Manchester United all at sea as club resists economic downturn

Manchester United, champions of the Premier League for the last three seasons, have joined a range of companies including British Seafood and seafood trader Andrew Marr International, London department store Harrods and racing team and car manufacturer McLaren on a list of Britain's most successful 250 mid market private companies.

The Sunday Times Top Track 250, sponsored by HSBC Bank and the financial giant PricewaterhouseCoopers, which today committed £1 million of cash and services to England's 2018 World Cup bid, found construction firm Willmott Dixon and private hospital firm Spire Healthcare to be the top two companies on the list.

• Carling hit out at Manchester United fans over crowd trouble
• Manchester United: Sir Alex Ferguson has stark warning for future

United were 115th on the list, two places ahead of British Seafood, and the only English soccer club to feature.

'With new sponsors Aon and increasing TV and commercial revenues, the club continues to make big signings - it paid a reported £30.8m for Dimitar Berbatov in 2008. Under [Malcolm] Glazer's sons Joel, Avram and Bryan, sales hit £256.2m in 2008,' reported the Fast Track company, which has produced the list since 2005.

Contact the author