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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Connor O'Neill

Manchester United supporters send Joel Glazer message after Liverpool postponement

The Manchester United Supporters' Trust have told Joel Glazer the power to prevent further protests at Old Trafford is in his hands.

Thousands of supporters descended on the stadium to protest against the Glazers' ownership, with some gaining entry into the stadium.

The protest officially got underway at 2pm but it didn't take long for events to take a dramatic twist as hundreds of fans broke into the stadium and stormed the Old Trafford pitch.

As a result of the scenes, Liverpool were unable to leave their hotel in central Manchester and the Premier League was forced to delay the kick-off.

The game was eventually officially postponed with United confirming in a statement that it will be rescheduled for a later date.

The fallout from protests lasted almost all of Sunday as fans made their feelings clear once again after the European Super League collapse.

And Ian Stirling, vice-chair of MUST, believes Sunday's protests showed the strength of feeling among United fans at this moment in time.

He said: "This has been 16 years in the making, there’s been an uneasy truce with the Glazers, all that trust disappeared with one statement on the European Super League. It laid bare the risks to supporters put in place by these owners.

"We’ve put our demands forward to the owners, as a supporters’ trust that’s what we want to see progress on and the sooner we see that the better. Fans need to be listened to, they need to feel as if they are part of the club.

"For far too long we’ve felt excluded, like a value put on us instead of our support being valued.

"This was about the depth of feeling being demonstrated today and they can’t ignore it. We can’t get in the ground, we’ve not been in the ground for 14 months, it was only natural that would happen today. I won’t criticise any supporter for what they’ve done today, there were agitators on both sides."

While a statement from MUST read: “What we witnessed at Old Trafford today is the culmination of sixteen years since the Glazer family's acquisition of the club. Over that period, the owners have taken £1bn out of the club and we have witnessed decay and decline both on the field and off it.

“Whilst the invasion of the stadium isn't something we expected, and it is rumoured a gate was opened for fans, but even if that is not the case we believe the vast majority of Manchester United staff are sympathetic with the views of the fans.

“Supporters turned up on the day of a game they could not even attend, to peacefully protest and speak with one clear voice about the change that needs to happen at our club.

“On the back of the indefensible ESL proposals, and an “apology” from the Glazers which we do not accept, we need to give fans a meaningful share in the ownership of United and a meaningful voice in how it is run.

“The Government now need to act. That has to mean a process which results in fans having the opportunity to buy shares in their club and more to the point no single private shareholder holding a majority ownership of our football clubs which allows them to abuse that ownership.

“The Government need to reflect the views of ordinary people who see that now is the time to reclaim the people's game.”

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