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Red Rebels
Red Rebels
Apr 28, 2025 12:10 PM

Author:John-Paul O’Neill

Red Rebels

In 2004, Manchester United could proclaim itself the richest football club in the world, and boasted global commercial appeal alongside more than a decade of success on the pitch. In early 2005, American businessman Malcolm Glazer targeted a leveraged takeover of the club, and it looked set to be plunged into record levels of debt. The fans were furious. If the deal went wrong, it would threaten United's very existence, whilst the Glazers would be able to walk away without it having cost them a cent. Protests in the stands fell on deaf ears – it became increasingly clear that marches and placards wouldn’t make any difference to the Glazer family.

In May 2005 the takeover went ahead. In response, one group of supporters took a drastic step: rather than meekly fall into line and – through rocketing ticket prices – help fund the Glazers' aims of cashing in on Manchester United's history and traditions, they took the plunge and formed a new club that started life in the tenth tier of English football. The decision tore Manchester United's fan base apart, and caused ructions that continue to this day.

This is the story of FC United of Manchester, the phenomenon born out of a supporter revolution. Established against all odds, its constitution enabled supporters to each own part of the club and have a direct say in how it was run. It also adopted a transparent manifesto and ensured it could never be sold on for profit.

However, as generations that have gone before will testify, modern football is now as much a business as it is a sport. How long can a club set up in opposition to a culture of greed stay true to its principles? And in a noble attempt to do so, could it ultimately tear itself apart?

Reviews

It’s written by a journalist, who is also one of those most heavily involved. So it is written with passion… Whether or not you are a lover of the Beautiful Game, this book is worth a read. It is more than a book about football – it is a book about people who were fed up of being pushed around and ignored. It is a book about the ultimate power of the consumer

—— Ali Hull , Sorted

Particularly good on Ireland's Triple Crown teams of the 1980s, Lenihan is also revealing about his varied experiences with the Lions as player and manager.

—— Sunday Times, Sports Books of the Year

Full of wit, insight and emotional sincerity, this is a fine rugby book by a sporting great.

—— RTE Radio 1, Today Show

An enjoyable and engaging read... offers both a cold and affectionate eye on all aspects of the game.

—— Kieran Shannon , Irish Examiner

I wholeheartedly recommend it... a brilliant achievement.

—— Ger Gilroy , Newstalk, Off the Ball

Lenihan's eventful life makes a colourful read.

—— Rugby World, Book of the Month

A true icon of Irish rugby.

—— Mail on Sunday

Charts an epochal time in the game when it moved from amateur to professional and typically doesn’t pull his punches.

—— RTE Guide

‘Really, really beautifully written… the most riveting description. Extraordinary, quite brilliant… it’s an amazing read.’

—— Sarah Brett and Nihal Arthanayake, BBC Radio Five Live Afternoon Edition

Wonderfully written... very moving.

—— Brough Scott

Primal, heartbreaking and inspirational. The story of triumph, fear, love and loss, it's a remarkable testament to beating the odds and reclaiming a life in the most dire of circumstances.

—— Booktime

Extraordinary: an outstanding book. Superb.

—— Matt Williams, BBC Radio 2

You can read and enjoy Centaur simply as a thrilling account of an elite sportsman who nearly died, but lived to ride again. There are beautiful insights too into the relationship between rider and horse. But it is also a book about how stories get told.

—— Caroline Sanderson , The Bookseller

A stirring story.

—— The Sunday Times

With lovely descriptions, so very frank. Wonderful. It's a truly amazing story.

—— Libby Purves

Extraordinary... Centaur defies all the usual definitions of biography/autobiography/memoir because Ami has worked in an area that sometimes sounding-board, sometimes investigator, sometimes therapist and her ability to read and authentically express emotion has made it possible to bridge gaps in Declan's life - to create a coherent version of the story that's going to blow readers away. It has almost as much potential outside of the sporting world as within it. Ami has taken a 'sportsman's memoir' with all the attendant concentration on performance and motivation and translated it into something with the broadest human relevance.

—— Tim Hayward

Remarkable.

—— Irish Independent

Extraordinary... one of the most incredible and brave memoirs. Beautifully written and worthy of the highest plaudits.

—— The Last Word

Compelling.

—— Irish Examiner

Mesmerising, haunting and beautifully written.

—— Lauren St John

An extraordinary story [and] a wonderful read... even if you've never read a book in your life, even if you don't normally read, people will really enjoy this.

—— RTE Radio 1, Today with Sean O'Rourke

A remarkable man with a remarkable story.

—— BBC Radio Ulster, Sunday Sequence

Absolutely amazing... it offers a fascinating insight into how the brain works.

—— Newstalk, Off The Ball

If this book isn't prominent in the best of not just sports books but books of the year, and if it's not sweeping awards come Christmas then there's something massively flawed with the process. This isn’t a racing book, this is a remarkable personal story, a brilliant read. I’ve not read a book in a long time that has affected me as much as this book, it’s unbelievable… if you have an interest in human life, if you have an interest in human psychology, in the will the survive, if you want to hear about bravery, about overcoming challenges, that's the book to buy. It’s as motivational a book as you will get.

—— 2FM, Game On

Sensitively ghosted by Ami Rao, Centaur is a meditation on what constitutes self and what happens when 'time becomes an abstration'.

—— Telegraph Books of the Year
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