The build up to Manchester United‘s home game against Liverpool was disrupted by significant fan protests inside and outside Old Trafford.
Hundreds of United supporters stormed the pitch around two hours before kick-off to protest against the Glazer family’s ownership.
i understands the match will not kick off in its scheduled 4.30pm slot, although no revised kick-off time has been announced.
With an hour until kick-off there was no sign of the teams at the ground but line-ups were announced by the Premier League at 3.30pm and referee Michael Oliver was permitted access to the stadium shortly after.
Fan anger spills over
The Red Devils were among 12 clubs that signed up for the breakaway European Super League, which collapsed within 48 hours due to huge, unrelenting pressure.
Those plans brought anger against the already despised Glazer family to a new level, with fans congregating at Old Trafford to demand change ahead of Sunday’s Premier League match against rivals Liverpool.
Flares were let off by protestors inside the ground, where corner flags were held aloft and one supporter was seen throwing a tripod from the interview zone.
It is understood a meeting was convened to establish what happened and the impact on the game, with the pitch damaged by the protestors and Covid-19 protocols to consider.
Fans congregated from around 1pm outside the trinity statue on the Old Trafford forecourt as another group took their protests to the Lowry hotel, where the United team were staying ahead of the game.
Hundreds outside Old Trafford became thousands by the time the protest got under way at 2pm, when two firecrackers were let off and fans began to march towards the Munich Tunnel.
Red fences put in front of the East Stand did not last long, being quickly toppled as stewards were overawed and chanting supporters made their way towards the tunnel.
Footage soon emerged of hundreds of fans on the pitch, with a bunch exiting by jumping down to the nearby canal paths and others running out through the main gates at around 2.30pm.
An hour later another small batch of protestors were seen leaving the stadium.
‘Time right for Glazers to sell’
“There’s huge discontent, not just amongst Manchester United fans but across the country,” said former United captain Gary Neville on Sky Sports. “Fans are saying enough is enough.”
While United are still one of the most commercially successful clubs in world football, performances on the pitch have taken a turn for the worse since the Glazers took control.
“The stadium, if you go behind the scenes, it’s rusty and rotting,” Neville added. “If you look at the training ground, it’s probably not one of the top five in this country. They haven’t got to a Champions League semi-final for 10 years.
“We haven’t won a league here at Manchester United for eight years. The land around the ground is dormant and derelict, while every other club seems to be developing the fan experience and the facilities.
“The Glazer family are struggling to meet the financial requirements [of the club] and the fans are saying it is time to go. They are going to make a fortune if they sell this football club. If they put it up for sale now, the time would be right and it’d be the honourable thing to do.”
Additional reporting by Press Association
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/3t6iqkc
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