Thousands gathered outside the clubs Old Trafford ground and hundreds more waited at the Lowry Hotel in Manchester where the team were staying before the game of the season against arch rivals, Liverpool.
The protest planned well in advance was the latest in a series of demonstrations and actions against the club’s owners, the Glazers.
The recent catalyst for the protest before the Liverpool game was the move by the Glazers, and other football club owners [Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur] to enter a new so-called European Super league, an idea which had since been dropped.
So why, if the threat of this misleadingly termed competition had gone have this protest, and a demonstration of such magnitude? Other clubs, foolishly, have settled for their club owner’s words and letters of apology admitting they were wrong, letters not written by the said owners but by the club’s media department – all the owners had to do was put on a convincing face and read the words! There was no sentiment in their voices, including one of the Glazers, no emotion reading out these prewritten words of apology, they meant nothing.
Unlike the fans of other clubs, who appear to accept their owner’s apologies, like the one read by John Henry of Liverpool, United fans did not accept Joel Glazers less than convincing words of crap. For the record these parasites, the Glazers, and other club owners, like Stan Kroenke, owner of Arsenal Holdings, Joe Lewis, owner of ENIC Group including Tottenham Hotspur FC, will be back in years to come with the same suggestion, repackaged. For other clubs fans these words appear to have been sufficient, not at Man Utd. The reason for this is the ESL was the latest venture by the Glazers, not the first and only one and discontent against their ownership of Manchester United goes back to 2005, our grievances are far deeper and broader than other clubs. It was actually in 2004 that it was first muted the Glazers were going to buy out United and discontent began to grow then.
There had been trouble earlier in the first decade of the 21st century involving two of the club’s senior shareholders, John Magnier and J.P. McManus who owned a racehorse called Rock of Gibraltar, a horse which club manager, Alex Ferguson, had shares in. He also believed he held stud rights on top of his shares. A legal battle ensued and Ferguson lost. It was not expected the two Irish businessmen would hold out against the Glazers, they had never made any secret of the fact money was all that mattered to them, not football.
There had been trouble earlier in the first decade of the 21st century involving two of the club’s senior shareholders, John Magnier and J.P. McManus who owned a racehorse called Rock of Gibraltar, a horse which club manager, Alex Ferguson, had shares in. He also believed he held stud rights on top of his shares. A legal battle ensued and Ferguson lost. It was not expected the two Irish businessmen would hold out against the Glazers, they had never made any secret of the fact money was all that mattered to them, not football.
The question may be asked why were such uninterested parasites allowed in at all? When the Glazers launched their bid, McManus and Magnier sold. The other shareholders and senior directors were a different kettle of fish altogether. David Gill, former Chief Executive, Maurice Watkins, former club solicitor, and Roy Gardiner to name just three all claimed they would never sell, they were all United men. Watkins often spoke of that immortal night at Wembley in 1968 when Best, Charlton and Kidd [the crowd, they all chanted - no wonder they did - when the third goal was scored by that young Brian Kidd. He scored on his 19th birthday] put four goals past Benfica in the [proper] European Cup Final. The night Nobby Styles marked the great Eusebio, keeping him relatively quiet, apart from one frightening moment when our keeper, Alex Stepney, produced a world class save from a Eusebio shot. Other than that, Nobby had him under control. Yes, Watkins soon forgot that night once the price of shares were right. Malcom Glazer offered, on borrowed money which would plunge the club into debt, around £3.60 per share, and this was enough for those great United men to sell their soul, and the souls of everybody else. David Gill had paint stripper thrown over his Mercedes car, causing thousands of pounds worth of damage. Couldn’t have happened to a better bloke. The Glazers now had their seventy-five plus one percent and could delist the club legally under UK law.
