Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images
Ineos and Sir Jim Ratcliffe have become the textbook definition of not reading the room and Manchester United fans’ reactions have spoken volumes on social media.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has not been afraid to ruffle the feathers of Manchester United fans with the different cost-cutting measures put in place at the Premier League club.
The 73-year-old United co-owner has equally divided Red Devils supporters for his outspoken views outside of football, including his recent remarks about the UK.
Ineos, however, received their biggest reality check during the extended October international break after Man Utd’s latest bid to profit off Old Trafford’s legacy.
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Man Utd fans were in every right to mock the Red Devils’ ‘Old Trafford Turf Cubes’ for what it represents
Grass is something nice, isn’t it? Well, for Manchester United, there is a way to incentivise that by selling it as memorabilia under the Old Trafford name. Manchester United’s official website on Wednesday shared news about ‘Old Trafford Turf Cubes,’ the latest ‘money-spinning idea’ from the Premier League club.
The Manchester United Store has a 7x7cm cube that has part of the turf from Old Trafford inside it, which has been deemed a “priceless memento.” The latest attempt to cash in on United’s history has been made after the Old Trafford pitch was dug up and overhauled in the summer.
United fans rightfully mocked the turf cubes on social media platforms like X, formerly known as Twitter, and there were many supporters pointing out the outrageous price point as well. For a single piece of this ‘priceless’ merchandise, a United fan would be set back a whopping £125 for a cube that features a piece of the Old Trafford turf.
READ MORE: Ineos will face big questions if Michael Carrick signing continues to rapidly fade into obscurity at Man Utd
What might surprise United fans even more is that the turf cubes have sold out on the Red Devils’ official storefront. “Carefully preserved, this piece of turf makes a priceless memento of iconic games played at home and keeps the memories of matchdays alive,” reads the description of the product.
Man Utd are as much a business as they are a football club for fans to support and enjoy, as the Red Devils reported their fiscal earnings on Wednesday. However, Ineos and Sir Jim Ratcliffe could not have timed the turf cube more poorly — both against the backdrop of United’s earnings and the overall season so far.
United fans are still haunted by the Glazers’ legacy at Old Trafford and the news that the Red Devils have an overall debt of over £1bn only rubbed salt in their wounds further. Outside of what was reported in United’s fiscal earnings, the Red Devils have endured a mixed start to the 2026-27 campaign under Michael Carrick.
The Red Devils’ turf cubes of Old Trafford put into perspective how tone-deaf Ineos and Ratcliffe are at the time and place that United decided to drop another bid to profit off their supporters.