Manchester United were forced to close their official megastore at Old Trafford on Tuesday morning due to anti-Glazer fan protests.
The scenes came a little over an hour after the Red Devils released their new home kit for the 2023-24 season. Supporters are furious after seven frustrating months of waiting for the Glazer family to finally sell the club, with the Americans having put United on the market in November yet failed to communicate with fans since.
Angry supporters brought pyrotechnics to Old Trafford, forcing staff to hurriedly close the doors to the club shop while police watched on. It later reopened to continue selling merchandise. United had been expecting a congregation of fans after the Manchester United Supporters' Trust (MUST) released a statement confirming plans for a protest.
"The overwhelming majority of United fans want to see a conclusion to this protracted sale process with the majority supporting a full sale, at least based on our soundings," the group said on social media. "Protest planned on Tuesday to make that message clear."
Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani and INEOS chief executive Sir Jim Ratcliffe have long been the frontrunners in the takeover race, although the Glazers are open to minority investment. Sheikh Jassim, whose fifth and final bid is reported to be close to the Americans' £6billon asking price, was recently installed as the favourite and wants to buy 100 per cent of the club.
Ratcliffe, meanwhile, is said to have to plan which would see him purchase a majority stake this summer and allow Joel and Avram Glazer to stay involved at Old Trafford until 2026. The brothers, currently executive co-chairmen, are the keenest of all six Glazers siblings to remain at United, making a full sale difficult.
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Supporters are demanding that the Glazer family leave altogether as soon as possible, putting an end to their unpopular 18-year ownership regime. But fears remain that they won't sell up, a worry that former United captain Gary Neville has harboured ever since an announcement in November which confirmed that the board were exploring "all strategic alternatives."
Neville recently told The Guardian: "What you want from leaders is good, clear communication. The Glazer family do the exact opposite. They're in a position of authority, looking after a community - and United's fans around the world are a global community - but the Glazers haven't communicated with them for nearly 20 years.
"The sale process is extending to an unpalatable length, everyone's in the dark, and it's symptomatic. They have to exit, but I haven't got faith that they'll do the right thing."
