- Manchester United fans staged a protest ahead of Sunday’s game with Arsenal
- Protesters targeted their anger at the Glazer family, owners of United since 2004
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Thousands of Manchester United fans took part in protests before Sunday’s Premier League home game against Arsenal at Old Trafford.
United went into that game 15th in the Premier League table after winning just a third of their first 27 games in what has been a dismal season.
Supporters’ group The 1958 had announced plans to protest against the club’s ownership on Tuesday.
Fans were encouraged to wear black to symbolise how their club was ‘slowly dying’.
A spokesperson from The 1958 said: ‘The club is slowly dying before our eyes, on and off the pitch, and the blame lies squarely at the current ownership model.
‘In many ways, this is the biggest crisis the club faced since the Munich air disaster [which killed 23 in 1958] which inspires our name.’
Manchester United supporters staged a protest ahead of Sunday’s home game with Arsenal
Many protesters wore black after being urged to do so by United supporters’ group The 1958
Protesting fans marched from the The Tollgate pub to Old Trafford, chanting along the way
The protest was scheduled to start at 3.15pm at The Tollgate pub, with fans marching to Old Trafford ahead of United’s game with Arsenal at 4.30pm.
‘It’s your debt, not ours’ was one of the chants sang by protesters. Other chants cited recent price rises to £66 per ticket, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe blasted as well as the Glazer family, who have owned United since 2004.
There were also plenty of chants of ‘we want Glazers out’.
In addition to the chanting, many fans made their feelings known by displaying homemade banners.
One read: ‘£66 for kids’ tickets! Exploiting dreams! We’re more than just a seat number. #GlazersOut’.
A different banner declared: ‘We want out club back’. Another message was: ‘Fight for United, fight Glazer’.
United went into Sunday’s game as huge underdogs to get a result against Arsenal, despite having home advantage.
Former Red Devils captain Gary Neville delivered a damning verdict of the state of the club’s affairs as part of Sky Sports’ build-up for the match.
One fan held up a sign that read: ‘£66 for kids’ tickets! Exploiting dreams! We’re more than just a seat number. #GlazersOut’.
A banner attached to a fence declared in red and black writing: ‘Fight for United, fight Glazer’
Another banner spotted during Sunday’s march to Old Trafford read: ‘We want our club back’
When asked by presenter David Jones to find an optimistic angle for United fans, Neville said: ‘I mean, you’d hang on to the hope that maybe the manager needs a pre-season, that he needs more recruitment. You’d think about the fact that he’s really struggled since he’s come in. You’d maybe think about… I’m struggling at the moment.
‘I think what’s happened over the last ten years at the club is coming home to roost right now, at this moment in time. The fans are angry. They’re going to protest today. I think that when you see that Manchester United have gone from the richest football club in the world to not being able to feed their own staff, that is a massive demise.
‘And what’s hitting now on the pitch is hitting off the pitch as well. The debt, the poor recruitment, the lack of ability to find a performance. They’re now 15th in the league, which I never thought I’d see – Manchester United 15th in the league in March.
‘So there’s not a lot to look upon other than the fact that the manager does retain an element of optimism, and you hope that he can be supported and get it right for next season. But this season’s a bit of a write-off.’
