In Manchester, England, fans of Manchester United staged a significant protest against the club’s current ownership on Sunday, driven by concerns over increased ticket prices, job losses, and the team’s declining performance on the field. The demonstration coincided with the Premier League fixture against Arsenal, drawing thousands of supporters to Old Trafford.
Marching with lit flares and holding aloft a variety of banners, fans expressed their desire for a change in ownership, hoping to restore the club’s former glory. Participants in the protest, which was orchestrated by the fan group The 1958, were encouraged to wear black as a demonstration of solidarity. Their march traveled the streets surrounding Old Trafford, culminating at the stadium just before the match started.
This protest comes a little over a year after British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe invested in the club, promising to elevate Manchester United back to the pinnacle of European soccer. However, at the protest, there were mixed sentiments toward Ratcliffe. Some fans vocalized their disapproval, chanting against him, while others called on the Glazer family, the club’s majority owners, to relinquish control.
Both Ratcliffe and Edward Glazer, a director at the club, were present at the match. Manchester United fans have a long-standing history of resistance against the Glazer family’s ownership, primarily due to their controversial leveraged buyout in 2005, which saddled the club with debt. This acquisition cost around 790 million pounds, equivalent to around $1.4 billion at the time.
Ratcliffe, who has rooted for Manchester United since childhood and heads the petrochemical firm Ineos, acquired a 25% stake for approximately $1.3 billion last year. His tenure, however, has been plagued by drastic cost-saving measures and poor performance by the team. In recent months, the club has announced a new phase of cost-cutting, resulting in the potential loss of up to 200 jobs, after already cutting around 250 positions the previous year.
Further stirring discontent among fans, the position of legendary manager Alex Ferguson’s ambassador role will be terminated after this season. Moreover, the club increased the price of its cheapest tickets mid-season to 66 pounds (around $81), up from 40 pounds (roughly $49). The team’s on-field struggles are evident; losing 12 matches has left them in the bottom half of the league standings, following one of their worst Premier League performances last season. Their only hope for success and a potential return to the Champions League lies in the Europa League.
Demonstrators made their sentiments clear with banners alleging the erosion of fan culture. The Red Army fan group posted a message underscoring the importance of the protest, suggesting that the destruction of fan culture would leave little worth defending. John Ludden, a fan and author, conveyed his frustration in a blog, accusing both the Glazers and Ineos of misunderstanding the values they purportedly represent.
Within the stadium, another prominent banner urged the end of exploiting fan loyalty. Despite the team’s initial success, with captain Bruno Fernandes scoring the opening goal, cheers morphed into chants of “Glazers out!” Manchester United chose not to comment when queried about the protest. The match concluded with a 1-1 draw.
