Birmingham new-boy Ben Foster warns Manchester United fans anti-Glazer protests will unsettle Sir Alex Ferguson's team

By Neil Moxley and Matt Barlow for the Daily Mail
Updated: 18:50 EDT, 21 May 2010

Ben Foster has warned Manchester United's fans that the anti-Glazer movement is in danger of having a detrimental effect on the team.

The former England goalkeeper arrived at Birmingham City eager to open a new chapter in his career after making a £4million switch from Old Trafford.

But he had a star message for the Green and Gold movement whose campaign to oust the club's American owners shows little signs of letting up.

Leave it out: Ben Foster has warned anti-Glazer protests will unsettle his former Manchester United team-mates

He said: 'There's maybe too much made of it by the supporters. They are obviously passionate about Manchester United, but sometimes they need to focus on supporting the club a bit more than getting carried away with the technicalities of who's in charge.

'Personally, I think the Glazers have always put money in to Manchester United to buy players when needed. Having said that, I don't think the manager needs to buy too many players there anyway. They have a lot of good youngsters coming through the ranks.

'However, it's a bit of a distraction when the fans are chanting at every game.'

Foster slipped out of favour at Old Trafford after dropping, as he himself admitted, 'one or two clangers'.

He has joined Birmingham feeling that he has a point to prove to United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and English football.

He said: 'Personally, I thought I did OK but there were a couple of games where I dropped a few clangers and being at United, you can't afford to do that. Then, there was a point where I was playing for England then going back to be third choice keeper at United.

'I need to get the loving feeling of playing first-team football back. It's nice when you know you're an important part of the team. I've lacked it in the last couple of years, playing the odd game here and there.'

New start: New Birmingham signing Foster hopes to win his place back in England's squad next term

While the Glazer saga rumbles on at United, Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck has warned that UEFA president Michel Platini's proposal to regulate football debt will start to bite in this summer's transfer market.

Platini's plans are expected to be rubber-stamped next week when UEFA's executive committee meet in Switzerland. The rules will not come into effect until the 2012-13 season but the previous year's accounts will need to be presented and Buck believes the changes will have an impact this year.

He said: 'We have looked closely at the proposed rules and starting now we are going to have to be very careful on transfer fees and in salary negotiations because having a positive profit and loss statement will be crucial in getting a UEFA licence and participating in the Champions League.

All smiles: UEFA President Michel Platini is planning a raft of changes at the top

'Even if we wanted to spend more money we just won't be able to, so we have to do what is necessary to comply with the new rules.'

Platini's proposal will mean those clubs who spend more than their football income will not be granted a licence to take part in the Champions League or Europa League.

 

Buck added: 'Personally, I think it is significantly different if a club gets money from its owner, rather than going out and borrowing money from a bank and I think the rules ought to take account of that. It is unclear at the moment whether they will.'

The UEFA executive committee will also decide between France, Italy and Turkey as host nation for the 2016 European Championship.