When author Wayne Barton was approached by the late Tom Tyrell's family during the pandemic he didn't know quite what to expect. More than 800 hours of transcribed audio later, Barton knew there was a goldmine of fantastic United stories dating back from the 1950s to the present day. In this first The Lost Tapes Extra, Wayne talks to producer Ed Barker about the inspiration for the show with a few hints about what might be coming later in the series. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Manchester United has been subject to numerous takeover attempts in its rich and controversial history. In the early 1980s, Robert Maxwell chanced his arm, so too did Rupert Murdoch with BSkyB in 1998. We all know about the Glazer family's seizing of control in 2005 and Sir Jim Ratcliffe's recent acquisition of a minor but controlling share.

Still, perhaps the most infamous of all remains Michael Knighton's fascinating attempt to buy Manchester United in the summer of 1989. You'll remember many of the details, surely. The sight of the former schoolteacher doing Trafford pitch before the opening day of the season has gone down in legend.

United spent big, as Knighton promised the world. Yet, before Christmas, his takeover bid had collapsed, and he was proclaimed as a Walter Mitty character by the press. What went wrong has often been disputed. Now, for the first time, you'll hear the reasons for the breakdown, as it happened, told by those who were involved at the time.

This is Manchester United, The Lost Tapes. Stories from United's rich history, told in a way you've never heard before.

Written by Wayne Barton. Narrated by Patrick Barclay. Produced by Ed Barker, Studio 1878.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

English football has always had its rivalries. Where there is champion, there is a challenger. With over a century of history, it had rarely been the case that two of the most successful teams were competing at the same time. That was the case towards the end of the 20th century.

Manchester United and Arsenal competed against each other for a generation, but it was under Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger when competition became an interchangable word for tribal warfare.

Years of mounting tension finally erupted just after the turn of century when a series of matches at Old Trafford became progressively more hostile. It all culminated in a showdown at Highbury in February 2005.

The conclusion was epic. But so was the journey. This is the unheard story of the greatest rivalry in Premier League history.

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Few footballers have had a transformative impact to compare with that of Eric Cantona at Manchester United. When he arrived at Old Trafford from Leeds United, the club were still licking their wounds after passing 25 years without a league title - ironically, marking the occasion by coming agonisingly close in a battle with Cantona’s then-club.

In November 1992, the relationship between Cantona and Leeds manager Howard Wilkinson had deteriorated. Cantona had scored the Premier League’s first-ever hat-trick, and his immense talent was not in doubt - but his discipline was. Wilkinson had brought Cantona to Leeds as recently as January after the Frenchman had been effectively thrown out of his domestic league. The Leeds manager was known as Sergeant Wilko for a reason; however, so too was Eric nicknamed Enfant terrible.

Wilkinson found himself with an unexpected solution when he attempted to strengthen his defence. He needed a full-back, so asked his chairman Bill Fotherby to enquire whether Manchester United would allow Denis Irwin to return to Elland Road. United chairman Martin Edwards said no - but, after a brief discussion with Alex Ferguson, made a counter- offer. Could Manchester United sign Eric Cantona? A deal was swiftly agreed. Leeds felt they were losing a troublemaker. The world of football felt Ferguson was taking a gamble he could ill afford.

Written by Wayne Barton. Narrated by Patrick Barclay. Produced by Ed Barker, Studio 1878.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Manchester United: The Lost Tapes. Stories from United's rich history, told in a way you've never heard before.

Episode 1 Teaser Trailer.

Few footballers have had a transformative impact to compare with that of Eric Cantona at Manchester United. When he arrived at Old Trafford from Leeds United, the club were still licking their wounds after passing 25 years without a league title.

Ironically, marking the occasion by coming agonisingly close in a battle with Cantona's then club. In November 1992, the relationship between Cantona and Leeds manager Howard Wilkinson had deteriorated. Cantona had scored the Premier League's first ever hat trick, and his immense talent was not in doubt.

But his discipline was. Wilkinson had brought Cantona to Leeds as recently as January, after the Frenchman had been effectively thrown out of his domestic league. The Leeds manager was known as Sergeant Wilko for a reason. However, so too was Eric, nicknamed Enfant Terrible. Wilkinson found himself with an unexpected solution when he attempted to strengthen his defense.

He needed a fullback, so he asked his chairman, Bill Fotherby, to inquire whether Manchester United would allow Dennis Irwin to return to Elland Road. United chairman Martin Edwards said no, but, after a brief discussion with Alex Ferguson, made a counter offer. Could Manchester United sign Eric Cantona? A deal was swiftly agreed. 

This is Manchester United, The Lost Tapes. Stories from United's rich history, told in a way you've never heard before.

Written by Wayne Barton, narrated by Patrick Barclay and produced by Ed Barker.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.