Latest news with #The1958
Daily Mail
24-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Man United to beef up security at Aston Villa game amid protests from furious fans - with Sir Jim Ratcliffe 'unlikely' to attend
Manchester United are to increase security for their final match of the season – amid a planned protest and growing anger at the club's ownership. Extra measures have been taken ahead of the visit of Aston Villa, which will bring down the curtain on a season of serious underachievement at Old Trafford. Mail Sport understands that Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who took a minority stake in the club last January is at this stage 'unlikely' to attend. A protest had already been planned before Wednesday's Europa League final, but the loss to Tottenham has done little to ease the depth of feeling against the Glazer family and minority shareholder Ratcliffe. Defeat for United, against their Champions League-chasing opponents, could see them finish the year as low as 17th in what has been an unprecedented campaign of underachievement in the Premier League era. Greater Manchester Police have been working with the club, will monitor the situation and will be prepared to respond accordingly should they need to. At recent games fans, angry at being shifted next season for corporate punters, have protested directly in front of the directors' box by unfurling banners. Ahead of the Villa match, fans group The 1958 will march down Sir Matt Busby Way, before gathering in the forecourt of the stadium to protest. Much of their ire is aimed at the Glazers, who saddled the club with debt following their 2005 leveraged-buyout and who are widely-viewed as responsible for a miserable decade following the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson. However, Ratcliffe will also face criticism by those involved, with hundreds of redundancies following his group's arrival more than a year ago and little signs so far of a resurgence on the field.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Poppadoms, protests and promotions: the first 20 years of ‘unique' FC United
On the Saturday in late March this year that FC United of Manchester and The 1958, a Manchester United supporters group, held a joint-action against 20 years of Glazer ownership of United, Tom Kerse displayed his own protest at Broadhurst Park, FC United's home, which read: 'The Glazers? FCUM Hall.' The 69-year-old, like many FC United fans, followed Manchester United before the American family's leveraged purchase of the club in May 2005. ''FCUM Hall', as in 'fuck all the Glazers',' Kerse says, just in case anyone missed his point. FC United were born 20 years ago on Tuesday, on 13 May 2005 in a Rusholme curry house named Dilda. Paul Hurst, a founder, is the board lead for communication and co-ownership, the latter a core value of the club, with all members having a vote on each key decision. 'What we've seen [happen] at Manchester United is what we said [would happen] 20 years ago,' Hurst says. 'It's maybe taken a bit longer, that's all.' Advertisement Related: The Glazers in numbers: key figures across two decades at Manchester United Hurst is referencing two decades of troubled ownership that currently sees six Glazer siblings as majority owners at Old Trafford, Sir Jim Ratcliffe's 28.94% share the largest single individual holding, £750m worth of debt plus £300m outstanding in unpaid transfer fees, plus a £300m loss in the past three years. There will also be up to 450 redundancies when the latest round is executed, while Ruben Amorim's team may be in the Europa League final but are also 16th in the Premier League following Sunday's 2-0 home loss to West Ham. When Malcolm Glazer completed his leveraged purchase of United on 12 May 2005 he loaded around £694m debt on to the club and compelled a coterie of disgruntled supporters to found a breakaway club. Officially incepted on 14 June 2005 and swiftly accepted into The Moore & Co Construction Solicitors League four days later, FC United's inaugural game was a goalless friendly with Leigh RMI on 16 July, with a first competitive victory coming against Leek on 13 August. FC United first trained at Parrs Wood High School in east Didsbury. All squad members had full-time jobs – midfielder and captain Billy McCartney was a scaffolding supervisor – and were led by Karl Marginson, a Manchester-born former midfielder whose teams included Macclesfield Town, Stalybridge Celtic and Salford City. Initially ground-sharing at Bury's Gigg Lane, they moved to Broadhurst Park, located in Moston, in 2014, and under Marginson achieved promotions in each of their first three seasons. FC United won the 2005-06 North West Counties Division Two championship with 87 points, eight points clear of second place. They then romped to the Division One crown the following year with 112 points from 42 games before going up from the Northern Premier League Division One North via a 4-1 playoff final win over Skelmersdale, having finished one point behind champions Bradford Park Avenue in the regular season. Advertisement 'There were rumours after the Glazer takeover that fans were going to form their own team,' says Marginson, who also led FC United to a memorable 3-2 defeat of Rochdale in the first round of the FA Cup in 2010 before departing from the manager's job eight years later. 