M.U.S.T - The official independent Manchester United Supporters Trust. We are dedicated to securing meaningful ownership & influence of MUFC for supporters
MUST MEETING WITH SIR JIM RATCLIFFE TODAY
We’re pleased to report that today members of the MUST Board held our first bilateral meeting with Sir Jim Ratcliffe to discuss his plans for the club.
MUST welcomes the Club’s announcement that the whole of the Stretford End will be restored to traditional fans from August 2024, with Execs relocated. We have long called for this and it was a key ask in our open letter in 2018.
So today the Glazers pay themselves the lion's share of an £11m dividend at the end of one of the worst seasons in living memory. Reward for failure is poor practice in any business, and totally unacceptable given the current state of things at United.
Every Manchester United fan will be heartbroken to learn of the death of Sir Bobby Charlton, one of the greatest legends ever to wear the red shirt. Perhaps more than any other player, Sir Bobby represented a lineage from the history and heritage of our club until the present day
MUST today met with the Prime Minister
@BorisJohnson
and Secretary of State
@OliverDowden
We told them football has never been so united and decisive action is needed to halt the Superleague proposals.
Overwhelming majority of United fans want to see a conclusion to this protracted sale process with the majority supporting a full sale - at least based on our soundings.
Protest planned on Tuesday to make that message clear
DON’T FEED GLAZER GREED!
The 1958 will have a presence at the megastore on Tuesday.
A legal protest from 9:45am. Be there!
Bring your anti Glazer flags and banners!
Be loud, be visual. We don’t stop until they sell our club!
#GlazersOut
#BoycottAdidas
This article is nonsense. MUST is promoting the 1958-organised protest on Monday to our members. Where we are sceptical is how effective a walk-out will be - and
@The__1958
have expressed similar scepticism about that too.
Our thoughts tonight are with one of our founding members, Steve Donoghue, and all his family and many friends. Steve has Coronavirus and is fighting for his life in intensive care. Many will know Steve by sight if not personally. Keep battling pal - we're all with you
We want owners who have the same priorities as supporters. That’s what we have always had as our primary objective and clearly that requires current owners to sell so
#GlazersOut
is nothing new for us - but how that is achieved is key and there are different tactical approaches
Heading to Old Trafford tonight?
Come to MUST stall outside 18 Sir Matt Busby Way from 3.30pm to pick up a handful of protest cards to take into the ground.
Or if you want to volunteer to help hand them out even better.
#MUFC
#MUNFUL
3/ The message we want to hear from the owners is that they are putting in place the Fan Share Scheme which will begin the transfer of ownership to the real supporters of our club - the people who have it’s best interests at heart.”
Avram Glazer takes advantage of the opportunity provided by
@sallylockwood
of
@SkyNews
to "improve" lines of communication with
#MUFC
fans, as promised by his brother.
So pleased to hear that Harry Gregg has been recognised with an OBE. He's been a patron of MUST for many years and we're so proud of that and so happy for him and his family and
@HarryGreggF
for all the great work they do
We are hearing that a statement may be imminent regarding potential sale (full or partial) of Manchester United
This is relating to this story:
We will comment further in due course
@The__1958
and
@MU_ST
should really be joining forces. Both are working towards better outcomes for the fans and both want the club to return to it's place at the top of the footballing pyramid. Only United can we possibly achieve this.
#GlazersOut
We note the speculation tonight that Sheikh Jassim has withdrawn from the process to buy the club. We understand this news to be far more reliable than the vast majority of the other commentary around the sale of Manchester United.
It seems
#MUFC
has lost a new £200m sponsorship deal for their training kit by Manchester-based The Hut Group (THG) following Boycott threats by anonymous anti-Glazer campaigners. By
@JamieJackson___
of
@guardiansport
in today's Observer.
Probably just the journalist not understanding the difference between
#EmptyOldTrafford
and
@The__1958
- everyone is aligned on wanting a better solution for United
Fans back at Old Trafford on Tuesday for the first time in more than 14 months exercising their right to protest peacefully at
#MUFC
's ownership. (2/4)
Everyone at Manchester United sends our heartfelt condolences to Sir Alex Ferguson and his family on the passing of Lady Cathy.
