Manchester United fans staged a peaceful protest against the Glazers’ ownership involving about 1,000 people which caused Old Trafford’s corporate venues and the club megastore to be closed before Norwich City’s visit. Those demonstrating did not enter the game until the 17th minute – one for every year of the American family’s proprietorship.
The demonstration, organised by a group calling itself the 1958, began at 2pm outside the Tollgate pub, and had its focal point inside the stadium’s Munich Tunnel, where the directors’ entrance is situated and which protesters brought to a standstill. The crowd chanted: “Love United, stay outside”, “Joel Glazer is going to die” and “We want Glazers out”. Joel Glazer is a co-chairman and one of six siblings who are proprietors.
Crowds had begun to gather at 11am at the Tollgate with close to a thousand present then. “It was about 900 people,” a policewoman said. When the march began it took around 15 minutes, flares being let off along the walk and on arrival outside Old Trafford. Riot police were situated at the directors’ entrance and at the mouth of the Munich Tunnel and the decision was taken to close many of the entrances to the club’s corporate venues and the store as kick off approached.
While the game began on time, fans inside the ground unhappy at the owners sang anti-Glazer chants. It was unclear how many supporters refused to enter until 3.17pm, with the stadium appearing close to full at the start.
On Friday, a group of about 30 supporters had gathered outside United’s Carrington training base before the weekly media conference of Ralf Rangnick, the interim manager. Some of those in attendance displayed a banner with a message daubed on it that read: “Disgrace not fit to wear the shirt. 1958.”
The latter group laid out its message via a post on social media. “This is more about the next generation picking up the baton and having a club to be proud of again to hand to future generations,” it said.
A club spokesperson said: “We are working hard to create the conditions for renewed success on the pitch, while strengthening our engagement with fans. We respect the right of fans to voice their opinions peacefully and we will continue to listen to them, with the aim of working together to get the club back to where we all want it to be: competing for trophies.”
