Manchester United fans are planning to wear black to their Premier League clash against Arsenal as they continue to protest against the club’s ownership
Many Manchester United fans are set to don black outfits for the home clash against Arsenal in protest against the Glazer Family.
The discontent remains high even after Sir Jim Ratcliffe acquired a 29 per cent stake in the club as part of his £1.25 billion minority takeover. While the INEOS chief is in control of football operations, United fans are still furious with the Glazers, particularly after the Manchester United Supporters’ Trust (MUST) claimed interest payments to the US venture capitalists will soar to £50million per year.
Before the home clash against the Gunners, United supporter group ‘The 1958’ announced plans for another demonstration against the ownership. Participants will gather at the Tollgate Pub at 3.15pm and march to the Trinity Monument before proceeding to the Munich Tunnel at Old Trafford.
Protesters have been specifically asked to wear black to underscore their message to those in charge. Spokesperson Steve Crompton, representing ‘The 1958’, remarked on the situation: “The club is slowly dying before our eyes, on and off the pitch, and the blame lies squarely at the current ownership model.
“The club is facing financial Armageddon. Debt is the road to ruin. Sir Matt Busby would be turning in his grave at the current plight of one of the world’s greatest football institutions, which is being brought to its knees and in many ways becoming a laughing stock.
“The club is going backwards, and it’s likely to get even worse. We urge fans to rise up, unite and join us at 3pm on Sunday as we march to the ground and protest against the despised Glazers and the club’s deliberate assault on fan culture.”
Before the game, United manager Ruben Amorim was questioned about his stance on the protests. In his press conference, he said: “For everybody in our club it’s a really tough moment.
“It’s everything at the same time. The only thing I can do, and our players, is perform well and win. People have the right to protest. I think it’s a good thing to do that. It’s part of our club. Everybody has a voice.
“But our job and my job is just to improve the team and give them something in this moment because they deserve it and they are amazing.”
As well as poor results on the pitch, the mood within the club was darkened by a further 200 redundancies at the club in February – a matter of months after 250 United employees were made redundant.
On the pitch, United’s performances continue to disappoint. They went into the home clash against Arsenal in 15th place, a staggering 37 points adrift of Premier League frontrunners and arch-rivals Liverpool. Their woes were compounded by a penalty shootout FA Cup exit at the hands of Fulham.
However, United still have a lifeline in the Europa League, which remains their sole avenue for securing a spot in next season’s Champions League. The Red Devils put themselves in a promising position heading into the second leg by securing a 1-1 away draw to Real Sociedad.
