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Michael Knighton | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1951-10-04)4 October 1951 (age 73) Derbyshire, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Alma mater | St Cuthbert's Society, Durham |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur |
| Years active | 1980–present |
| Website | www.michaelknighton.co.uk |
| Youth career | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Years | Team | ||
| 1965–1967 | Derby County | ||
| 1967 | Everton | ||
| 1967–1969 | Coventry City | ||
| Managerial career | |||
| 1997–1998 | Carlisle United | ||
Michael Knighton (born 4 October 1951[1]) is an English businessman, best known for his involvement inManchester United andCarlisle Unitedfootball 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.
The son of a baker, Knighton grew up inDerbyshire and was a footballer in his youth.[2] His great-grandfather,Willie Layton, was part ofSheffield Wednesday's 1903 and 1904 league championship-winning teams, and also the FA Cup-winning team of 1907.[3] While still a schoolboy, Knighton trained withDerby County, and later spent a few months as an apprentice atEverton before leaving due tohomesickness,[4] and then spent over a year as an apprentice atCoventry City.[1] However, his football career was cut short due to a thigh injury.[5] He studied atDurham University's Bede College, where he gained a degree inphysical education, before returning to St Cuthbert's College, Durham, to study philosophy, politics, and Mandarin Chinese.[6] He became a teacher in physical education and geography, and took a position at St. David's School (nowHuddersfield Grammar School) in 1976.[1] He was appointed headmaster in 1980, and bought the school in 1983. He stopped teaching in 1984 to focus on property interests.[1]
Knighton first came to the attention of the public in August 1989, when he made a takeover bid of £20 million forManchester United. At the time, this was a record figure for a British football club and the offer was accepted by chief executiveMartin Edwards.[7] Knighton promised to invest £10 million in the team's stadium,Old Trafford, 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 the1989–90 season againstArsenal, 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.[8]Famously, he showed off his football skills by completing a long series of "keepie uppies".[9] 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.[5] A £10m contract for Edwards' 50.06% stake was signed, subject to an audit of the club's accounts,[10] with a £20 per share offer submitted to the club's other shareholders.[3] The MK Trafford investors comprised Knighton, formerDebenhams executive Bob Thornton and Stanley Cohen of theBetterware home shopping company.[11] However, Thornton and Cohen pulled out in mid-September.[12] Knighton sought other backers, withDavid Murray andOwen Oyston among those approached.[13][14] 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.[15]
In 1992, Knighton left his job on the Manchester United board after buying outCarlisle United, a football club based in theCumbrian city ofCarlisle. At the time, Carlisle United were in the bottom division ofthe Football League and Knighton set about building up the club who he claimed he could return to the top league of English football, thePremier League (Carlisle had previously played at that level in the1974–75 season).[16]
Initial success saw Carlisle winDivision Three and achievepromotion in 1995 with a record number of 91 points, which remains a club record today, as well as reaching the final of theFootball League Trophy; they wererelegated the following season but promoted back again toDivision Two in 1997. In 1997 they also reached a second Football League Trophy final, beatingColchester United on penalties.
In 1996, Knighton threatened to sue the local newspaper, theEvening 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.[17]
After a poor start to the1997–98 season, Knighton dismissed popular managerMervyn Day and took over the management and coaching of the team himself.[18] 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 toNigel Pearson. 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 theFootball Conference with a last-minute goal bygoalkeeperJimmy Glass, in what is one of football's most famous comebacks.[19]
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 twice attempted to buy Knighton's stake in Carlisle, in 1999 and 2001, but the two were unable to reach an agreement.[20] Irishman John Courtenay was later backed to take over, but negotiations were protracted and Knighton fired managerRoddy Collins for his comments over the deal. Eventually, after Carlisle were put into voluntaryadministration, Courtenay purchased the club from Knighton in July 2002 and reinstated Collins.[21]
On 25 June 2015, Knighton commented on the Carlisle United takeover bid from a reputed billionaire.[22] 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.
Knighton is now retired from football and currently spends his time painting, sculpting and writing poetry.[23]
In 2008, Knighton exhibited some of his artworks, a mix of sculpture and painting, atKing's College Chapel 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",[24] as he did not want to attach his past links with his football career. Some coverage of the exhibition appeared inThe Daily Telegraph 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.[25] In 2022, Knighton exhibited two works at the Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition. One of the works depicted a silhouette of a footballer and a bee.[26]
| Team | From | To | Record | Ref | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
| Carlisle United | 11 September 1997 | 17 December 1998 | 68 | 19 | 12 | 37 | 027.9 | [27] |
| Total | 68 | 19 | 12 | 37 | 027.9 | — | ||