By 2005 the Glazers were in the driving seat, delisting Man Utd as a PLC and they were now the owners. Fans protests continued sometimes turning violent. At a board meeting, when the deal was closed for the Glazers, fans gathered outside Old Trafford looking for the Glazers or their representatives, many of these supporters were seventies and eighties men and were normally happy enough to watch the match, have a few pints before and after the game and go home. Their aggro days were long behind them but this takeover reignited their passions along with their younger counterparts. These were/are the “legacy fans”, those who have supported Man Utd home, away and abroad for years, not the tourists who buy season tickets and pass them around. The club had hired a souped-up van, with an SAS trained driver such was the level of threat to the Glazers representatives. The angry fans gathered under the main stand and Bobby Charlton, the only person whose safety was guaranteed was despatched by the club to address them. Why could Gill not come down, or Watkins, the men who loved United so much? Because they would have been lynched!
Many fans had shares in the club so were entitled to attend the meeting, and exercised that right. For this reason, all protocol was broken allowing the Glazer representatives to vote prior to the meeting so as to hide their identity. Everybody else lined up to cast their votes after the meeting, the usual way, and were transparent, a vote which was meaningless because the majority of shares had voted in secret before the meeting. Gill and company maintained the mirage of everything being above board which clearly, things were not. If things were so open, why the secret vote before the meeting, why the special escape, getaway, van?
By 2005 the Glazers were in the driving seat, delisting Man Utd as a PLC and they were now the owners. Fans protests continued sometimes turning violent. At a board meeting, when the deal was closed for the Glazers, fans gathered outside Old Trafford looking for the Glazers or their representatives, many of these supporters were seventies and eighties men and were normally happy enough to watch the match, have a few pints before and after the game and go home. Their aggro days were long behind them but this takeover reignited their passions along with their younger counterparts. These were/are the “legacy fans”, those who have supported Man Utd home, away and abroad for years, not the tourists who buy season tickets and pass them around. The club had hired a souped-up van, with an SAS trained driver such was the level of threat to the Glazers representatives. The angry fans gathered under the main stand and Bobby Charlton, the only person whose safety was guaranteed was despatched by the club to address them. Why could Gill not come down, or Watkins, the men who loved United so much? Because they would have been lynched!
Many fans had shares in the club so were entitled to attend the meeting, and exercised that right. For this reason, all protocol was broken allowing the Glazer representatives to vote prior to the meeting so as to hide their identity. Everybody else lined up to cast their votes after the meeting, the usual way, and were transparent, a vote which was meaningless because the majority of shares had voted in secret before the meeting. Gill and company maintained the mirage of everything being above board which clearly, things were not. If things were so open, why the secret vote before the meeting, why the special escape, getaway, van?
In 2005 a group of hard-line United fans had enough. They went away to a meeting and decided to form their own Man Utd! The rebel club was/is known as Football Club United of Manchester – almost MUFC in reverse, FCUM – where all the old culture and cultural soul and conscience of Manchester United lived on. Songs from FC supporters rang from the terraces as they had once at Old Trafford, many were anti-Glazer chants with very colourful language.
The anti-Glazer campaign at Old Trafford appeared to have withered slowly away until this European Super League came to the fore. Once United were known to be supporters of this money making [fuck the fans] venture the old hatreds raised their heads again. The other English clubs involved held mini-protests but nothing on the scale which happened at Old Trafford, forcing the postponement of the game against Liverpool on 2nd May. The idea of the ESL has been dropped, for now, due in no small part to pressure from the supporters of the clubs involved. As has been mentioned, Man Utd supporters – including the fans and owners of FCUM – have far greater grievances than just the ESL: that was just the latest catalyst! What was witnessed at Old Trafford is the culmination of sixteen years since the Glazers took over at Man Utd. Over that period, they have taken £1bn out of the club, put United, once solvent, into debt and pay themselves a wage for doing so. Little wonder things boiled over and the fans had every right to do as they did.
