Celebrity fan calls Abu Dhabi takeover 'staggering'

TAKEOVER BACKED: by famous Man City fan Noel Gallagher.

One of Manchester City's biggest celebrity fans has described the Abu Dhabi takeover of the club as "unbelievable".

Noel Gallagher, from rock band Oasis - a diehard City supporter - told BBC Radio in the UK on Wednesday: "I mean it's staggering, just unbelievable."

And he fuelled the rivalry between the city's biggest football clubs by saying that every gallon of petrol Manchester United's fans use will go directly into City manager Mark Hughes's transfer kitty.

His comments came after Arabian Business revealed on Monday that the club has been taken over by the Abu Dhabi United Group for Development and Investment (ADUG).

The deal was struck late on Sunday night between the club’s former owner Dr Thaksin Shinawatra, former Prime Minister of Thailand, and ADUG.

"I can't see any downside to this to be honest," Gallagher said. "Going from a cult football club that black cab drivers in London all like and patronise you [about], to being the richest club in the world is just staggering.

"I always kind of knew that 40 years of loyalty would be repaid somehow and I always knew that a day would come when we stagger everyone in football. It'll be nice to know that every gallon of petrol a Manchester United fan buys is going into our transfer kitty."

Gallagher, who is currently with his band in Canada, said that he discovered the news after a flurry of text messages.

"I was laughing at first, and I still really can't believe it.

"Then to top it all off just before we went on stage I found out we've signed Robinho. I mean it's staggering, just unbelievable."

IN PICS: Man City's famous fans
As the Abu Dhabi takeover of Man City approaches completion, we reveal some of the club's most famous fans.

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