August 6 – The Premier League is back in less that two weeks, however the permanent angst of Manchester United fans against their American owners, the Glazer family is still white hot, and now the 1958 supporter’s group is including minority shareholder, Sir Jim Ratcliffe in their anger.
The group has protested outside Old Trafford on numerous occasions in recent years and is planning on marching to the ground for the Red Devils opening fixture versus Arsenal on August 17.
A 1958 spokesman said: “It’s a new season but the same old ownership issues. Twenty years of the Glazers and their debt mountain is 20 years too long. Enough is enough.
“We won’t allow some natural optimism and a couple of shiny new signings to deflect from the bigger off-field picture.
“Jim Ratcliffe chose to get into bed with the Glazers and in our opinion is helping keep them in charge.
“So on August 17, we protest not just against the Glazers, but now also against Jim Ratcliffe, a man once seen by many, including ourselves, as a possible saviour, a beacon of hope but now revealed as complicit in the ongoing erosion of everything that makes our club what it is.
“This is no longer just about ownership; this is about survival – the survival of our identity, our community, and our values.”
Since Ratcliffe purchased his 28.94% in the club, the cost cutting measures have been severe and highly unpopular with staff, players and fans. Last season as United slipped to their worst league position since being relegated in 1974, Ratcliffe claimed he would walk away if he suffered the same abuse as the Glazers.
“I can put up with it for a while. I don’t mind being unpopular because I get that nobody likes seeing Manchester United down where they are, and nobody likes the decisions we’re having to make.
“Eventually, if it reached the extent that the Glazer family have been abused, then I’d have to say, ‘look, that’s enough guys, let somebody else do this’.”
The 1958 spokesman added: “Jim Ratcliffe, you have chosen your side and it is not ours. You now stand shoulder to shoulder with the Glazers. The mask has slipped. You are no saviour. You’re like a [red] devil in disguise.”
With the fixture against Arsenal being the standout match on the opening weekend of the league, the performance of Rubin Amorin’s team could be a crucial indicator of whether club will have a season of calm or will the storm whip up to hurricane proportions.
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