Jim Ratcliffe has delivered the news of his agreement with the Glaziers as a Christmas present to the fans. Many fans will be disappointed that the Glaziers retain overall control of the club, but as a can’t be bothered Yeovil Town fan – whose only interest in Man Utd is when they beat us in the FA Cup, I am an impartial observer and see this deal as good news for Man Utd and for the wider game.

I oppose all breakaway leagues , whether European or “other”. Manchester United and Yeovil Town should stay clear of “super-leagues” and focus on playing good football.

Yeovil v Taunton (boxing day 3pm)

Very few football clubs in the UK are community owned, for the most part they are owned by local tycoons, for the clubs who make it to the Premier League , the tycoons are from overseas. Jim Radcliffe fits the lower-league ownership pattern , a Manchester lad who wants to throw his weight around in a bigger playground.

A friend of mine, who provides Ratcliffe with legal advice, seems to think the bloke good news and that’s the impression I get. In the BBC’s “billionaire’s good/bad” podcast, I suspect he’ll be thought “good”. But that’s not the point is it?

The question is whether he’ll be good for Manchester United and for football. I think the two interests are aligned.

The financial facts are that he is replacing £1.25bn of equity in the Glazier’s hands with the same in his.

This creates a valuation on the club rather higher than the price paid by the Glaziers in 1995 but the Return on Investment in the meantime is excessive. The valuation is quite absurd , especially as it does not give Ratcliffe overall control. I hope that this money is properly invested to keep the Man U pension scheme “running on”.

What’s more interesting to fans, is that money will be going into the stadium and training grounds which are more than a little shabby. So shabby is the ground that it did not even get selected by UEFA for the Euros, spurned by a number of smaller and less well-known venues.

And it looks like Ratcliffe will be taking a “hands on” attitude to matters on the pitch – appointing his INEOS sports cronies – Dave Brailsford included – to key roles on the sporting operational side,

Let’s hope that Man United will be able to stop purchasing players at the top of their reputations and selling them again for thumping losses.

I’d like to see the Manchester youth facilities producing more brilliant youngsters as it did under Alex Ferguson.

But this is minor league stuff compared with tbe need Manchester United has to have someone who is a decent figure in charge. The Glaziers have been at best – absentee landlords – at worst , they’ve been seen as the architects of their team and fan’s woes.

My many United supporting friends have had a decade in which to suffer in the shadow of their noisy neighbours. It is time that they were allowed to reassert their natural sense of entitlement .

The worst thing about Manchester United is that we feel sorry for it. Let’s hope we may soon resume our  steady state of loathing for it – part of our footballing heritage.