United fan group hopes for a brighter future with Ratcliffe
The 1958 Manchester United fan group believe there is “more hope for a brighter future” with Sir Jim Ratcliffe at the club, but vowed to continue its “fight until the Glazers have been removed”.
The Premier League club announced on Christmas Eve that the British billionaire had agreed to acquire a 25 per cent shareholding in the Old Trafford giant.
The £1.3 billion ($2.5 billion) deal includes Ratcliffe purchasing 25 per cent of Class B shares held by the Glazer family, whose majority ownership has been subject of fan protests since its controversial takeover in 2005.
The 1958 has led that fight in recent years and, a month to the day after the Ineos chairman’s deal was announced, commented on the ownership changes.
“When change is upon us, we think it’s prudent to assess the situation before reacting,” a spokesman for the group said via a statement.
“With the impending investment into the club by Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the announcement our club will be appointing a new CEO [Omar Berrada], we feel the right decision is to keep monitoring progress and let the new structure and strategy play out.
“We believe the Ratcliffe investment and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing gives us more hope for a brighter future and a potential clearer pathway towards majority ownership further down the line.
“This doesn’t mean we rest on our laurels. The aftermath of the European Super League is proof sitting back and doing nothing is not an option. We are working towards a next phase, strategy and plan.”
Ratcliffe expects the deal to be given the green light by mid-February, when he will officially take control of football operations as part of his minority ownership of the club.
The 71-year-old has the first option should the Glazers decide to sell more Class B shares and The 1958 will continue its call for them to sell up entirely.
“A generation of supporters have fought and battled to rid our club of these owners,” a spokesperson for the group, which has more than 52,000 supporters signed up to its "Claim Back United" website, said.
“We never wanted them at the start and we don’t want them now.
“We owe it to ourselves and the legacy of these efforts to ensure they are removed. We hope Sir Jim is an ally and vehicle in making this happen.
“Do not forgive and do not forget the damage the Glazers have done to our club and fan base.
“We will be watching developments closely and will continue our fight until the Glazers have been removed.
“This has always been one of our primary objectives. We will update more soon.”
