 As the deadline to complete the takeover loomed, Knighton abandoned his bid for control in exchange for a seat on the board.After the Manchester United deal, Knighton went on to buy Carlisle United, based in the Cumbrian city of Carlisle in 1992.At the time, they were in the bottom division of the Football League and Knighton set about building up the club who he claimed he could return to the top league of English football, the Premier League (Carlisle had previously played at that level in the 1974–75 season).