Manchester United supporters have renewed protests against the Glazer family’s ownership of the club.
Fans protested outside the training ground last week, and then gathered outside Old Trafford on Saturday.
On Sunday a plane was flown over Elland Road ahead of United’s game against Leeds, highlighting the reason for the protests.
This is not a kneejerk reaction to the Super League. This is a result of 16 years of frustration of the club being run in spiralling debt, and zero communication from ownership.
More protests are planned, starting with the biggest one yet ahead of United’s game with Liverpool this weekend.
The biggest reason United fans have to be hopeful about all of this, is that finally, it feels like the club is not alone.
An attack on English football
The ill-judged and poorly executed idea for a European Super League was seen as an attack on English football. Joel Glazer was at the forefront of it.
This has raised scrutiny on the Glazers themselves, and there are calls for the Government to introduce legislation to back fan ownership.
The Government has already announced a review is taking place.
A petition to introduce majority fan-led ownership has already passed 40,000 signatures and will likely reach it’s 100,000 goal to be debated in Parliament.
Football’s summer of discontent
What helps United here is that other clubs are staging their own protests.
Arsenal supporters gathered outside The Emirates Stadium in their masses at the weekend.
Suddenly Swedish billionaire Daniel Ek, who co-owns Spotify, has come forward to express interest in a takeover to rid the club of Stan Kroenke, The Guardian report. Gunners’ legend Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry are also said to be involved.
This has the potential to spur on United supporters. Rival clubs will take inspiration from each other.
Tottenham supporters are themselves frustrated with Daniel Levy’s rule of the club, although he is not the owner.
Liverpool fans were enraged by FSG’s involvement in the Super League. They themselves may end up protesting themselves.
Elsewhere in the league, Newcastle supporters’ frustrations towards Mike Ashley is well known.
The more voices there are, the more media attention is paid towards protest movements. They will be covered by news media, and debated by pundits on sports radio.
Publicity and noise is key to the protests succeeding and disturbing the Glazers to the point they want to sell, and to getting the Government to push to take action.
There are no guarantees, as fans have discovered since 2005. But this time it feels like there is an opportunity to change, and supporters are ready to push it as far as possible.
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