
Manchester United's ownership has come under renewed pressure after the club's Muslim supporters' group issued a statement of no confidence in Sir Jim Ratcliffe, calling on the minority co-owner and the Glazer family to leave the club.
The Manchester United Muslim Supporters' Club (MUMSC) made the declaration on Saturday, saying its concerns now extend beyond the team's performances and into the way the club is being run.
The latest dispute was triggered by comments Ratcliffe made during a BBC interview in which he described Britain as being "on the slide" and argued that high taxation and immigration were among the factors behind the country's problems. He also said stronger action was needed on immigration and welfare spending.
For MUMSC, the remarks were particularly significant because they followed another controversy involving Ratcliffe earlier this year.
In February, the Ineos founder said Britain had been "colonised by immigrants" before apologising for the language he had used. Manchester United subsequently stressed that it was an inclusive and welcoming club, while reports at the time said the Glazer family were deeply unhappy with Ratcliffe's comments.
MUMSC said it had hoped Ratcliffe's apology would mark the end of the issue. Instead, the group argued that his latest comments showed that the concerns raised previously had not been resolved.
The supporters' organisation also challenged the idea that immigration and diversity should be viewed negatively in relation to Britain, pointing instead to Manchester United's own identity.
"Players, staff, stewards, security teams and supporters" at the club come from different countries, cultures, ethnicities, religions and backgrounds, the group said, arguing that this diversity is an important part of Manchester United's identity.
Ratcliffe's wider record at United was also brought into the discussion.
He initially acquired a 27.7% stake in the club in 2024 and subsequently increased his holding. Since arriving, his ownership group has overseen a major restructuring of the organisation, including around 450 redundancies, changes to senior management and the departures of two managers.
MUMSC said some supporters had initially welcomed Ratcliffe's arrival because they believed it could represent a change after years of frustration under the Glazer family.
The group now says that optimism has disappeared.
Among the issues it highlighted were increased ticket prices, the condition of Old Trafford and the team's continuing struggles on the pitch. Those concerns have been compounded by United's difficult start to the current campaign.
United entered the weekend 13th in the Premier League with four points from their opening four matches. They were also eliminated from the Carabao Cup during the week after surrendering a two-goal lead in a 3-2 home defeat by Brighton.
MUMSC ultimately directed its criticism at both sides of the current ownership structure.
The group said that after years of what it described as decline, broken promises and repeated failure, it no longer had confidence in the way Manchester United was being run.
Its conclusion was direct: the Glazer family and Sir Jim Ratcliffe "must go."
No comments: