A Manchester United supporters’ group expressed hope that the arrival of Sir Jim Ratcliffe could bring a ‘new dawn’ for the club and reiterated their call for the ‘complete sale of Glazer shares’.
Fan group The 1958 got to work Xformerly known as Twitter, to make the statement after Ratcliffe wrote to Manchester United fans vowing to do everything he can to return the club to the pinnacle of world football.
The INEOS owner addressed the Manchester United Supporters’ Trust and members of the Fans’ Forum and Fans’ Advisory Board in the letter, which was sent after confirming on Christmas Eve that he is buying a quarter of the club for £1, 3 billion.
In response to Ratcliffe’s arrival and his letter to supporters, the fan group took to social media to share their thoughts on the upcoming changes at the club.
They wrote: ‘It’s no secret that we met and spoke to Sir Jim. We did make noise at our protest in Liverpool and a banner about the first ever public intention to buy our club.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s bid to buy a 25 percent stake in United was confirmed on Christmas Eve
The INEOS billionaire wrote a letter to fans to discuss the impending takeover and his position
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“We are about disruption, keeping the protest and contempt for Glazer in the public’s attention. Every action provokes a reaction. Good or bad, we don’t care! People still talk about it now. So from our perspective. Job done!
‘This was three months before the club declaration and six months before there was any dispute over ownership with other bidders. The message back then was the same as it is today, despite what some idiots here keep distorting. No minority investment and full sale of Glazer shares.
‘This still means that we must critically examine every investment in the club. This means we need to know the path to full control, if there is one. While it is understandable to be optimistic about this.
‘That family has had a death grip on our club for almost twenty years. It’s also important to remember that they have done untold generational damage to the club and its fanbase.
‘This is about the sacrifice United fans have made for almost 20 years. It is about the promises and memories of lost family and friends. It’s about restoring the dignity and fairness of the fan base and our club.
‘It’s about more than performances and results on the field. We promised each other. We promised it to family. We made a promise to every united fan who sacrificed their time, money, effort and energy to join the fight.
The Glazer family remain the club’s majority shareholders, with United valued at £4.96 billion
‘We won’t open the champagne yet until we have clarity about their exit strategy. We have never deviated from this position. Let’s hope this is the beginning of a new dawn for our club. We deserve it. We need it. The 1958’.
Mail Sport understands that Ratcliffe will be given the option to buy up Glazers’ shares first, should the American majority owners wish to sell their shares in the club.
In Ratcliffe’s own message to supporters, he acknowledged INEOS’ role as ‘trustees of the club on your behalf’ and admitted it could take some time to revive United’s fortunes after a decade of underperformance.
But the 71-year-old vowed INEOS is ‘in it for the long haul’ and outlined his ambition to bring success back to Old Trafford.
He said: ‘I wanted to write to you at this time, given the crucial role of the fans in the future of Manchester United, as we recognize on your behalf our responsibility as trustees of the club.
“I believe we can bring sporting success to the pitch to complement the undoubted commercial success the club has enjoyed. It will take time and patience, as well as rigor and the highest level of professional management.
‘You are ambitious for Manchester United and so are we. There are no guarantees in sport and change may inevitably take time, but we are in it for the long term and together we want to help return Manchester United to where the club belongs: at the top of English, European and world football. . I take that responsibility very seriously.
‘Please note that, as with any deal, it is subject to the usual regulatory approval process and therefore we do not expect to speak publicly about club matters until after the deal has been completed.’
Ratcliffe is expected to attend a United match in the near future, and his sporting director Sir Dave Brailsford will be at Old Trafford on Tuesday evening to watch Erik ten Hag’s side take on Aston Villa.
