The anti-Glazer protests at Manchester United and the rise of FC United of Manchester is a well-known story. I’ve covered the topic before myself when earlier this year I did a Q & A with Jules Spencer, one of the FC United originals, on If This Is Football.
I’m looking for someone to cover FC United regularly, but in the meantime, below the jump is an update on a recent, telling piece of media coverage. And a few great photos from Manchester, as well, courtesy of Megan van Dyck
FC United were at the center of a mini-media storm earlier this week when Brian Viner, writing in the Independent newspaper, made the big mistake of saying he did not like the anti-Glazer protesters, implying they had been proven wrong by Man United’s success on the field last season and spending this summer. He wrote that he now expected “A resounding silence, which I suppose is the nearest thing the Americans can expect to an apology.”
What he received was the opposite of silence: bombarded with emails and forced to actually check his facts, Viner at least then had the balls to write a column offering “unequivocal contrition”.
Viner did not stop there, discovering that “season-ticket prices have been hiked by 26 per cent since May 2005 and next season, season-ticket holders will not have the option to pay for cup games as well as Premiership games, but will be compelled to do so, taking the cost of most season tickets well over £1,000. Clearly, the fans are being asked to pay off the Glazers’ unwieldy mortgage, and Ferguson, as many of them see it, is complicit.”
Of course, it would have been nice if Viner had done some research before his ill-informed original comment; but on the other hand, Viner’s mea culpa is not a bad bit of publicity for the anti-Glazer cause.
Photo credits: All photos by Megan van Dyck reproduced with permission from her excellent Flickr page.
The fight for United goes on, despite what the club spin doctors might have you believe. The so called waiting list of over 14,000 is a myth and more die hard reds are being driven away to be replaced my mega store muppets. The club is perilously close to the edge and is reliant on Ferguson to keep delivering the miracles; Old Trafford will sell out most games next season, but there WILL be empty seats at some; another price hike the season after or a less successful season and the game will be up for the Glazers. If they expect us to go away – they are sadly mistaken and Gill, Charlton and yes, even Ferguson are traitors to the true United cause. One day the club will be answerable to the real supporters, unfortunately it may have to be broken before it can be fixed.