I received a memo from Manchester United Supporters Trust (MUST) advising me of the protest before the game against Liverpool and all were urged to attend. MUST emphasised the non-violent nature of the demo but I knew this would be nasty, MUST had done their bit by appealing for peaceful protest probably knowing full well the opposite could occur, as it did. But for the Covid-19 restrictions on travel, I couldn’t get out of Ireland. I would have been there, no question about it despite my leg being fucked due to arthritis, to peacefully protest. What happened outside and inside Old Trafford on Sunday 2nd May was the latest upheaval in the anti-Glazer campaign. United supporters also laid siege outside the Lowry Hotel in Manchester where the team were staying pre-match. They chanted; ‘you’ll play when we say you can, you’ll play when we say you can’ preventing the team from leaving their hotel. Back at Old Trafford some supporters had breached security and entered the ground swinging on goalposts and running across the pitch. Ground staff were preparing the field for the game and were taken by surprise when the fans burst in.
Manchester United have a history of radicalism both on and off the pitch. Back in 1954/55 Chelsea won their first league title but were forbidden from playing in Europe by the Football league, especially the leagues chairman, Alan Hardaker. The following year Manchester United were champions and Matt Busby, with FA support, defied Hardaker and entered the competition, 1956/57. The following year they entered again, much to Hardaker’s annoyance, and many fancied the Busby Babes [unofficial nickname afforded to Matt Busby’s team due to their youth] to stop Real Madrid in their tracks. Alas this was not to be, having beaten Red Star Belgrade on 5th February 1958 their flight stopped off at Munich Airport to refuel. This was the following day, 6th February, a date familiar with tragedy for every United fan, it was the date of the Munich Air Disaster. Eight of United’s team perished among the twenty-three total fatalities.
The anti-Glazer campaign at Old Trafford appeared to have withered slowly away until this European Super League came to the fore. Once United were known to be supporters of this money making [fuck the fans] venture the old hatreds raised their heads again. The other English clubs involved held mini-protests but nothing on the scale which happened at Old Trafford, forcing the postponement of the game against Liverpool on 2nd May. The idea of the ESL has been dropped, for now, due in no small part to pressure from the supporters of the clubs involved. As has been mentioned, Man Utd supporters – including the fans and owners of FCUM – have far greater grievances than just the ESL: that was just the latest catalyst! What was witnessed at Old Trafford is the culmination of sixteen years since the Glazers took over at Man Utd. Over that period, they have taken £1bn out of the club, put United, once solvent, into debt and pay themselves a wage for doing so. Little wonder things boiled over and the fans had every right to do as they did.
I received a memo from Manchester United Supporters Trust (MUST) advising me of the protest before the game against Liverpool and all were urged to attend. MUST emphasised the non-violent nature of the demo but I knew this would be nasty, MUST had done their bit by appealing for peaceful protest probably knowing full well the opposite could occur, as it did. But for the Covid-19 restrictions on travel, I couldn’t get out of Ireland. I would have been there, no question about it despite my leg being fucked due to arthritis, to peacefully protest. What happened outside and inside Old Trafford on Sunday 2nd May was the latest upheaval in the anti-Glazer campaign. United supporters also laid siege outside the Lowry Hotel in Manchester where the team were staying pre-match. They chanted; ‘you’ll play when we say you can, you’ll play when we say you can’ preventing the team from leaving their hotel. Back at Old Trafford some supporters had breached security and entered the ground swinging on goalposts and running across the pitch. Ground staff were preparing the field for the game and were taken by surprise when the fans burst in.
Manchester United have a history of radicalism both on and off the pitch. Back in 1954/55 Chelsea won their first league title but were forbidden from playing in Europe by the Football league, especially the leagues chairman, Alan Hardaker. The following year Manchester United were champions and Matt Busby, with FA support, defied Hardaker and entered the competition, 1956/57. The following year they entered again, much to Hardaker’s annoyance, and many fancied the Busby Babes [unofficial nickname afforded to Matt Busby’s team due to their youth] to stop Real Madrid in their tracks. Alas this was not to be, having beaten Red Star Belgrade on 5th February 1958 their flight stopped off at Munich Airport to refuel. This was the following day, 6th February, a date familiar with tragedy for every United fan, it was the date of the Munich Air Disaster. Eight of United’s team perished among the twenty-three total fatalities.
