Man Utd protest against ownership before derby

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QuizAsk Me AnythingMan Utd protest against ownership before derby Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Manchester United fans unfurl a banner inside Old Trafford Manchester United reporterPublished32 minutes agoThousands of Manchester United fans held protests inside and outside Old Trafford against the club's ownership before Sunday's derby with Manchester City. Huge numbers with flares protested outside the ground, heeding a call from the 1958 Group, before making their way through the Munich tunnel under the stadiun. Inside, The Red Army group of fans opted not to bring in their usual banners - instead display a single banner above the players' tunnel stating: "The way you treat us is a disgrace." It meant the only banners in the stadium were the ones that United themselves put up. It underlined the strength of feeling against the current ticketing situation at the club, who this week published the data around their touting investigation. United confirmed 685 fan accounts were banned, with a further 464 either sanctioned or warned. However, United added that "468 cases were resolved after supporters responded with the relevant information. No further action was taken, as the information provided satisfactorily explained the activity identified". "Unless our generational match-going support is given a real voice that is actually listened to, the little that remains of our fan culture will soon be gone forever," said The Red Army group in a statement. "TRA aren't a protest group, we're an 'atmosphere' group but we've never shied away from making our position clear when we believe not doing so would be to the detriment of the interests of match-going supporters." It was noticeable many songs were sung in direct protest against minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, indicating supporter belief that he bears as much responsibility for the current situation as the Glazer family, who have never been forgiven for loading debt on to the club with their leveraged buyout in 2005. The club's current financial position will be revealed on 23 September when it publishes its full year accounts to 30 June 2026. Including outstanding transfer fees, United's debt is in excess of £1bn and officials are yet to say how they intend to pay for the planned new stadium, which is expected to cost well in excess of £2bn. "We wanted the Glazers out and that will never change," said Steve Compton of the the 1958 Group. "Ratcliffe came in and gave us a glimmer, but his idea of putting Manchester back in Man United couldn't be any further from the truth. "Today is all about the way lifelong match-going fans have been treated, with the season-ticket fiasco that's gone on and people getting banned, the absolute craziness. "The club have made many statements, but one thing they haven't done is actually apologise to anyone. We've had hundreds of messages directly; this has affected people's health. "These are regular Joes, working class people who are sent an email telling them their ticket's been suspended with no actual evidence. How do you defend something you don't know what you're defending against?" 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Source: BBC Sport

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