Charlton reassured by new United owners

Manchester United's Bobby Charlton said he was impressed and reassured by the club's new American owners yesterday, a day after angry fans forced them to flee the stadium in a police van.

The former playing great, now a board member, said he had apologised to Joel, Bryan and Avi Glazer who returned to Old Trafford yesterday morning for a meeting with Manchester United officials.

The US businessmen - sons of Florida-based millionaire Malcolm Glazer - were conducting a fact-finding tour in the wake of their father's £790 million takeover of the premier league club.

"I spoke to them as forthright as I could be and they gave me all the answers that I wanted really," Charlton, 67, said.

"I think the well-being of Manchester United is paramount in their thinking.

"I apologised if there was anything wrong last night."

Furious supporters threatened the new owners on Wednesday night with chants of "die Glazer, die" and erected makeshift barricades around the stadium in an attempt to stop the brothers leaving.

Police used batons and dogs to clear an exit and the Americans were forced to abandon the blacked-out people carriers they had arrived in and leave instead in a decoy police van.