It is because of Man Utd’s history in Europe, as rebel pioneers that made the ESL so sickening to our fans. It was a betrayal by the Glazers of everything the great Matt Busby had built. This is why the sense of feeling is so high, remember without Matt Busby going against the Football league and its tyrannical leader, Alan Hardaker, the question must be asked; would Liverpool or any other English club have won the competition? If the tragedy at Munich had not occurred would Real Madrid have won the first five European Cups? United were fancied to stop them. Hypothetical maybe and we will never know the answer. What we do know is ten years after the Munich Air Disaster Manchester United stopped Real Madrid in the European Cup Semi-final of 1968. These are all factors why United fans feel so strong about the Glazers and especially their later stunt of trying to undermine the European Cup [Champion’s league] by trying to enter this corrupt despicable ESL. The likes of the Glazers, the John Henry’s, the Joe Lewis’s in fact all these billionaire faceless owners who care nothing for football, its culture and its supporters, are hated from St. James Park, Newcastle in the North-East of England to Home Park Plymouth in the south. From Berwick on the Scottish/English border to Aberdeen in the North of Scotland a similar attitude towards these people exists. The ESL is a symptom of the modern style of football club ownership. Getting rid, at least for now, of this cursed notion is a great start.
However, the only way to ensure in years to come such an idea does not resurface is to get rid of those who perpetuate the notion, the money grabbing, self-interested leeches who use our clubs as cash cows, the Glazers, John Henrys, the Stan Kroenke, the Joe Lewis’s, the Sheik Mansour, owner of Man City and Roman Abramovich the Chelsea supremo. We have got rid of the symptom, the ESL [at least for now] but for eternal peace we need all these people who treat football purely as a business gone.
On Match of the Day, evening of Sunday 2nd May, a United fan and journalist, Andy Mitten – grandson of Charlie Mitten who played in Matt Busby’s first great side in the 1948 FA Cup Final, and whose older brother Joss was FC United’s first number nine – was interviewed briefly about the day’s events. Andy was asked whether he supported the protests, which he did, and he suggested the pundits on MOTD ‘use their influence as public figures’ to do more in opposition to these greedy, faceless people who are killing our game.
The establishment were trying to bat for two teams yesterday. Firstly, they could not condemn outright the actions of the United fans, it may alienate other club’s supporters who also hate the ESL. On the other hand, they could not condone the less than peaceful actions of some fans. Well, I don’t think the Man Utd fans that Sunday could care less what the establishment thought, they were not asking for their approval, permission or authority to go ahead. To many the football establishment are part of the problem, they have cultured these takeovers by the mega wealthy, now it is turning sour they are caught midstream with no paddle!
Sir Matt Busby warned everybody back in 1970 when he said: ‘I hope we shall never sacrifice our sporting principles on the altar of big business.’
‘We must prevent a football club ever being run like a supermarket with profit the only motive. The fear is that big business of soccer will dwarf the sport.’ How right the great man was, and how ashamed he would be of what our club not only by wishing to participate in the ESL has become!
Finally remember the words of Che Guevara, often quoted by FC United in the early days, ‘football is more than a mere game, it is an instrument of the revolution!’
On Match of the Day, evening of Sunday 2nd May, a United fan and journalist, Andy Mitten – grandson of Charlie Mitten who played in Matt Busby’s first great side in the 1948 FA Cup Final, and whose older brother Joss was FC United’s first number nine – was interviewed briefly about the day’s events. Andy was asked whether he supported the protests, which he did, and he suggested the pundits on MOTD ‘use their influence as public figures’ to do more in opposition to these greedy, faceless people who are killing our game.
