For those who don’t understand why so many Manchester United fans loathe the Glazers — the same Glazers who have delivered these fans three consecutive championships of English soccer — it all comes down to these fans caring more about the financial health and future of their storied team than wins and losses.

Joe thinks these fans are a bizarre bunch of morons who should just savor the championship product on the field.

But if that’s how they roll in England, so be it.

These angry fans are so widespread and influential that now a major investment banker in England, Keith Harris, has come forward to forewarn the Glazers that his stable of investors, all dedicated Manchester United fans, are getting closer to raising the capital needed to buyout them out and take over the team.

Of course, the Glazers apparently aren’t interested in taking a buyout. And to no Bucs fan’s surprise, Harris hasn’t had a meeting with Team Glazer, per various reports around England on Saturday.

Pierce admitted that any potential bidders would need to be able to convince the Glazer family to listen to their offer, but added that “providing that the money could be raised, and I’m confident that it can be” the opportunity for the family to take the cash and use it to support their businesses in the US would be a powerful consideration.

A statement issued by the club said that it remained in a position of financial strength.

Without all the background, this guy Harris is a serious player who has been involved in soccer investment financing in England for several years. He’s a legitimate player who was a player in blocking Rupert Murdoch’s bid to buy Manchester United back when it was a public company. He was unsuccessful in stopping the Glazers.

What this all means for Bucs fans? Nobody knows.

But the Glazers did make a tidy profit with Manchester United in 2009. They did just effectively refinance hundreds of millions in debt. And now they’ve got big money people coming together to offer them gobs of cash for their soccer team.

Maybe, just maybe, their pockets will open for Donald Penn, Antonio Bryant and one quality free agent on the defensive side of the ball.

Joe’s aiming low.