'I met a couple of lads called John-Paul O'Neill and Luc Zentar in a bowling green in Chorlton and talked football. From there, everything moved very quickly.' Of the Leigh RMI friendly, Marginson says: 'There were three streakers – all male. I don't remember what they looked like, thankfully, and our fan culture was termed 'punk football'. I remember speaking to people and if they didn't have a sore throat at the end of the game, they felt as though they'd let the team down.' FC United attracted – and still do – formidable crowds: 2,552 watched the Leigh RMI friendly, while 2,357 were in attendance for the 1-0 defeat to Stockton Town, following the joint-protest with The 1958 a couple of months ago. Yet as FC United grew, the search for their own ground precipitated a financial crisis in 2015 that led the following year to the departures of general manager, Andy Walsh, as well as Adam Brown, another founder member. 'You had people in charge that were trying to get us in here [Broadhurst Park] and in their desperation, decisions were made which put the club at risk,' explains Nick Boom, FC United's current chair. 'There was a clamour to build our own ground and originally it was going to be at Ten Acres Lane at Newton Heath – and you know the symbolism of that.' Manchester United were originally known as Newton Heath LYR Football Club upon their formation in 1878. Advertisement On 25 November 2010, FC United announced they had been granted planning approval 'to develop a 5,000-capacity ground and community sports complex' at the Ten Acres site. 'This is testament to the hard work and support we have received from New East Manchester and Manchester city council, in particular the help and guidance from the planning department,' Walsh said at the time. But the dream soured, Boom says, due to Ten Acres being in close proximity to Manchester United's crosstown rival. 'The owners at Manchester City didn't want a club related to Manchester United within Oldham Road [too], because they wanted to develop their area,' he explains. 'The leverage they had is that the Etihad [Stadium] is owned by Manchester city council and they wanted to extend [the lease].' Walsh drove the funding initiative for Broadhurst Park. Around £2m of the required £6.3m was raised by fans' investment, with this unlocking a further £3m of finance. Construction began on the 4,000-capacity venue in November 2013 and was completed in May 2015, with the 2-1 National League North defeat by Stockport on 11 August 2015 the first competitive fixture to take place there. However, further financial missteps occurred. 'Commodity prices went up,' Boom says. 'There was a judicial review for this site which also delayed it and cost more. And they [former board members] up-sized the business plan and said: 'Oh, we'll make more on the merchandise.' It was unrealistic.' A period of in-fighting ended with Walsh departing in March 2016, Brown the next month, claiming a 'hate campaign' had been launched against him and chief fundraiser, Andy Walker. In May of that year more board members resigned, claiming: 'Staff members and volunteers alike have at various times come to fear for their own safety.' Advertisement Boom, who had been volunteering for FC United since its inception, left his banking job in 2017 and became part of the new board the following year. By then Marginson had also left. 'I stood firm with the outgoing board,' he says. 'I don't think that went down too well with the incoming board. It was time for a change.' The 54-year-old Marginson is now manager of Trafford FC. His job at FC United, meanwhile, is now occupied by Mark Beesley, who took charge last September and has just guided the team to 17th of 22 and safety in the Northern Premier League Premier Division. 'It's a unique club,' the 44-year-old says. 'The values they bring. It's a club that needs a bit of direction and hopefully I can give that on the pitch.' In April, those values led to Eric Cantona becoming a member of the club, alongside his four children and two brothers. When doing so, the Frenchman criticised the Glazers' and Ratcliffe ownership of the club where he enjoyed so much success and adoration. 'I support [Manchester] United because I really love United, but now if I was a fan and had to choose a club I don't think I would choose United,' he said. 'I was a Man United fan and probably wasn't aware of FC United until I was about 18, 19,' says Charlie Ennis, FC United's current 35-year-old captain. 'It's an amazing club – I describe it as the best non-league club. So to be seen as one of the leaders is definitely something I don't take for granted and I'm proud of. And my family comes to all the games. The kids walk me out on to the pitch on Saturday. And all these types of things are stuff that's a real bonus of playing for a club like FC United.'