The establishment were trying to bat for two teams yesterday. Firstly, they could not condemn outright the actions of the United fans, it may alienate other club’s supporters who also hate the ESL. On the other hand, they could not condone the less than peaceful actions of some fans. Well, I don’t think the Man Utd fans that Sunday could care less what the establishment thought, they were not asking for their approval, permission or authority to go ahead. To many the football establishment are part of the problem, they have cultured these takeovers by the mega wealthy, now it is turning sour they are caught midstream with no paddle!
Sir Matt Busby warned everybody back in 1970 when he said: ‘I hope we shall never sacrifice our sporting principles on the altar of big business.’
‘We must prevent a football club ever being run like a supermarket with profit the only motive. The fear is that big business of soccer will dwarf the sport.’ How right the great man was, and how ashamed he would be of what our club not only by wishing to participate in the ESL has become!
Finally remember the words of Che Guevara, often quoted by FC United in the early days, ‘football is more than a mere game, it is an instrument of the revolution!’
Caoimhin
ReplyDeleteAh Alan Hardaker; now there is an evil demon from the past club I support, Leeds United. This was the man who insisted that we play the last match and title decider of the 1971-72 season at Wolverhampton 48 hours after winning the FA Cup at Wembley because we had players in the England squad set to play West Germany in the Euro quarter-finals the following weekend. We lost 2-1 and with it the Double.
This was the man who helped to thwart our Treble chances in 1970 by not allowing any rescheduling of our fixtures that season which had to finish on April 11 because of England's participation in the World Cup and who fined us when rested exhausted players from virtual dead-rubber fixtures. We ended up with nowt.
As a fan of one of MUFC's traditional enemies, I totally support the anti-Glazier campaign not least because of our experience of the stewardship of Master, sorry Ken, Bates. But in an industry where Power is so loaded against the regular fan (not customer, we cannot change our life-time allegiance) I am pessimistic about the prospects for success of your campaign.
Barry - The Damn United is still one of the best books in the genre.
DeleteBarry
ReplyDeleteTo be honest I am not optimistic about bringing this campaign to a victorious conclusion. Why should the Glazers bother, they're sat back on their billions tossing it off in Florida. They have written to MUST (Man Utd Supporters Trust) apologising and asking how they can "work with the fans". Fans which they officially call customers! For sixteen years we have waited for these parasites who, using UK law stole Man Utd, with the conivance of leading directors and shareholders, and for sixteen years we heard nothing from the Glazers.
Up until this ESL FC United were in real terms the last anti'Glazer group standing. The ESL reunited all groups. Where to next? Back in the day occupying the ground would not have been ruled out. All the gangs from Wythenshawe, Salford, Hume, Prestwich and other Red areas of Manchester numbering thousands all together had the ability to bring about such an occupation. Today, despite the militancy do we have the number of activists as in the seventies? Probably not alas.
I remember Don Revies side losing the FA Cup final replay at Old Trafford, Hardaker (an out and out racist I must add) had a lot to answer Leeds fans for. I also remember the WBA goal at Elland Road which should never have been allowed, but as an MUFC fan was glad it was. Referree Ray Tinkler was in fear of his life, and though it suited my own prejudices at the time, if Tinkler had done his job properley that goal should have been disallowed, no question about it. You had a genuine grievance.
Caoimhin O'Murale
Anthony
ReplyDeleteSo is the film which I have watched three times. 15 factual errors according to LUFC obsessives like me but who cares? A little bit of literary licence never did any art form any harm.
Far be it from me to stick the boot in but....
ReplyDeleteFucking yeeeeeeooooo get it right round ye mancy twats! lol
Steve R
ReplyDeleteWhen United fans do a job, we always do it right. Even invading the Anfield Kop in the early eighties, "fucking yeeeeeeooooo" United aggro, is certainly right👹👿😁.
