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Manchester United fans have been urged by a supporters’ group to wear black to this weekend’s anti-Glazer protest to symbolise how the club is “slowly dying”.
Sunday’s home Premier League match against Arsenal will be preceded by a supporter march to Old Trafford, starting at 3.15pm from the Tollgate pub.
The 1958 fan group hope it “could be one of the largest-ever protests” at United, whose supporters have expressed opposition and fury since the Glazer family completed a leveraged takeover in 2005.
The group demanded an end to the family’s ownership and asked supporters “to wear black to symbolise how the club is ‘slowly dying’ due to huge debts, mismanagement and fan exploitation”.
Steve Crompton, spokesman for The 1958, said: “The club is slowly dying before our eyes, on and off the pitch, and the blame lies squarely at the current ownership model.
“The club is facing financial armageddon. Debt is the road to ruin.
“Sir Matt Busby would be turning in his grave at the current plight of one of the world’s greatest football institutions which is being brought to its knees and in many ways becoming a laughing stock.”
A separate protest was organised by the Manchester United Supporters’ Trust at Sunday’s FA Cup fifth-round tie against Fulham.
FA Cup holders United went on to lose that match on penalties, compounding a miserable season that sees them a lowly 14th in the Premier League standings.
The Red Devils returned to action at Real Sociedad in Thursday’s Europa League last-16 first leg, drawing 1-1, with that competition providing their last shot at silverware and only realistic route to European qualification.
Having accounted for progress to the Champions League knockout phase for years, the PA news agency understands financial modelling for next term includes the prospect of missing European football entirely.
United have lost more than £300m over the past three seasons and last week announced there would be 200 further redundancies having shed 250 jobs last summer.
United did not wish to comment when contacted by PA but pointed to chief executive Omar Berrada’s recent comments.
“We have a responsibility to put Manchester United in the strongest position to win across our men’s, women’s and academy teams,” he said after the club announced another round of redundancies.
“We are initiating a wide-ranging series of measures which will transform and renew the club.”
