Man United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe's popularity has sunk to new depths among some supporters this week.
Avram Glazer and Sir Jim Ratcliffe.(Image: 2024 Chris Brunskill/Fantasista)
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Just when the mood had lifted at Manchester United, Sir Jim Ratcliffe gave an interview that prompted the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to demand an apology from him.
The communications team at United must have winced when they first read the quotes. Ratcliffe said the United Kingdom has been "colonised by immigrants" and his comments drew backlash.
Ratcliffe issued a statement to say he was sorry his choice of language had offended some people, but added that it was "important to raise the issue of controlled and well-managed immigration".
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This is not an article to get into the politics, however, it is an examination of Ratcliffe's reputation in Manchester, and how he is viewed by the fans of the club he grew up supporting.
Many have disagreed with Ratcliffe. Carly Lyes, chair of the MUFC Local Supporters' Club, an official branch for fans who live within a two-mile radius of Old Trafford, said his comments were a "slap in the face."
The co-founder of the Manchester United Muslim Supporters Club (MUMSC), Ghulam Haydar, said he was "appalled" by Ratcliffe's comments and questioned whether Muslims are welcome at the club.
The 1958 protest group described Ratcliffe as a "total embarrassment, whether in front of a camera or being interviewed." The Manchester United Supporters' Trust have reiterated the club belongs to everyone.
United released an official statement, which did not directly refer to Ratcliffe, to distance themselves from the comments, saying the club "prides itself on being an inclusive and welcoming" and that they will "continue to represent our people, our city and our fans with purpose and pride."
Michael Carrick will be thankful for the 13-day gap between games for United, but he will inevitably face questions about Ratcliffe when he speaks at his press conference next week.
A billboard outside Old Trafford.(Image: Getty Images)
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Although the news cycle moves quickly in football, this feels like something that won't simply blow over. In the eyes of angry fans, Ratcliffe has caused further damage to an already poor reputation.
The damage could be permanent. Some won't change their opinion about Ratcliffe, regardless of whether United are successful on the pitch in the coming years.
The erosion of Ratcliffe's reputation has happened gradually since he acquired a minority stake in February 2024. There has been a catalogue of bad decisions committed by the 73-year-old.
The Ineos regime's first big decision ahead of Ratcliffe's first full season as co-owner was to address Erik ten Hag's future. The Dutchman's contract was extended when overwhelming evidence indicated he should have been sacked.
After the Dutchman departed, Ruud van Nistelrooy took over on an interim basis before Ruben Amorim was appointed. United paid around £11million to release him from his contract at Sporting, but Amorim lasted just 14 months in charge and received a £10m compensation package when he was axed.
Dan Ashworth departed shortly after Amorim's appointment. It was said there were "too many cooks in the kitchen (boardroom)", and there was an internal clash over Ten Hag's successor. United paid a combined £14.5m to sack Ten Hag, his backroom staff and Ashworth.
Manchester United decision makers Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Omar Berrada and Jason Wilcox
Ratcliffe, Berrada and Wilcox.(Image: Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images)
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Off the pitch, Ratcliffe needed to lower the employee count, which was the highest in the Premier League, but the extent of the redundancies was brutal. That was the start of an assault on the club's identity: ticket prices have soared, and the penny pinching has known no bounds.
Ratcliffe axed the annual £40,000 donation to the Association of Former Manchester United Players, which was set up in 1985 to support its 300-plus members, who represented the club in the years before huge wages. Gary Neville sat down with Ratcliffe last year and grilled him on the issue.
He said: "That’s not the players that played under Sir Alex, or even the last 10 years. They’re players from the 60s and 70s. Why not raise the money at a dinner? Give the ex-players their money. It’s a cruel decision.”
Ratcliffe responded "nobody has suggested that because I would have supported that", in a comical scene that wouldn't have looked out of place in the political satire British television series 'The Thick of It'.
United fans protested against the ownership of the club before the Fulham game at the start of the month. Ratcliffe was a target, just a few years after the same protestors had welcomed his investment.
Last year, Ratcliffe said he would walk away from United if he got "abused" in the same way the Glazer family have. His reputation among fans has sunk as low as the Glazers'.
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