The Guardian
13-05-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Poppadoms, protests and promotions: the first 20 years of ‘unique' FC United
On the Saturday in late March this year that FC United of Manchester and The 1958, a Manchester United supporters group, held a joint-action against 20 years of Glazer ownership of United, Tom Kerse displayed his own protest at Broadhurst Park, FC United's home, which read: 'The Glazers? FCUM Hall.' The 69-year-old, like many FC United fans, followed Manchester United before the American family's leveraged purchase of the club in May 2005. ''FCUM Hall', as in 'fuck all the Glazers',' Kerse says, just in case anyone missed his point. FC United were born 20 years ago on Tuesday, on 13 May 2005 in a Rusholme curry house named Dilda. Paul Hurst, a founder, is the board lead for communication and co-ownership, the latter a core value of the club, with all members having a vote on each key decision. 'What we've seen [happen] at Manchester United is what we said [would happen] 20 years ago,' Hurst says. 'It's maybe taken a bit longer, that's all.' Hurst is referencing two decades of troubled ownership that currently sees six Glazer siblings as majority owners at Old Trafford, Sir Jim Ratcliffe's 28.94% share the largest single individual holding, £750m worth of debt plus £300m outstanding in unpaid transfer fees, plus a £300m loss in the past three years. There will also be up to 450 redundancies when the latest round is executed, while Ruben Amorim's team may be in the Europa League final but are also 16th in the Premier League following Sunday's 2-0 home loss to West Ham. When Malcolm Glazer completed his leveraged purchase of United on 12 May 2005 he loaded around £694m debt on to the club and compelled a coterie of disgruntled supporters to found a breakaway club. Officially incepted on 14 June 2005 and swiftly accepted into The Moore & Co Construction Solicitors League four days later, FC United's inaugural game was a goalless friendly with Leigh RMI on 16 July, with a first competitive victory coming against Leek on 13 August. FC United first trained at Parrs Wood High School in east Didsbury. All squad members had full-time jobs – midfielder and captain Billy McCartney was a scaffolding supervisor – and were led by Karl Marginson, a Manchester-born former midfielder whose teams included Macclesfield Town, Stalybridge Celtic and Salford City. Initially ground-sharing at Bury's Gigg Lane, they moved to Broadhurst Park, located in Moston, in 2014, and under Marginson achieved promotions in each of their first three seasons. FC United won the 2005-06 North West Counties Division Two championship with 87 points, eight points clear of second place. They then romped to the Division One crown the following year with 112 points from 42 games before going up from the Northern Premier League Division One North via a 4-1 playoff final win over Skelmersdale, having finished one point behind champions Bradford Park Avenue in the regular season. 'There were rumours after the Glazer takeover that fans were going to form their own team,' says Marginson, who also led FC United to a memorable 3-2 defeat of Rochdale in the first round of the FA Cup in 2010 before departing from the manager's job eight years later. 'I met a couple of lads called John-Paul O'Neill and Luc Zentar in a bowling green in Chorlton and talked football. From there, everything moved very quickly.' Of the Leigh RMI friendly, Marginson says: 'There were three streakers – all male. I don't remember what they looked like, thankfully, and our fan culture was termed 'punk football'. I remember speaking to people and if they didn't have a sore throat at the end of the game, they felt as though they'd let the team down.' FC United attracted – and still do – formidable crowds: 2,552 watched the Leigh RMI friendly, while 2,357 were in attendance for the 1-0 defeat to Stockton Town, following the joint-protest with The 1958 a couple of months ago. Yet as FC United grew, the search for their own ground precipitated a financial crisis in 2015 that led the following year to the departures of general manager, Andy Walsh, as well as Adam Brown, another founder member. 'You had people in charge that were trying to get us in here [Broadhurst Park] and in their desperation, decisions were made which put the club at risk,' explains Nick Boom, FC United's current chair. 'There was a clamour to build our own ground and originally it was going to be at Ten Acres Lane at Newton Heath – and you know the symbolism of that.' Manchester United were originally known as Newton Heath LYR Football Club upon their formation in 1878. On 25 November 2010, FC United announced they had been granted planning approval 'to develop a 5,000-capacity ground and community sports complex' at the Ten Acres site. 'This is testament to the hard work and support we have received from New East Manchester and Manchester city council, in particular the help and guidance from the planning department,' Walsh said at the time. But the dream soured, Boom says, due to Ten Acres being in close proximity to Manchester United's crosstown rival. 'The owners at Manchester City didn't want a club related to Manchester United within Oldham Road [too], because they wanted to develop their area,' he explains. 'The leverage they had is that the Etihad [Stadium] is owned by Manchester city council and they wanted to extend [the lease].' Walsh drove the funding initiative for Broadhurst Park. Around £2m of the required £6.3m was raised by fans' investment, with this unlocking a further £3m of finance. Construction began on the 4,000-capacity venue in November 2013 and was completed in May 2015, with the 2-1 National League North defeat by Stockport on 11 August 2015 the first competitive fixture to take place there. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion However, further financial missteps occurred. 'Commodity prices went up,' Boom says. 'There was a judicial review for this site which also delayed it and cost more. And they [former board members] up-sized the business plan and said: 'Oh, we'll make more on the merchandise.' It was unrealistic.' A period of in-fighting ended with Walsh departing in March 2016, Brown the next month, claiming a 'hate campaign' had been launched against him and chief fundraiser, Andy Walker. In May of that year more board members resigned, claiming: 'Staff members and volunteers alike have at various times come to fear for their own safety.' Boom, who had been volunteering for FC United since its inception, left his banking job in 2017 and became part of the new board the following year. By then Marginson had also left. 'I stood firm with the outgoing board,' he says. 'I don't think that went down too well with the incoming board. It was time for a change.' The 54-year-old Marginson is now manager of Trafford FC. His job at FC United, meanwhile, is now occupied by Mark Beesley, who took charge last September and has just guided the team to 17th of 22 and safety in the Northern Premier League Premier Division. 'It's a unique club,' the 44-year-old says. 'The values they bring. It's a club that needs a bit of direction and hopefully I can give that on the pitch.' In April, those values led to Eric Cantona becoming a member of the club, alongside his four children and two brothers. When doing so, the Frenchman criticised the Glazers' and Ratcliffe ownership of the club where he enjoyed so much success and adoration. 'I support [Manchester] United because I really love United, but now if I was a fan and had to choose a club I don't think I would choose United,' he said. 'I was a Man United fan and probably wasn't aware of FC United until I was about 18, 19,' says Charlie Ennis, FC United's current 35-year-old captain. 'It's an amazing club – I describe it as the best non-league club. So to be seen as one of the leaders is definitely something I don't take for granted and I'm proud of. And my family comes to all the games. The kids walk me out on to the pitch on Saturday. And all these types of things are stuff that's a real bonus of playing for a club like FC United.'
