Manchester United Muslim supporters group calls for Sir Jim Ratcliffe to quit

Manchester United Muslim Supporters’ Club has called for co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe to step down after he described Britain as a country “on the slide” from the era when it had “the greatest empire in the world”.

MUMSC branded Ratcliffe’s comments “completely unacceptable” and declared that it had lost confidence in United’s ownership structure, also demanding the departure of the Glazer family.

Earlier comments deepen existing supporter tensions

The intervention follows an earlier row over Ratcliffe’s public comments about immigration. Seven months ago, he told Sky News that Britain was being “colonised by immigrants”, before saying he was sorry if the remark had “offended some people”.

MUMSC challenged those comments at the time and said it had hoped that a lesson would be learned. The group now believes Ratcliffe’s latest interview demonstrates otherwise.

The ownership has also faced supporter opposition over club policy. A ticket-touting crackdown during the summer resulted in 685 season tickets being revoked and prompted protests from fan groups including The 1958.

The Guardian states that Ratcliffe had already become fiercely unpopular with sections of the Old Trafford support following ticket-price increases and the dismissal of 450 club employees.

MUMSC delivers its no-confidence verdict

MUMSC described its latest declaration as a “statement of no confidence”, with the organisation stressing the importance of different communities to United’s identity.

The group said: “Our players, staff, stewards, security teams and supporters come from different countries, cultures, ethnicities, religions and backgrounds. Manchester United would not be Manchester United without them.”

It added that United “does not belong emotionally to investment funds, shareholders or billionaires”, before directly challenging both principal ownership parties.

“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,” the statement continued.

MUMSC concluded: “Enough is enough. It is time for change. The Glazers and Sir Jim Ratcliffe must go.”

The supporters’ organisation specifically criticised Ratcliffe for placing immigration and benefit recipients at the centre of his explanation for Britain’s difficulties, as well as arguing that politicians were not tough enough to address either issue.

Ratcliffe’s views on Britain, wealth and taxation

Ratcliffe founded the petrochemicals company Ineos and has lived in Monaco, which has a relaxed tax regime, since 2020. He used his BBC interview to criticise taxation, immigration, energy policy and the direction of the country.

“We had the greatest empire in the world. We were a great people. We won two world wars. We’re good, honest folk,” Ratcliffe said.

He continued: “But unfortunately, at the moment, I think the UK is on the slide. It’s quite difficult to see how we arrest it.”

The billionaire also argued that Britain had developed “a bit of a green eye towards wealth”, claiming that the country’s tax environment was encouraging wealthy people to relocate. By contrast, he said the United States applauded those who created wealth and benefited when they spent it within the domestic economy.

Ratcliffe separately attacked the government’s approach to North Sea oil and gas, warning that Britain’s reliance on imported energy created a risk of shortages during an especially cold winter. The government responded that it was confident in the country’s security of supply and pointed to a diverse energy mix.

Asked whether he intended to return to Britain, Ratcliffe replied: “Not at the moment, no. I don’t see growth being tackled.” He also called for politicians willing to make difficult decisions which were good for the country rather than their parties.

MUMSC’s demand represents another direct challenge to Ratcliffe’s position from within United’s fanbase.

Final Thoughts

• MUMSC has called for Ratcliffe and the Glazers to leave United.
• The group labelled Ratcliffe’s latest comments “completely unacceptable”.
• Ratcliffe said Britain was “on the slide” during a BBC interview.
• The dispute follows earlier supporter tensions over tickets and staff cuts.

Featured image by Jess Hornby via Getty Images