A group of Manchester United fans have called on supporters to boycott the club’s commercial partners in protest over the Glazer ownership.
A large group of fans protested at Old Trafford and the Lowry Hotel, where the team were based ahead of the Premier League clash with Liverpool on Sunday, which resulted in the game being called off.
Now, a group have published an open letter to the club’s commercial partners, of which United have 23, asking them to cut their ties with the Glazer family and warning that fans will no longer be using their services and products.
What was said?
A letter addressed to the club’s commercial partners outlined the debt the Glazer ownership had brought to United, and highlighted that the money they pay to the club is not, in their view, going towards investment.
“Your sponsorship money will be used for debt servicing and dividends. Supporting the Glazers does not support the club. It sustains a parasitical relationship,” the letter said.
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“The Glazers engorge on commercial revenue, you exploit the fanbase to access global markets, and fans are left desperate as the club weighed down by debt is unable to marshal its own resources to compete where it should. Supporting the Glazers is therefore an attack on Manchester United Football Club.
“To that end, Manchester United fans will boycott your products, seek to tarnish your brands and support your competitors until you terminate your commercial partnership with the Glazer family.
“United fans have sought every possible avenue since the takeover to improve the situation: from peaceful protesting and open letters, to fan-led share purchase initiatives and consortium bids.
“The Glazers have ignored every attempt. Even after promising to ‘rebuild trust with fans’, Joel Glazer declined to participate in a Fans Forum last week. Desperate, we have been left with no other alternative but to attack what the Glazer family are reliant on: commercial revenue and brand reputation.
“Until then, if you are complicit with the Glazers, you are complicit in the attack of Manchester United Football Club as well as the attempted murder of English football.”
Who are Manchester United’s commercial partners?
According to the club’s website, they have 23 commercial partners ranging from Adidas to Cadbury and Remington.
What next?
This letter is just the next step of the fans’ protests as they look to persuade the Glazer family to sell.
Goal understands fans are planning another protest at the ground ahead of the rescheduled Liverpool fixture which seems likely to be played on the weekend of May 15.
Manchester United are working with the Football Association, the Premier League, Greater Manchester Police and local safety authorities to establish what went wrong at Sunday’s protest and how fans managed to access the inside of the stadium.
GMP have said one man has been charged, confirming in a statement: "Michael Anthony James Cusker of Winstanley Road, Manchester has been charged with throwing fireworks in a street, use of threatening behaviour and wilful obstruction of the highway.
"He has been bailed ahead of a court appearance at Manchester Magistrates Court on 25 May 2021."
The club have pledged to issue their own sanctions to anyone they identify as having engaged in violent behaviour or criminal damage. It is understood that does not necessarily mean all of the fans who accessed the pitch.
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