The ownership of Manchester United has become a highly divisive issue for supporters of this great club. The aim of “Truly Reds, Manchester United fans blog” has always been to try and be a uniting force between the large cross section of fans spread across the globe. While many care little about who the owners are as long as the trophies keep coming into Old Trafford, thousands more feel that the club to which they have devoted most of their lives has lost its way.
Those fans have been placed in an almost impossible position, one that was well articulated by an unknown supporter in the following comments posted on the Red Issue forum this week. It’s an opinion that some may disagree with but just as many others will be able to closely relate to.
“On 22nd January 1994 I stood with everyone else as a lone piper piped the teams of United and Everton on to the pitch, in a tribute to the recently departed Sir Matt Busby. Like thousands there, my eyes were full of tears, the emotion of the moment swallowing me up. Sir Matt was the grandfather I never knew. Not a blood relative of course, but someone who I had grown up with as a child.
All I ever heard was Busby, United, Bestie, The Lawman. My dad told me how everyone cried when they heard about Munich. How Duncan Edwards was the greatest of all time, how Eddie Colman (“snake hips”) would make defenders fall over with just a shuffle. How everybody “had heart attacks” when Busby transfer listed Denis Law for having the temerity to ask for a pay rise.
More importantly, though, how Busby always talked of “the right way” of doing things, the “right way” of playing football. How the team and the club never knew it was beaten. This was the Manchester United I grew up to love. A team and a club that epitomised everything that was “the right way”. “The right way”. That is what I want Manchester United to be.
Now we have a club that is so far removed from everything it ever used to be. Would Sir Matt have countenanced these parasites ? We will, of course, never know, but I’ll happily believe that he would not. I will always love Manchester “the right way” United. But these ********* disgust me. I will not criticise anyone who does renew. I have seen all the arguments, and I know how hard it is for those who have never known life without United to not renew.
But my decision is made. My own conscience tells me that for the sake of “the right way” for the sake of those who gave their lives for this club, (and for the sake of their families) and for the great and the good who rebuilt the club, and for all of those whose names were childhood memories, for the late goals in 1999, for 5-1 away to Benfica, for 3-2 at Maine Road, for Eric, for whatever God made John Terry slip on his arse, for the memories of Stepney’s penalties in the early 70’s, for Gordon Hill’s 2 goals against Derby, for 1977 vs the vermin, and for 40 years or so of personal memories that nothing else could have given me……..
I WILL NOT RENEW. These ****** will not take a penny more from me until this club is “the right way” again.
I apologise if this is a little over dramatic. This decision has been really tough.”
The 160,000 members strong Manchester United Supporters’ Trust is at the forefront of a determined battle to wrest control from the Glazers but advises all supporters to “follow their heart and make sure they are happy with whatever they decide” MUST goes on to remind everyone that “We are all part of the Manchester United family – the Glazers aren’t part of that family. We must all respect the decisions made by our fellow supporters. Division and intolerance only plays into the hands of the Glazers so anyone who acts in a divisive way, criticising others, is serving the Glazers’ cause”
MUST continues by emphasisng that “Staying United is our greatest strength. The only thing that MUST would ever tell supporters to do is to not tell other supporters what to do! We’re all in this together and our best chance of success requires us to stay united.”
Wise words indeed, ones that are completely endorsed by this site.
Has Manchester United lost its way as a club under the Glazers ownership?
Next season will be very big for United, this year I believe they were over reliant on Rooney and the aging Giggs and Scholes, hopefully they will return to winning ways, but they will need a few good signings this summer in order to compete. City will no doubt spend very big, Chelsea will spend what they need to and Arsenal are overdue a good season, success on the pitch has muted the protests against the owners a little bit, but this could all change if results start to differ.
REALLY! You claim our claim ain’t right, GUESS WHAT? Our club is the exact same as it was back then, we never know when to quit, utd never give in and we fight till the end. For you to bring up the babes in your attempts to vile fans against the owners and to boycott is nothing but DISGRACEFUL, you ain’t in it for the club but to hurt the club you claim to follow, which i find hard believe after reading your article. REAL FAN would renew, go to games and back utd till death and beyond REGARDLESS OF OWNERS.
http://uk.m.yahoo.com/o2ukmo/search
Im sure you back those MUST clown tho, a group hell bent on hurting utds cash flow, a group trying hurt our image with childish protest stunts which put off any new suitors, a group who makes money off all this and line their own pockets instead of donating it to the club or charity, MUST are just sheer media attentions seekers out to boast they ego- these people couldnt careless for our club and are hell bent on dividing the fans against it, all they want is the cash and power you get with it.
MUST is so yesterday… they hated McManus et al… they hate the Glazers. Now What about the Glazers do they hate? The day of the 5,000 pound player is over, the day of the player for life is over. Labour is free to move anywhere they want. The club is run to make a profit, by doing so it will maintain its value. How many people in the world have the funds to purchase Man U, Barca, Real Madrid, NY Yankies. Man U is a business… it’s not run to please the recalcitrant and bitter whingers.
They whine when MU don’t spend ridiculous amounts on average players, then whine when they do. They are divisive. I don’t see the value of the MU brand going down, if anything it is going up faster than any other sports brand in the world.
My children and grandchildren make me constantly aware of how rapidly the world is changing, has changed and has gotten smaller… Oh dad, that is so yesterday…
MUST is so yesterday…
UTD TILL DEATH AND BEYOND, I will keep backing my boys, i will keep going the the games home and away, i will continue to travel europe with them…i will cheer them on though the good and the bad and forever and a day, i will stand united with united as our great side stays in perfect health and on the right path as we head into a fantastic tomorrow. Those who dont want to join us of this fantastic journey can weep as they will simply lose out.
What a disgrace. How can you live with yourself misappropriating the Busby Babes and Munich to justify your own selfish and stupid position. Do you think any of the United family that you name would EVER do anything to harm the club? If you WERE a fan you would support the club, not use it to posture and preen yourself or to act as a mouthpiece for the idiots of MUST who are hell bent on damaging the club.
I’m absolutely shocked and saddened about what has happened to the club I’ve supported for nearly 60 years. Let’s hope all these troublemakers from MUST do boycott and just go away and let fans support the club. We are supposed to be United fans but MUST’s plan is to break that Unity for their own gain. Disgusting.
Trouble is boys, I very mush fear that if we don’t get rid of the ginger gimps you’ll be following your team into administration.
These comments perfectly illustrate how the fans have been divided by the Glazers. Nothing disgraceful or disgusting about remembering the proud history of the club and those who made it great Luke. It’s beginning to appear that the further away from Old Trafford fans live, the less resistance there is to the owners.