Glazer eludes United fans on takeover watch

Malcolm Glazer and his son, Joel, continued to elude Manchester United fans yesterday, despite many "sightings" - in London, Manchester and Dublin - that only served to highlight the frenzy that the proposed takeover of United has sparked.

On Wednesday, acting on a tip-off that one or both of the Glazers were in Britain to negotiate the final stages of a buy-out, the supporters' group Shareholders' United offered £100-worth of United shares for a confirmed sighting.

Fanzine websites were soon awash with theories. The switchboard of The Dorchester in London - where one or both Glazers were rumoured to be lodged, and where reporters waited in the lobby - was inundated with callers asking for "a Mr Glazer" only to be told no guests of that name were staying. Elsewhere, fans at airports and bankers' offices were on alert in case they saw any arrivals worth reporting.

"It's all rather crazy," said one source close to the Glazer camp. "I expect we'll soon be hearing about both Glazers being seen riding Shergar on their way to a meeting with Elvis."

Sources on either side of the Atlantic told The Independent yesterday that Joel is "certainly not" in Europe, let alone Britain. Until yesterday he was in Hawaii at the NFL owners' conference.

Glazer Snr's location is less clear, although one source said he was "almost certainly in America, probably Florida".

It is understood that rather than any firm bid being imminent, there will be no formal meetings between Glazer's advisors and United's until late next week. Even swift, successful talks would be unlikely to conclude in less than a day, and then United would probably convene a board meeting to decide whether to recommend any offer. If this timetable transpires, no bid announcement is likely before the week starting 4 April.