Lady Cathy was a beloved wife, mother, sister, grandmother and great-grandmother, and a tower of strength for Sir Alex throughout his career.
2/ Ultimately Joel’s silence since 2005 says more than this message.
We cannot just carry on as if nothing has happened. This is a watershed moment and we need to see genuine change as a result.
From
@Munich58couk
- February 2023: Old Trafford Memorial Event
There will be a fan’s memorial event on 6th February under the Munich Plaque starting at around 2:40. We also plan to hold an event on 4th before the Palace game, starting at 1:30.
Change is coming. Whether it is direct demands of the Glazer family to relinquish control of shares or the government review which may well force them to, fans need to be ready.
Join us. It is free to join as a Lite member here:
#MUFC
Tonight Manchester United announced, as part of the quarterly earnings report, that in a break with established precedent, it will not be paying a dividend to shareholders for the first time since dividends commenced in 2015.
1/ This last week there has been much talk of share sales, possible bidders and continued protest. In response to speculation over the ownership MUST posted the statement below:
"Speculation is mounting about a potential change of ownership or new investors at Manchester United.
Sir Jim was accompanied by Sir Dave Brailsford, Jean-Claude Blanc and senior club officials, and we had more than an hour’s discussion about where the club is at and what needs to happen to restore United back to the top.
With INEOS (led by Sir Jim Ratcliffe) confirming they will bid for
@ManUtd
, we remind him what over 100 supporter orgs are looking for from new owners. CEO Richard Arnold said "fans will be integral...under any ownership model". This letter is what that looks like.
#MUFC
2/ While actions speak louder than words we were struck by the strength of commitment from the Prime Minister who said whilst he is a staunch free marketeer "this proposal itself is anti-competitive and we should drop a legislative bomb to stop it - and we should do it now."
1/ We went on to explain to the Prime Minister that when the Superleague is stopped we need to find a permanent solution to the ownership conflict which is at the heart of these recurring moves to grab more cash and power for club owners.
3/ He also promised that the football governance review being led by
@tracey_crouch
will be swift and look at issues such as Supporters owning shares in their club, supporters on Boards, and 50+1. It was encouraging to hear that the Government wants change.
But most fans agree that the signals INEOS has sent in the last few weeks are encouraging. Continuing that dialogue on your behalf, to promote supporters interests, is number one priority for MUST in the months and years ahead.
It's not acceptable for loyal match-going fans to be denied watching their team live this season without resorting to illegal overseas streaming.
@premierleague
meet tomorrow and need to take the right decision.
@MU_ST
has asked
@ManUtd
to back this.
#LetUsWatch
@WeAreTheFSA
5/ There is a united mood on this matter in political circles and we hope to see cross-party support for decisive action now followed by real reform of the ownership and governance of our clubs
A fan posts the below & MUST liked the post to acknowledge it - but deliberately avoided retweeting to avoid sending trolls onto his timeline. Sadly they did anyway & he's now locked his account. This is toxic stuff dividing our fanbase - all groups agree on this. Move on
#Unity
Many congratulations to
@the_mmmf
, a fans' group umbrella we are proud to be part of, in securing
#MUFC
's agreement for permanent recognition of Jimmy Murphy within Old Trafford's footprint.
@TraMufc
@MUFCduncan6
@utdsbiglily
Full ongoing story at
3/ We will be making this point, and demanding answers, in our direct meetings as well as through our representatives on the Fans' Advisory Board and Fans' Forum.
Any UK citizen can do this so get your friends and relatives to support - only takes 1 minute!
We're up to 30k - let's push on for 100k by the end of this week.
#mufc
Petition: Enforce the “50+1” Rule for professional football club ownership in the UK
1/ Both on the playing field and in the stadium, Manchester United is a club in dire need of investment. To see more money going out of the door to the owners whilst, so far this summer, seeing nothing invested into new players, is little more than an insult.
4/ MUST will also be meeting shortly with
@Keir_Starmer
together with
@JoStevensLabour
who have been vociferous both in their opposition to the ESL and their backing for fans.
