Manchester United fans storm Old Trafford as bitter Super League fallout continues

The Super League died a quick death but Manchester United fans are still fuming, storming Old Trafford before a blockbuster clash.

The fans want the power back.

Manchester United fans invaded Old Trafford ahead of Sunday’s Premier League clash with Liverpool as part of a protest against the club’s American owners.

Large numbers of fans had gathered outside Old Trafford, on the day Manchester City could be crowned Premier League champions if United lose.

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Hundreds of fans managed to make their way into the ground and onto the pitch, chanting “we want Glazers out.”

Flares were lit with one launched towards the television broadcast gantry.

Anger towards the Glazer family has been reignited by United’s part in a proposed European Super League (ESL) that collapsed within 48 hours last month due to a backlash from fans, players, governments and governing bodies.

Fans tried to force their way into Old Trafford.

And succeeded.

Fans are still furious.

The Glazers have owned United since a controversial leveraged takeover in 2005 saddled the club with hundreds of millions of pounds worth of debt.

United fans wore green and gold colours to matches early in the Glazers reign, the colours of Newton Heath, the club founded in 1878 that eventually became Manchester United 24 years later, as a sign of protest.

Green and gold scarfs and flares were back at Old Trafford on Sunday, while there were a number of banners aimed at the Glazers.

It comes after Man U was hit hard as the club’s share price tanked in the fallout.

But Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville, who has shared his views thoughout the ordeal, said the Glazers should just call it quits.

“The Glazer family are struggling to meet the financial requirements at this club and the fans are saying that their time is up,” he said Sky Sports.

“My view is quite simply that they’re going to make a fortune if they sell the club and if they were to put it up for sale now I think the time would be right, and it would be the honourable thing to do.

“There’s huge discontent, not just across Manchester United fans, but I think for football fans up and down the country and I think they are just saying enough is enough.

Football fans are saying their peace.

“The Glazer family have been resilient and stubborn for many, many years. I think they are struggling to meet the financial demands that this club needs and have done for some time.

“If you think about the club they picked up in 2004, it had the best stadium in the country, one of the best in Europe, it had the best training ground in this country, and probably one of the best in Europe.

“It had a team that was consistently getting to Champions League quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals regularly and winning the league every season or every other season.

“If you look at the club now, this stadium I know it looks great here but if you go behind the scenes it is rusting and rotten. If you look at the training ground it’s probably not even the top five in this country, they haven’t got to a Champions League semi-final for 10 years.

“We haven’t won a league here at Manchester United for 8 years. The land around the ground is undeveloped, dormant and derelict while every other club seems to be developing the facilities and the fan experience.”

Kickoff was delayed for the Man U clash with Liverpool, with fans taking to social media to support the protest.

As

As a fan who grew up in Greece I can say I am used to scenes similar to the ones at Old Trafford.
But England is something completely different.
The Glazers seriously messed up with the European Super League, the damage seems irreparable.
What happened today is not normal #MUFC

— Konstantinos Lianos (@LianosKostas) May 2, 2021

Tbh mate wasn’t a lot of them. Just one the best known chants ain’t it. Plenty of anti glazer & others going on. Yeah man, it’s all of football though not just about us

— Ben Pearce (@BenPearceDJ) May 2, 2021

Being fed up with the Glazers and protesting OUTSIDE the stadium is one thing.

Stepping foot INSIDE the stadium is a line that shouldn’t be crossed in my opinion. https://t.co/u8bU0euTei

— Brian Dunseth (@BrianDunseth) May 2, 2021

The Glazers = the worst kind of capitalist. They don’t understand football. They have no interest in Man Utd’s traditions or roots.
Please sell the Club NOW before your greed does EVENmore damage. The peaceful @mu_st protesters at Old Trafford today are the Club’s true protectors

— Tim Montgomerie 🇬🇧 (@montie) May 2, 2021

Well, in trying to reclaim the club from Glazers, please don’t destroy the Old Trafford. Some Manchester United fans are really stupid, they are not the real ones but plastic fans. https://t.co/es7dESTdjU

— Uzair Rizvi (@RizviUzair) May 2, 2021

Ahead of the match, Man U manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said that the fans should have a voice..

“It’s important that the fans’ views are listened to and that we communicate better,” he said.

“My job is to focus on the football side and that we have the best possible team. As I’ve said before, I’ve been backed, I’ve had great support from the club and the owners and I’m sure I will get the backing again to go one step further.

“But I’m so happy that all the clubs agreed that this shouldn’t be the way of moving forward. Then again, when the protests are on, it’s important that they go in a good fashion and that we keep it peaceful.”

The fans aren’t happy.

It’s not just a few fans either.

A young fan steals a corner post.

The sprinklers were turned on the protesters.

United’s executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward has already announced he would be leaving his role by the end of the year amid the fallout from the failed ESL project.

The proposal saw six Premier League teams — Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur — joined forces with Spanish giants Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid and Italian trio Juventus, Inter Milan and AC Milan to launch the planned competition.

But it collapsed in a matter of days as fans and pundits — and even Prince William — slammed the plan.

Late night host James Corden even said it could be the “end of the sport” if it went ahead.

The problem with the league was that instead of relegation and promotion, the 12 teams signed on would be assured of their places in the league, with money not flowing down to lower ranked teams and leagues.

Originally published as Manchester United fans storm Old Trafford as bitter Super League fallout continues