Disgruntled Manchester United supporters have stepped up their online campaign against the club’s ownership by writing an open letter to the Glazer family.
The letter, penned by a group calling itself the Glazers Out Movement (GOM) and co-signed by a number of influential United social media accounts, follows a similar Twitter campaign held earlier this summer.
The Glazers’ leveraged takeover of United in 2005 was financed by loans which loaded around £525m debt onto club, leading to protests, rancour and division among supporters.
The Florida-based family have been accused of draining more than £1bn from United in interest, costs and dividends over the years since. As recently as March of this year, United’s net debt stood at £301.7m.
In the open letter, GOM pose ‘five key questions’ to the Glazers regarding their debt repayment plan, reducing interest fees, the club’s flotation on the New York Stock Exchange, the salary of executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward and United’s ongoing search for a technical director.
“Manchester United fans deserve to know the answers to these questions,” the letter reads. “Every fan has a right to know the character and conduct of their owners and every fan has a right to challenge their owners if they believe it’s in the best interests of their football club.
“Protests against your ownership have come and gone, but now enough is enough. We are not going away this time. We will not sit in the dark any longer whilst you pretend we don’t exist.”
Hostility towards the Glazers has ebbed and flowed since the 2005 takeover. This latest bout of disaffection follows a poor season on-the-pitch, when United failed to qualify for the Champions League for the third time in six years.
1/12 How could Man United line up for 2019/20 season?
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has his work cut out to inspire United back to the Champions League
Manchester United via Getty Imag
2/12 David de Gea
Arguably United’s most important player, yet De Gea suffered from indifferent spells of form last season and will enter the new campaign amid uncertainty over his future. Not expected to leave this summer despite his contract expiring next summer.
Getty Images
3/12 Aaron Wan-Bissaka
United’s primary summer target, Wan-Bissaka will fill a problem position if his £50m transfer form Crystal Palace is completed as expected. The 21-year-old’s arrival represents a shift towards a more long-term approach in the market.
Getty Images
4/12 Victor Lindelof
Enjoyed something of a renaissance last season. Easily the most consistent and impressive of United’s centre-halves, he is the only one whose starting place is safe from the threat of new arrivals in defence.
Getty Images
5/12 Harry Maguire
Coveted by Jose Mourinho last summer, United still admire Maguire’s blend of physical defending and ability to play out of the back. Manchester City are also interested in the England international and may win the race.
Getty Images
6/12 Luke Shaw
Began last season on the fringes of the squad, ended as United’s player of the year. The best of a bad bunch? Maybe. But Shaw deserves credit for turning his Old Trafford career around and becoming the undisputed first-choice left back.
Getty Images
7/12 Scott McTominay
Emerged as a consistent and reliable presence in the second half of last season, which is more than can be said for several of his midfield colleagues. Questions remain but deserves an opportunity to fully establish himself.
Getty Images
8/12 Sean Longstaff
A surprising name but another young, homegrown target that has caught Solskjaer’s eye. Longstaff is in no rush to leave his boyhood club Newcastle United, having only broke into the side at Christmas, but United have not lost hope of getting their way.
Getty Images
9/12 Bruno Fernandes
One of the most-wanted players in Europe this summer, following a return of 32 goals and 18 assists last year. Fernandes would ease the pain of losing Paul Pogba, though Sporting will ask for a hefty price.
Getty Images
10/12 Daniel James
United’s first summer signing has much to prove before becoming Solskjaer’s first-choice on the right wing, though his speed and fondness for direct, counter-attacking football suit his manager’s style down to the ground.
Getty Images
11/12 Marcus Rashford
It became clear early on in Solskjaer’s reign that Rashford was his preferred option up front. The academy graduate repaid him with six goals in 10 games but his form quickly faltered. A first 20-goal season may be required.
Getty Images
12/12 Anthony Martial
Provided glimpses of his talent and potential, particularly following Solskjaer’s appointment, but tailed off worryingly once his future was settled with a new contract at the end of January. Appears well suited to this new-look United but must deliver consistently.
Getty Images
1/12 How could Man United line up for 2019/20 season?
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has his work cut out to inspire United back to the Champions League
Manchester United via Getty Imag
2/12 David de Gea
Arguably United’s most important player, yet De Gea suffered from indifferent spells of form last season and will enter the new campaign amid uncertainty over his future. Not expected to leave this summer despite his contract expiring next summer.
Getty Images
3/12 Aaron Wan-Bissaka
United’s primary summer target, Wan-Bissaka will fill a problem position if his £50m transfer form Crystal Palace is completed as expected. The 21-year-old’s arrival represents a shift towards a more long-term approach in the market.
Getty Images
4/12 Victor Lindelof
Enjoyed something of a renaissance last season. Easily the most consistent and impressive of United’s centre-halves, he is the only one whose starting place is safe from the threat of new arrivals in defence.
Getty Images
5/12 Harry Maguire
Coveted by Jose Mourinho last summer, United still admire Maguire’s blend of physical defending and ability to play out of the back. Manchester City are also interested in the England international and may win the race.
Getty Images
6/12 Luke Shaw
Began last season on the fringes of the squad, ended as United’s player of the year. The best of a bad bunch? Maybe. But Shaw deserves credit for turning his Old Trafford career around and becoming the undisputed first-choice left back.
Getty Images
7/12 Scott McTominay
Emerged as a consistent and reliable presence in the second half of last season, which is more than can be said for several of his midfield colleagues. Questions remain but deserves an opportunity to fully establish himself.
Getty Images
8/12 Sean Longstaff
A surprising name but another young, homegrown target that has caught Solskjaer’s eye. Longstaff is in no rush to leave his boyhood club Newcastle United, having only broke into the side at Christmas, but United have not lost hope of getting their way.
Getty Images
9/12 Bruno Fernandes
One of the most-wanted players in Europe this summer, following a return of 32 goals and 18 assists last year. Fernandes would ease the pain of losing Paul Pogba, though Sporting will ask for a hefty price.
Getty Images
10/12 Daniel James
United’s first summer signing has much to prove before becoming Solskjaer’s first-choice on the right wing, though his speed and fondness for direct, counter-attacking football suit his manager’s style down to the ground.
Getty Images
11/12 Marcus Rashford
It became clear early on in Solskjaer’s reign that Rashford was his preferred option up front. The academy graduate repaid him with six goals in 10 games but his form quickly faltered. A first 20-goal season may be required.
Getty Images
12/12 Anthony Martial
Provided glimpses of his talent and potential, particularly following Solskjaer’s appointment, but tailed off worryingly once his future was settled with a new contract at the end of January. Appears well suited to this new-look United but must deliver consistently.
Getty Images
United have spent a combined £68m on Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Daniel James in the months since in a bid to improve on last season’s sixth-place Premier League finish, with further arrivals possible before the summer transfer window closes next Thursday.
The club can point to the hiring of legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as manager and the re-adoption of a fast, counter-attacking style of play as evidence of those at the helm staying true to time-honoured values, but a poor start to the campaign could cause more discontent.
It remains to be seen whether the online protests lead to significant direct action inside and around Old Trafford, as was the case prior to Glazers’ takeover in 2005 and then again with the ‘green and gold’ protests of 2010.
An attempted demonstration outside the United stadium last month failed when only a handful of dissenting fans attended. GOM did not organise that particular protest, though the group is understood to be planning other forms of action ahead of the forthcoming season.
