After a minor protest at Old Trafford last week, it was time for the hardcore United fanbase to have their say.
This protest was never going to be about singing Edinson Cavani songs in front (or on) the Trinity, burning American flags, self promotion “look at me look at me”, rocking up in replicas and taking selfies with fan cammers for self promotion reasons. This was always going to be different. The time for tweeting hashtags and turning up in a crowd for an hour are over. The Glazers don’t care or listen. Something different was needed.
This was about the message. The club. The fans. Our rotten owners. The attempted murder of English football by the dirty six trying to take us into the European Super League. Make no mistake, our owners are right at the core of this and would have been ringleaders for the ESL. Their grubby hands are all over it. Like I said in a previous article, we always knew the Glazers were our problem. It turns out they are everyone else’s and English footballs problem also.
The core of the United fanbase has been ignited. Something that’s been in stasis for close to 11 years against our ownership. This will not be forgotten, it’s just the start and now must be about a relentless consistency in getting these parasites out of our club.
My grandad took me to Old Trafford first when I was 6-years-old. United is in my veins and generations of my family, as it is many others who were in the crowd alongside me today. The Glazers and some aspects of our media just don’t understand the anger, frustration and the power of feeling this stirs. It’s emotional, it’s raw and it’s real. We will never forgive and never forget.
The crowd on Sunday was much bigger than last week. There was a defiant energy and everyone knew they were alongside real reds, who cared passionately. No self promotion or selfies being taken. Chants against the direct ownership. Initially we congregated around the Munich tunnel and the energy was palpable. This was a layered protest aimed at the players hotel at the Lowry, organised protests around the ground and also in the ground to try and get the game postponed.
As my tweet below says this wasn’t perfect but mission accomplished. This is how to protest and nobody was ever in danger despite what some of the press maybe reporting. I was asked to do an interview but checked who this was for first. It was The Athletic, so I spent a few minutes having a rant. Sunday was all about delivering the message. Pundits weren’t in danger, players, police or club staff. Total nonsense.
It is now or never for getting these parasites out. Put up or shut up as they say. This is a clear message against the ownership that’s been sent throughout the world. This must just be the start and with government legislation (the recent petition reached over 100K signatures), who knows maybe we can get the owners out. Something needs to change, we demand change, this can’t carry on. Whether it be voting rights for for certain shares or season ticket holders. Anything must be better than leaving greedy owners exploiting the love of our club. We want our United back.
In the end the Premier League and local authorities really had no choice but the call the game off. COVID rules and bubbles had been breached in the ground. There were still mobilisation around Manchester and concerns of team coaches getting to Old Trafford. This protest was organised to deliver a key message, and deliver this it did crystal clear. Most United fans and football fans in general I’m sure can understand the sentiment behind this and I expect this to be portrayed as such in the media.
Some of the pundit commentary around the protests has been nothing short of disgraceful. Enter the likes of Souness, who is so out of touch, trying to sound clued up on the events at Old Trafford for the last 16 years.
Apparently we have had investment in the ground from the Glazers. Has he seen the roof leaks, the rusty paintwork and the moss and growth above the Stretford End? Then to make it worse, passing comments like ‘we wouldn’t be protesting if we was winning things.’ Is that right Souness? Just look to 2010, when we were winning everything, as the last time we stood up to the Glazers.
Then you have the chuckle brothers Shearer and Jennas on BBC MOTD 2 talking complete tosh and needed Andy Mitten to add some context (within broadcaster guidelines). Absolute muppets the pair of them. Fair play to the likes of Neville, Carragher, Keane, Hinchliffe for speaking for the fans. Educated with a finger on the pulse of United and English footballs fanbases.
Here are the facts Souness, Shearer, Jennas, Jim White, Simon Jordan and countless others.
- Glazers bought the club with a loan
- Transferred the debt of the loan to the club
- Have put £0 of their own money into the club (Shearer this ones for you go shove your net spend graphs you googled)
- All transfers have come from club revenue
- They have taken 2 billion from the club
As the great Mancunian Tony Wilson once said, we do things differently around here. I’ve never been more proud to be a United fan for off the pitch reasons. These cockroaches will go again, this is not over we must get them out. Enough is enough.
Viva La Revolution
Read more: Manchester United statement on anti-Glazer protests