Manchester United supporters group The 1958 has called for a vote of no confidence in the club’s ownership model, calling Sir Jim Ratcliffe “an incompetent clown”. The organisation will also hold a protest at the home match against Fulham on 1 February to make their voices heard at Old Trafford.
The group wants the removal of the Glazer family and Ratcliffe from the club. Concerns were also expressed in relation to the work of the chief executive, Omar Berrada, and the director of football, Jason Wilcox, in the aftermath of Ruben Amorim’s sacking, which will lead to an interim replacement.
“After lurching from one disaster to another, Ratcliffe comes across as an incompetent clown turning the club into a circus. Instead of best in class we’re a laughing stock,” the 1958 said. “It has been an extraordinary and deeply troubling few days at Manchester United. On the pitch, we are watching mediocre performances from an average team drifting without identity, direction or ambition. Off it, the chaos is even worse.”
Amorim was dismissed on Monday after 14 months amid tensions with Wilcox over tactics, resulting in the former United player Darren Fletcher taking charge at Burnley. The Portuguese led the club to a 15th-placed finish, their worst in Premier League history and a Europa League final defeat against Tottenham. There was a sign of discontent during United’s 2-2 draw on Wednesday at Turf Moor, where a banner was held in the away end stating “Jim Can’t Fix This”.
The 1958, which has about 100,000 members, have instigated a number of demonstrations against the ownership in recent times. They are a vociferous supporters group for whom ticket prices and the treatment of fans by the club are key frustrations.
“Manchester United is 150 years old. That proud history, built by generations of supporters, must be protected. If we do not act now, the club we pass on will be unrecognisable, stripped of its culture, its soul and its people. This needs to be stopped. We must fight for our club. We must fight for fan culture before it is too late. If you knew you couldn’t play tomorrow, how hard would you play today?”
