Glazers Absent From Manchester United Fans’ Forum

Manchester United fans have repeatedly protested against the Glazers, the American owners of the club, in recent years. Following the collapse of the European Super League proposal in 2021, the Glazers vowed to have an open dialogue with supporters. However, they have failed to turn up to a Fans’ Forum last week, with the club saying it would ‘not have been appropriate’ for them to attend.

The European Super League

The European Super League was a proposed football league that would have featured some of Europe’s most successful clubs. The proposal was met with widespread criticism from fans, players, and football governing bodies. The Glazers were one of the twelve founding members of the league, and their involvement sparked further protests from Manchester United supporters.

The Fans’ Forum

In response to the protests, Joel Glazer, the club’s co-chairman, spoke to supporters at a Fans’ Forum in 2021. However, he – nor any other member of the family – has failed to turn up since. That included a Forum with supporters last week, when fans were desperate to question the American owners on the future of the club.

The Forum was held before news of Sheikh Jassim’s withdrawl, as well as Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s move to take a 25% minority stake at Old Trafford. But the club said it would ‘not have been appropriate’ for the Glazers to turn up, given they are not able to address the takeover.

‘Following the start of that process there are tight legal and regulatory restrictions on what we can say about the strategic review,’ a statement said. ‘It would not be appropriate or productive for the owners to participate in these meetings when they are not able to talk about the main issue that fan representatives would naturally wish to question them on.’

The Future of Manchester United

The future of Manchester United is uncertain, with speculation that the Glazers may be looking to sell the club. The news of Sheikh Jassim’s withdrawl and Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s move has only added to this speculation. It remains to be seen if the Glazers will attend any future Fans’ Forums, or if they will eventually sell the club.

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