Manchester United owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has been strongly criticised for his most recent cost-cutting measure.
Having made the controversial decisions to axe Sir Alex Ferguson from his ambassadorial role, hike ticket prices by £26 and make 250 staff redundant, we regret to inform you that Sir Jim is at it again.
This time a group of club legends have been impacted by Ratcliffe’s attempts to save some money.
The Association of Former Manchester United Players (AFMUP) – with around 300 members – has received £40,000 annually from the club to help support players from previous eras before the wealth of the Premier League.
United donated £40,000 each year so that the trust could support players from previous eras before the wealth of the Premier League.
AFMUP trustee and former United youth team and reserve player Jim Elms says the non-profit charity has not received the last two quarterly payments of £10k.
He told The Sun: “We sent a letter to say we’ve not been paid. Nobody came out and told us so we had to send another letter. That’s when we started hearing things that it was going to be the end of us.”
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Elms was then informed by chief executive Omar Berrada in the days before Christmas that the funding has been cut.
“Omar was non-committal. He’s going to meet us again in January but he said he couldn’t see it changing,” he added.
“He didn’t seem to think that we were a necessity.”
He continued: “We’ve ran it since 1985. Keeping the old players together. Looking after the ones that couldn’t pay for funerals. I just can’t understand them myself. It’s ridiculous.
“We give away around £10-20,000 to charity, mostly children’s charities in the local area.
“We’ve had £20,000 this year but not the rest of it.”
Ratcliffe has rightly been criticised by talkSPORT host Angelina Kelly, who tore into the British billionaire.
Kelly said: “This is an organisation that helps a lot of ex-footballers who weren’t maybe earning the type of money that you see footballers earning now.
“They also help with things like funding funerals for former players whose families maybe can’t afford it.
“They actually have these events a Old Trafford – they rent the space and pay for it, they also donate to children’s charities, so, again, from a PR perspective, it’s disgusting really when you look at it and the way all this has been handled is just horrendous.
“£40,000 is a drop in the ocean when you’ve got players on £350,000-a-week, it’s just so so disappointing!”
Her talkSPORT colleagues Natalie Sawyer and Tony Cascarino agreed. The former added: “They’re stripping the soul out really from the fans.
“Even then they’re trying to price them out with some of the ridiculous ticket charges, it’s unbelievable!”
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