ...
Jimmy Glass
James Robert Glass (born 1 August 1973) is an English former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
He is chiefly remembered for scoring the last-minute goal which kept Carlisle United in the Football League in 1999, while on loa ...
, in what is one of football's most famous comebacks.
Knighton became increasingly unpopular with fans, a group of whom formed an independent supporters' trust, known initially as CCUIST and today as The United Trust, to protest against his control and lobby for more fan involvement in the club.
Brooks Mileson
Brooks John Joseph Mileson (13 November 1947 – 3 November 2008) was an English businessman and the owner of now dissolved professional football club Gretna as well as being a philanthropist to 70 non-League clubs.
Early life
The eldest s ...
twice attempted to buy Knighton's stake in Carlisle, in 1999 and 2001, but the two were unable to reach an agreement. Irishman John Courtenay was later backed to take over, but negotiations were protracted and Knighton fired manager
Roddy Collins
Roderick Collins (born 7 August 1962), is an Irish former professional football player and manager.
During a playing career of 18 years, Collins played for many sides across England, Ireland and Northern Ireland. While towards the end of his ...
for his comments over the deal. Eventually, after Carlisle were put into voluntary
administration
Administration may refer to:
Management of organizations
* Management, the act of directing people towards accomplishing a goal
** Administrative assistant, Administrative Assistant, traditionally known as a Secretary, or also known as an admini ...
, Courtenay purchased the club from Knighton in July 2002 and reinstated Collins.
On 25 June 2015, Knighton commented on the Carlisle United takeover bid from a reputed billionaire. Knighton was quoted as saying "If this person is a genuine billionaire, or even if he’s just extremely wealthy, and if he’s legitimately interested, then this has now been going on too long. He needs to be transparent, to say that this is who I am and this is where the club will be at the end of my ownership. At the end of the day, the club is a community asset, and any owner should respect that"
Since leaving Carlisle United in 2002, Knighton has not returned to the city. However Knighton stated he would return if invited.
After football
![Michael-Knighton](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d2/Michael-Knighton.jpg)
Knighton is now retired from football and currently spends his time painting, sculpting and writing poetry.
In 2008, Knighton exhibited some of his artworks, a mix of sculpture and painting, at
King's College Chapel
King's College Chapel is the chapel of King's College in the University of Cambridge. It is considered one of the finest examples of late Perpendicular Gothic English architecture and features the world's largest fan vault. The Chapel was bui ...
in Cambridge. The work consisted of three contrasting depictions of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. At the time, Knighton used the pseudonym and near-anagram of his name "Kongthin Pearlmich",
as he did not want to attach his past links with his football career. Some coverage of the exhibition appeared in ''
The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally.
It was fo ...
'' newspaper stating "Canterbury Cathedral offered Christ sculpture 'worth £70 million". However, the value of the sculpture was unable to be verified as experts at Sotheby's and Christie's stated they did not recognise the artist's name.
Cathedral offered Sculpture worth £70m, Telegraph
/ref>
Managerial statistics
References
External links
Official website
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Knighton, Michael
1951 births
Living people
People from Derbyshire
Alumni of St Cuthbert's Society, Durham
English football chairmen and investors
Manchester United F.C. directors and chairmen
Carlisle United F.C.
English football managers
Carlisle United F.C. managers
English Football League managers
Alumni of the College of the Venerable Bede, Durham