BreakingNews.ie
12-05-2025
- Business
- BreakingNews.ie
Man Utd fans' group to mark 20th anniversary of Glazer takeover with new protest
A Manchester United supporters' group has marked the 20th anniversary of the Glazers' takeover by announcing a fresh protest on the final day of the season against Aston Villa. The American family took a controlling stake at Old Trafford on May 12, 2005 amid anger and objection from furious fans. Advertisement Anti-Glazer protests have punctuated the last 20 years and fans' group The 1958 has announced it will continue its call for them to leave at the final match of the Premier League campaign against Villa on May 25. 'May 2005 marked one of the darkest days in the history of Manchester United Football Club,' the protest group's statement read. Manchester United fans protest against the clubs ownership and ticket prices in March (Martin Rickett/PA) 'The Glazer family became majority shareholders, triggering a compulsory takeover that was completed on 29th June 2005. 'That moment signalled the beginning of the end for the soul and community of our once-great club — sacrificed at the altar of corporate greed.' Advertisement The 1958 continued: 'Our final home game of the season is against Aston Villa. We march. As one fanbase. 'To make it clear: 20 years on, the fire still burns Red — with fury and defiance. We want the Glazers out of our club. 'They were never welcome. They are not welcome now. They will never be welcome. We protest once again at Villa, more details to follow.' The 1958 organised the biggest protest against the club's owners since Sir Jim Ratcliffe became co-owner ahead of March's Premier League match against Arsenal. Advertisement The group and breakaway club FC United held a joint protest against the Glazers later that month, with the call for change continuing at Old Trafford during a sit-in protest following April's match against Manchester City. Europa League finalists United sit 16th in the Premier League standings and are undergoing a second round of redundancies since Ratcliffe took control of operations in early 2024.
Daily Mail
12-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Man United protest group The 1958 announce plans for a march at final game of the season at Old Trafford and tell the Glazers they 'will never be welcome'
Protest group The 1958 have announced plans for a march at Manchester United 's final game of the season against Aston Villa a week on Sunday. Monday's statement coincided with the 20th anniversary of the Glazer family's leveraged buyout of United in May 2005 and was titled 'a legacy of ruin'. The group have not revealed details of the protest which follows a march by thousands of United fans before the game against Arsenal at Old Trafford earlier this season. The statement read: 'May 2005 marked one of the darkest days in the history of Manchester United Football Club. The Glazer family became majority shareholders, triggering a compulsory takeover that was completed on 29th June 2005. 'That moment signalled the beginning of the end for the soul and community of our once-great club - sacrificed at the altar of corporate greed. 'Sir Alex Ferguson, a staunch supporter of the Glazers then and now, masked the damage with unprecedented success on the pitch. Since his retirement, the rot beneath has been laid bare for all to see - the true cost of 20 years of financial exploitation and mismanagement. 'The club is drowning in over a billion pounds of debt (down to Glazer greed and betrayal). Our fanbase is fractured and divided (down to Glazer greed and betrayal). Our stadium neglected (down to Glazer greed and betrayal). 'Hundreds of millions have been siphoned off to service that debt - not by the Glazers, but by our club. All while the Glazers continue to pocket dividends, year after year, regardless of failure on the pitch. Old Trafford, once the Theatre of Dreams, is crumbling from decades of neglect. They've taken everything. 'Now, even Sir Jim Ratcliffe's arrival has come at the cost of hundreds of jobs, further punishing a fanbase already suffering under the Glazers' reign. Lifelong, loyal supporters are being driven away from the club they love - priced out and pushed aside. Another dagger in the heart of our footballing community. Make no mistake - this is the legacy of the Glazer family: greed, decay, and betrayal. 'Our final home game of the season is against Aston Villa. We march as one fanbase to make it clear: 20 years on, the fire still burns Red - with fury and defiance. 'We want the Glazers out of our club. They were never welcome. They are not welcome now. They will never be welcome.'