Caoimhin O'Muraile
watch the game last night Caoimhin? Great result for Liverpool and good viewing but without the fans it still seems so flat
DeleteAM
ReplyDeleteNo I haven't sky anymore. I got rid of it when referreeing was taken out of the refs hands and given to some bloke in a hotel with a tv set. It is officially called VAR but in reality it is artificial refeeing. It is just not for me Anthony, not the game I was brought up on. VAR was the icing on the cake. It was a good result for Liverpool, keeps your European hopes alive, despite United fans best efforts to prevent your team bus getting to Old Trafford. City are, unfortunately, champions and, in my view the only team who should be in the European Cup. That is just my opinion.
I was talking to a blue (City fan) in Manchester a few years back. He had never been to Maine Road, despite being of an age where he was olď enough. He was not a proper blue like most of them at the Etihad.
You are correct Anthony the game, any game, is more akin to a training session kick about. No atmosphere, just a souless empty stadium. ECF moved to Portugal but some confusion as whether the Portugese authorities will allow fans into the country, unless I misheard.
Caoimhin
AM
ReplyDeleteThinking about it Anthony, the stopping of Liverpools team bus, which was not, it was a dummy, was almost stage managed run. Two cars park across the road, blocking access, no other fans to speak of about, then the police turn up out of nowhere, probably part of the script, and move the vehicles, politely along! Manchester constabulary are not renowned for their manners.
While this is farcically going on, the real Liverpool team bus sneaks through the backstreets to OT. Hollywood would struggle to produce a better production😂!!!
Villareal will have learned a lot from last night. The Reds only won twice at O T during the eighties, last night was the first victory away 🆚 Utd since 2014. Salah, 124 Lfc goals in 200 games, 9 strikes short of chart topper Sir Roger Hunt. We want fourth spot.
ReplyDeleteCaoimhin
ReplyDeleteSo "most" City fans at the Etihad are not true blues? And United don't have a host of glory hunters from the Fergie years? Pure shite
Peter
ReplyDeleteI remember Maine Road, as I'm sure you do, and many at the Etihad have never seen the Kippax in ther lives. That I can assure you. What you must remember is United have always had a bigger support than either City or Liverpool. Even after the Second World War when Old Trafford was bombed and United played, courtecy of City, at Maine Road our crowds were larger than City's. During the 1974/75 season when United were in division two the crowds at Old Trafford were the biggest in the league, including Anfield and Liverpool won div one! Not me talking "pure shite" Peter, just stating facts. Perhaps generalising a little but the blue I was talking to in Manchester would not have lived at Maine Road. That said, this rule of thumb does not apply to City fans too young for Maine Road, as the years pass they will be the majority. I'm talking about those old enough to have been around when days were not so good, and were nowhere to be seen. City's hard core would reluctantly agree with this analysis.
Caoimhin O'Muraile
The reason United had a bigger support was because you had supporters from all over the UK. Remember the jokes about United fans being soft southerners? Which makes the current situation of the club being a laughing stock all the more delicious.
ReplyDeletePeter
ReplyDeleteThat is just not true. Back in the seventies and eighties around 80% of United fans came from Greater Manchester. We always had a contingent from London, the feared Cockney Reds, a few hundred from Ireland and gangs from Yorkshire. So yes we had fans from across the so-called UK, but so did Liverpool and City. As a percentage not much in it. But we had/have a bigger actual figure. In Greater Manchester, Salford is red, Wythenshawe is majority red, Prestwich and Stretford are red. Altrincham is blue, Moss Side is blue, as is Ardwick. Today both United and City have too many tourist fans, but Uniteds "legacy" support would remain larger.
That is a rough breakdown, don't mind stories which are easy to manipulate. It looks more touristy at United because the actual number of these tossers is gteater, many do not even go to the game but once the season ticket is bought it goes on the attendance as it does at City and Liverpool, in fact all clubs in the PL. Corporatiam and corporate bodies are the real modern hooligans, more dangerous than we ever were.
Caoimhin O'Muraile