SPORTS Minister Tony Banks yesterday nailed his football scarf to the mast by declaring his intention to protect spectators' rights and resist the takeover of leading clubs by major entrepreneurial concerns.
His stance came amid speculation about the possible takeover of yet another English Premiership club and claims that Mr Rupert Murdoch's BSkyB could face competition from a rival bidder for Manchester United.
A newspaper claimed that the Sony Corporation was set to make a bid of #220m for Newcastle United.
Sources at the club yesterday insisted the story was ''absolute nonsense''. No one from Sony in the UK could be reached for comment.
It was also reported that US investment bank, Salomon Smith Barney, part of the $45bn Travellers Group, could be set to top BSkyB's #623.4m bid for Manchester United.
It is believed the bank may be acting on behalf of a consortium involving American media mogul Ted Turner and billionaire Joe Lewis, who has a 25% stake in Rangers.
Salomon Smith Barney confirmed it had been asked to talk to United's financial advisers, HSBC Holdings.
However, a bank spokeswoman was unable to name the client and dismissed suggestions that her own company could be planning to gazump BSkyB's bid which the United board supports.
She would say only: ''We have been asked to approach HSBC for information on behalf of a client.''
A roller-coaster week in the history of British football began with BSkyB's audacious bid for Manchester United. By the end of the week, Carlton Communications confirmed it was holding talks with Arsenal, and Aston Villa said it was in discussions with ''a communications firm''.
In Scotland, there was also speculation that the Mirror Group was planning to take a substantial shareholding in Hearts, but it transpired that it was only a twice-weekly cable television show that was being contemplated.
The intense speculation surrounding the future of several top teams has added millions of pounds to their values on the Stock Exchange.
The frenzy for control in the boardrooms of the clubs has led Government Ministers to consider setting up an independent body to oversee the sport in an effort to allay public fears over its future.
Launching his campaign at the weekend, Mr Banks said he opposed football club takeovers by major conglomerates which he perceived not only as a ''sell-off'' of spectators' rights but a move which he argued could ultimately damage the sport.
He made his comments at the athletics World Cup in Johannesburg, which he visited to promote Britain as host of the 2003 World Athletics Championships at Wembley.
His well-publicised opposition to entrepreneurial piracy of football surfaced in the improbable setting of a Soweto school.
Mr Banks made his feelings clear in a meeting with the Trade Secretary Peter Mandelson, who will be charged with adjudicating
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on an Office of Fair Trading inquiry.
While declining to comment specifically on Mr Murdoch's Manchester United intervention, Mr Banks warned: ''It won't be the last. In fact, I'm surprised it's taken so long to happen.
''There are profound implications in this for football, for competition policy, and for broadcasting, which should be decided by the OFT.''
Mr Banks said clubs' decisions to become publicly quoted companies led to an inevitability that takeovers would occur.
He said: ''That marks a significant change for football and supporters must understand that when it happens, others will start to determine policy both on and off the field.
''The structure of football and the relationship between club owners and fans changed dramatically, and inevitably, as soon as football clubs went down the plc road. We have a way to go on this, and people will have the chance to make those points to the OFT inquiry. I shall certainly be doing that.''
The Independent Manchester United Supporters' Association is holding a rally in Manchester tomorrow against the BSkyB takeover.
However, ultimately the views of fans will have little direct impact on whether the deal with BSkyB proceeds, and a BSkyB spokesman was yesterday confident that it would.
The bulk of the club's shares are in the hands of directors and institutional investors. It could be stopped if the Monopolies and Mergers Committee rules that the takeover is bad for competition.
However, analysts believe this is unlikely.
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