Hundreds of Manchester United fans protest against club's Glazer ownership

  • Video report by Granada Reports journalist Rob Smith


Hundreds of Manchester United supporters have marched through the city in protest at the club's owners.

It is the latest in a series of protests against the Glazer family aimed at showing fans are not happy with their ownership of the club.

Supporters' group The 1958 planned the protest ahead of United's game against Aston Villa - boycotting the first 18 minutes of the match, one minute for every year the Glazers have been in charge.

Hundreds of fans turned out for the march ahead of the game. Credit: ITV News

In a statement posted on its website the group said: "This is symbolic. It’s a nod to all Reds, past, present, future and those sadly no longer with us.

"Those who have battled against this ownership from the start and those joining the fight now."

Fans begun the march from the Old Nags Head pub in the city centre to the ground at Old Trafford.

The future of the ownership of Manchester United is up for question after the Glazer family announced a potential sale of the club after 17 years.

Talks of a takeover bid or the Glazers potentially selling the club lingered in the background for months after United's worst start to a season in more than 100 years.

Protesters marched down Deansgate on their way to Old Trafford. Credit: ITV News

Despite initially ruling out any takeover talk, the Glazers, who acquired a majority stake at Old Trafford in 2005, confirmed they would be looking at bids in November 2022.

They are now in ongoing talks with Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al-Thani and Sir Jim Ratcliffe to sell the club.

In a newsletter sent to fans, another supporters group MUST (Manchester United Supporter's Trust) said: "It is now nearly six months since the Glazers initiated the process to sell the Club, and today is the latest of their artificial deadlines to seek to elicit higher bids than received so far.

"Right now, most United fans are pretty frustrated by the whole process.

"When it began, back in November, our very first statement called for the Glazers to make sure the process was delivered as quickly as possible so that uncertainty over the ownership did not impair Erik Ten Hag’s rebuild plan.

"Yet with the transfer window about to get going again in earnest, and with as much uncertainty as ever over the future ownership, we are now in precisely the situation we most feared.

"Alongside our demand for pace, at the commencement of the process we also set out our principles of ownership for any prospective new owners.

"In broad terms these were - to set out a clear plan to back Erik and restore United back to the top; to demonstrate an investment plan for the teams and for the infrastructure; and show a commitment to run the Club in partnership with fans, avoiding the mistakes of the past."


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