Man United fans stage protest against the Glazer family before game against Aston Villa
Man United fans demand ‘full sale only’ in protests for Aston Villa clash – after Sir Jim Ratcliffe emerged as the front runner following a £5bn bid with Glazers as minor shareholders
- There were suggestions that the Glazers were unwilling to sell the club completely
- Fans marched before the match chanting for the owners to leave
- The deadline for the final bidding round for the club passed on Friday
Manchester United fans have protested before the side’s match against Aston Villa.
The latest position from Red Devils supporters comes just days after the third and final round of bidding for the club ended, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe leading the race for a Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani.
United fans hung banners outside Old Trafford before the game, and several people marched with torches in protest against the Glazer family.
While one banner read: ‘Only full sale’, another read: ‘Fight greed, fight Glazers, fight for United.’
Another read: ‘Love United, hate Glazer’, as several fans wore shirts expressing their distaste for the club owners.
Manchester United fans protested before the club’s match against Aston Villa
Fans marched through the streets of Manchester with torches and banners before the match
One banner demanded a ‘full sale’ amid suggestions the Glazers may remain involved with the club
Mail Sport understands that Ineos, Ratcliffe’s firm, has made a bid that would cost United more than £5 billion.
Ratcliffe wants to buy 69 per cent of the Premier League giants or just over 50 per cent if the Glazer brothers, Joel and Avram, want to stay in what would be a controversial move, the Daily Mail reported last week.
The fans made their demands clear on Sunday when they chanted against the Glazers, who bought United in 2005.
On Friday, those close to Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani said his bid had broken the £5 billion barrier with a pledge of substantial additional funding. However, those aware of the process, which is being led by US investment bank Raine Group, say this is not the case and Ineos’ bid values the club even higher.
The march started quite a distance from Old Trafford and arrived at about 1pm
Another banner demanding a full sale and the departure of the Glazer family was hung on a gate
Fans turned out in their hundreds, with one supporter waving a flag and reading: ‘We want our club back’
Common green and yellow shirts protesting the owners were on sale outside of the game
Another banner read: ‘Love United, hate Glazer’ as United fans delivered their message
United fans have regularly raised their voices during matches this season, chanting at the owners during games and demanding they leave.
On Sunday, the protest started a few miles from Old Trafford and approached the East Stand at around 1am.
A decision on who will take charge is approaching, but Ratcliffe is said to be confident that his offer will be accepted.
On the pitch, United looked to recover from their 2-2 draw against Tottenham as they took on the high-flying side of Unai Emery.
