Manchester United supporters have been left outraged by the latest postponement of their Premier League match against Brentford.
United were scheduled to play on Tuesday night at the Brentford Community Stadium, but a Covid-19 outbreak at Carrington has meant that Ralf Rangnick's team have been forced to scupper any trip to West London.
The news will be a bitterly disappointing blow to many United supporters, who would've spent money on train fares and hotels to get themselves to the game.
As a United fan, I'm frustrated that it took so long for anyone to come out with some statement because it just emphasised that those at the top don't care about the people that matter the most in football.
Fans have vented their frustration in many directions, be it at the club or other institutions, but I feel that the Premier League has to take responsibility for stuff like this. They're the ones who decide when a game is played or if a statement is put out, and to release something at such late notice was wrong.
So, because this is an important issue, I decided to speak to a few Manchester United supporters to get their views on the treatment of fans in light of the Brentford postponement.
"No consideration for travelling supporters"
Damien Delaney has spent most of his life following Manchester United and was travelling to the game until the match was postponed.
Both United and Brentford's official Twitter accounts put out statements at 11:50 pm on Monday to confirm the game had been cancelled. The Premier League's official Twitter account made a statement at 9:01 am on Tuesday.
Delaney says there's been 'no consideration for travelling supporters,' on what would've been United's final away day before Christmas.
He said: "It's incredibly disappointing. No consideration for the travelling supported who have already gone to a great expense for the last away day before Christmas.
"A statement could and should have been made at the weekend."
Considering that United's fanbase knew about the Covid outbreak, you'd have to say that Delaney raises a very valid point!
"Fans are treated badly in so many ways"
Andy Ridgway is the secretary of the Manchester United Supporters Group for Cheshire - Crewe & Nantwich. While he's annoyed at the treatment of fans, he also sees a bigger picture.
"It hasn't personally affected me, but there's more to it than this in the way fans are treated.
"We obviously have to take into account public health, and we don't want a scenario where our health could be put at risk.
"But there are definitely more issues that annoy me about the treatment of fans."
This is a problem that has been going on for years. Fans were left out of the loop on vital subjects, perhaps most visible in the European Super League scandal.
Ridgway is a United season-ticket holder and goes to every home game, but argues that the fixture list is another example of how those at an elite level perceive fans.
"One of the things that has affected us is the way the fixtures have come through.
"I think we went one month where we had one home game (between Tottenham and Chelsea), yet in the last seven days, we've had three home games on the bounce. That can't be right.
"Fixtures are in people's control more than Covid is, and that's the thing that annoys me. People can't do that sort of travel all the time. We're running coach travel at a loss, and it makes my job harder.
"The point is that the fans are treated badly in so many ways. The lack of announcement around the Brentford game is shocking, but it's also a microcosm of some of the bigger issues involving fans in football. It's not right on any level."
What do you think of the Brentford postponement? Follow our United On My Mind writer Omar Garrick on Twitter to get involved in the discussion and give us your thoughts on the matter in the comments section below.
