Manchester United supporters are incensed after observing Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s demeanor in the audience while Mark Goldbridge made a critical assertion during the protests. A significant number of Manchester United fans demonstrated against the club’s ownership prior to their Premier League match against Arsenal at Old Trafford on Sunday. The fans donned black attire and displayed a range of signs to express their discontent regarding the management of the club.
One read: “£66 for kids tickets! Exploiting dreams!”
Another banner stated: “Fight fight fight for United. Glazers out.”
Following the commencement of the match, cameras shifted their focus to the audience, where Ratcliffe was observed seated alongside Manchester United CEO Omar Berrada, with Edward Glazer positioned in front of the club executives.
Ratcliffe was captured sharing a laugh with Berrada, a moment that incited frustration among Manchester United supporters in light of the pre-match protests. Goldbridge expressed his discontent on social media after the footage surfaced, tweeting: “Sir Jim sat laughing…hasn’t a care in the world has he…”
The sight of Sir Jim Ratcliffe laughing in the stands further fueled the ire of Manchester United fans. Image: Premier League. Other supporters of Manchester United also commented on Ratcliffe’s laughter.
One X user wrote: “Sir Jim is smiling and laughing on TV. The camera just caught him. Not a care in the world.”
A second said: “Good old sir Jim Ratcliffe, laughing in the crowd after stopping charity funding & making hundreds redundant to save his own back pocket, but remember, it was Rashford that was the issue.”
A third added: “I’ve just seen Jim Ratcliffe laughing and joking as he takes his seat. The protest looks like it’s had a massive impact on him.”
Supporters’ group The 1958 had announced plans to protest against the club’s ownership on Tuesday.
A spokesperson from The 1958 said: “The club is slowly dying before our eyes, on and off the pitch, and the blame lies squarely at the current ownership model.
“In many ways, this is the biggest crisis the club faced since the Munich air disaster [which killed 23 in 1958] which inspires our name.”