MUST will have protest cards available to collect from 18 Sir Matt Busby way from 3.30pm until kick off.
Come and collect a bundle to hand out outside and/or hold up inside the stadium.
#MUFC
#MUNFUL
2/ MUST is advocating and pursuing a strategy of engagement with the Club and its owners, to get a stronger voice for fans, but this payment is indefensible.
The money taken out of Man Utd to service the debt foisted on the operation by the Glazers could have allowed every season ticket holder to watch every single match for free over the past 18 years and still the club would have made a profit. And the debt is still there.
MUST has launched our manifesto which properly sets out, for the first time, who we are & what we do. Our mission is to build a future for Manchester United where views, needs, priorities & interests of all supporters are central to the running of the club
Thank you for your support
@ChelseaSTrust
Cutting away allocations at any time needs to be resisted but this decision at short notice and after tickets have been sold to travelling fans is farcical and we agree it sets a dangerous precedent.
KO announced with 15 days notice & away allocation reduced.
This confirms that as long as the game can be broadcast, supporters are disposable - this is an insult & sets a dangerous precedent.
We stand with
@MU_ST
and the 624 supporters who will have their tickets cancelled.
68,516 signatures - closing in on the 100k target which triggers Govt debate
Petition: Enforce the “50+1” Rule for professional football club ownership in the UK
#mufc
First things first, it was very refreshing that he was even willing to have the conversation at this early stage. Remember the ‘deal’ has yet to receive Premier League approval, and nor has he bought the non-Glazer-owned shares or invested the $300m in new shares.
1/ “Let’s be honest this isn’t about the message that skilled advisers cobble together for Joel. We all know until they felt forced to withdraw they were determined to proceed with their Super League project regardless of opposition.
Government announces panel for fan-led review of football
MUST is preparing evidence for submission to the review
Fan share ownership is an essential outcome alongside other immediate powers that will shift the balance of power from owners to fans
#mufc
His main message was that everything at United needs to be ruthlessly focussed on creating winning teams on the field – something we are sure all fans will agree on.
Fundraiser to assist with costs for legal advice/representation for fans arrested following the protests before the Liverpool match in May is now live.
Please share it:
Morning. Just a reminder, if you're heading to Old Trafford for the match, we'll be collecting foodbank donations (non-perishable items or cash) before kick off today (and every home game) at The MUST Stall, 18 Sir Matt Busby Way.
Thanks for your support, please RT
#MUFC
1/ Removal of Compulsory Automatic Cup Scheme - At Last!
Removal of Compulsory Automatic Cup Scheme - At Last!
A big win on one of our longest standing campaigns
The Compulsory Automatic Cup Scheme is no more
At the commencement of the sale process, MUST was very clear about our list of asks for any new owner of Manchester United. That list is here:
Any bid will be judged against these criteria, but with real bids now coming in further considerations arise.
"Manchester United fans boycotting club’s sponsors would hit the Glazers where it hurts."
@TheAthleticUK
's
@AdamCrafton_
and
@lauriewhitwell
on the potential impact of possible boycotts of
#MUFC
's already disgrutled sponsors.
Heading to Old Trafford tonight?
Come to MUST stall outside 18 Sir Matt Busby Way from 3.30pm to pick up a handful of protest cards to take into the ground.
Or if you want to volunteer to help hand them out even better.
#MUFC
#MUNFUL
He also expressed the view that he views our club as a ‘community asset’ and stressed that his purpose in taking a share in United is not to make money.
To reiterate an earlier tweet by
@ISLO_MUST
, unity is key if we are going to win this. Snipping from the sidelines just doesn’t help us at all. There will always be differences in opinion but we should be United in our overall aim.
2/ We are now considering legal action against
@metpoliceuk
on behalf of our fans affected by this decision to reduce our allocation after tickets have been sold to fans in good faith, many of whom will have booked travel.
Just to review what happened.
As we at MUST raise a glass in honour of our much loved friend & colleague a year on from his passing.
We see fit to honour his memory by changing our profile to mark this occasion.