The Manchester United Muslim Supporters Club (MUMSC) has declared that co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe must leave the club following his recent remarks criticizing immigration levels in the UK. The statement, issued on Saturday, marks a significant escalation in fan discontent regarding the club’s leadership.
Ratcliffe, the billionaire founder of Ineos and one of Britain’s wealthiest individuals, made the comments during an interview with the BBC on Saturday. He argued that the UK is in decline due to a combination of high taxation and elevated immigration, stating that no one is “tough enough” to address either issue.
These remarks follow a previous controversy in February, when Ratcliffe apologized for offending people after describing the UK as having been “colonised by immigrants.” At that time, Manchester United stated that the club “prides itself” on being inclusive, while sources close to the Glazer family expressed that they were “horrified” by his initial language, viewing it as a disregard for their ownership values.
“We condemned those comments then,” MUMSC said in its latest statement of no confidence. “He subsequently apologised for his choice of language. We hoped a lesson had been learned. Clearly, it has not.” The group described Ratcliffe’s recent comments as “deeply disappointing and completely unacceptable.”
MUMSC emphasized that the diversity of players, staff, stewards, security teams, and supporters from various countries, cultures, ethnicities, and religions is central to the identity of Manchester United. “That diversity isn’t a weakness of Manchester United. It is part of Manchester United,” the statement read.
The fan group also called for the Glazer family to step down, citing broken promises, higher ticket prices, and the deterioration of Old Trafford. They noted that Ratcliffe’s arrival in 2024, when he acquired a 27.7% stake, initially offered hope for meaningful change after years of perceived decline under the Glazers.
Under Ratcliffe’s restructuring, the club has undergone 450 redundancies and overhauled senior management, including the dismissal of two managers. However, on the pitch, Manchester United sits 13th in the Premier League after collecting just four points from their first four games. They were also eliminated from the Carabao Cup on Wednesday following a 3-2 home defeat to Brighton.
“After years of decline, broken promises and repeated failure, Manchester United Muslim Supporters’ Club has lost confidence in the current ownership structure of Manchester United Football Club,” MUMSC concluded. “Enough is enough. It is time for change. The Glazers and Sir Jim Ratcliffe must go.”
Ratcliffe, who campaigned for Brexit in the 2016 EU referendum and has been a tax resident of Monaco since 2020, has faced sustained criticism from sections of the fanbase over both his business practices and public statements.
Four points from four games really puts the ownership failures in perspective. Is this really the best we can do?
The MUMSC statement is spot on. Diversity is Manchester United’s strength, not a weakness. This needs to sink in.
Interesting how Ratcliffe criticized UK immigration while being a Monaco tax resident himself. His consistency is quite questionable here.
The Glazers have had years to fix this. Rising tickets and a crumbling stadium prove they never cared about the fans.