Man U was dominant in the 1950s under manager Matt Busby

England have

Manchester United Football Club has been sold for ￡20m in the biggest takeover deal in the history of British football.

The new owner is Isle of Man-based property tycoon and former footballer, Michael Knighton.

Manchester United chairman Martin Edwards is to receive more than ￡20m for his majority share in the club and will stay on as chief executive.

There had been rumours for some time that Mr Edwards was planning to sell his stake but the deal was shrouded in secrecy.

The sale of his shares ends 25 years of Edwards family control of what has been dubbed "the world's most famous football team".

At the press conference to announce the sale he defended what he called his "sad" decision.

"I believe that under new direction and with new financial backing this club can go even further," Mr Edwards said.

Since taking over at Manchester United in 1980 after the death of his father, Louis, Mr Edwards' large annual salary and his sacking of a popular manager have alienated many fans.

Manchester United gained its worldwide reputation after a golden era in the 50s under Sir Matt Busby and his "Busby Babes".

Players who followed them like Bobby Charlton, Dennis Law and George Best also helped enhance the club's reputation and its trophy cabinet.

But in recent years Manchester United has been - by its standards - in the footballing doldrums and attendance at matches has dropped off.

It is badly in need of a cash injection for both new players and facilities. The new owner has promised to spend ￡20m refurbishing Manchester United's Old Trafford ground - England's largest stadium apart from Wembley.

"Manchester United is a legend. It is undoubtedly in my view the greatest football club in the world," Mr Knighton told reporters.

"I consider myself to be a football enthusiast first and a businessman second," he added.

Many of the men are emaciated

Dr Bernard Kouchner, the French minister for humanitarian affairs said European governments must act to ensure the camps - at Trnopolje and Manjaca in north-eastern Bosnia - were closed.

The delegation is visiting in the wake of worldwide outrage which followed the first television pictures from the camp at Trnopolje last week.

Images of severely emaciated internees behind barbed wire fences were flashed around the world leading to comparisons with the horrors of Nazi concentration camps.

However Serbs guarding the men at the camps denied the detainees were starving, saying the men "were just ill".

The Serbs have defended the existence of the camps calling them "investigation centres for Muslims suspected of being fighters".

There are believed to be about 57 such camps in Bosnia.

Attempts were made to prevent members of the media accompanying the delegation from taking pictures or filming.

Only a few of the internees risked the wrath of their Serb guards by speaking to the delegation.

"I think about 80-100 people have died in this camp," one man said.

Red Cross workers, who have been attempting to make lists of those being held in the camp, were also prevented from talking to the media.

Since the Red Cross arrived last week regular meals have been served to prisoners.

But it is feared that many of them are too weak to recover.  

shroud: to cover, as with a shroud; to protect completely; to cover so as to conceal; to hide; to veil.（遮蔽；保護(hù)）

doldrums: a state of inactivity（憂郁）

emaciated: very thin especially from disease or hunger or cold（瘦弱的；衰弱的）

wrath: intense anger（憤怒）