Manchester United supporters are planning to ramp up their protests against the Glazer family – and are planning an hour-long sit-in at their match against Nottingham Forest.
With the long-running takeover saga rumbling on as the season rapidly approaches, The 1958, a group who accuse the American owners of ’18 years of ignorance and silence’, will protest at the Holy Trinity statue outside Old Trafford before United’s opener against Wolves on Monday.
While there, they will raise awareness of plans for a further protest, when fans will be asked to sit-in for 60 minutes following United’s match with Forest on August 26 – should the situation remain unresolved.
‘We want answers and the full removal of the Glazer family from every foundation of our club’, a spokesperson said.
Last November, United announced that the Glazers were willing to sell the club as part of a plan to identify ‘strategic alternatives’.
It had been hoped new owners would be in place for the transfer window after a deadline for final bids was set for the end of April by Raine, the US merchant bank running the process who also oversaw the sale of Chelsea.
However, a large-scale bidding war failed to materialise, with British billionaire, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, and Qatari Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani locked in an apparent two-horse race for control.
Their final offers value United at around £5billion, with the Glazers thought to be seeking £6bn and, a week from kick-off, the situation remains resolved.
But there is a growing resentment, distrust and anger among United supporters against the owners, who plunged the club into debt with their leveraged buyout in 2005.
Some believe they will not sell United, and will instead take an offer of investment in exchange for a minority stake. —Mailonline
