Bose quotes Edwards as saying that Ferguson is useless with money - both Ferguson and Edwards moved quickly to deny these rumours at the time. And this is a problem with this book - it is already dated. There is much speculation about Edwards stepping down from the position of chief executive, which he has now done, to be replaced by Peter Kenyon. So, in many ways, events have overtaken Bose, even his updated postcript. But as a tale of United's rise to economic dominance of British football, this is well-delivered and excellently sourced, although one gripe is that you never really get to hear Bose's own view.
Modern football is a business, and is likely to remain so.
Many people are against money's ever-increasing links with football, including Soccernet's own Sean Smith. But if you're interested in the story behind football's push into big business then this book comes recommended. Even if you're not a United fan it's worth reading. Manchester Unlimited', published by Texere, is available in all good book shops, priced 9.99. Click here for Terms of use and Privacy Policy applicable to this site.