FC United Chairman Nick Boom Calls Glazers’ Man Utd Ownership “Disgraceful”

• FC United of Manchester chairman Nick Boom called the Glazers’ ownership of Manchester United “disgraceful” on the 21st anniversary of the family’s takeover.
• Boom said he sees “very little evidence” that Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS represent a different philosophy, and that “you cannot rebuild a football club by dismantling the very culture and community that made it great”.
• FC United, formed in 2005 by fans who objected to the Glazer takeover, travel to Altrincham in the FA Cup this weekend for a tie worth up to £25,000.

The Fans Who Walked Away Say Football Has Lost Its Way

Nick Boom does not hold back when he talks about the club he used to support. The chairman of FC United of Manchester called the Glazers’ ownership of Manchester United “disgraceful”, and he said he sees “very little evidence” that Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS offer anything different.

His comments come 21 years after the Glazer family bought United and left the club with £600m of debt. A group of fans decided then to stop joining protests and form their own supporter-owned club instead. FC United now play in the Northern Premier League, and Boom believes their ethos is more important than ever.

“Our roots are Manchester United,” Boom said. “The songs, the humour, the traditions and shared history still run through FC United. But after 21 years, we have also got our own identity. We have a sense of place in North Manchester. We’re unmistakably a Manchester club.”

Priced Out and Looking for a Different Game

Boom said FC United draw Manchester United fans who have been priced out of Old Trafford, along with supporters who feel cut off from Premier League football. He said the top level of the sport has gone wrong.

“We think football, in a sense, has lost its way at the top level,” Boom said. “Football should be somewhere you can go with your friends and family, stand or sit together, with a sense of community. Somewhere you can get some decent food and drink at an affordable price, where you can have a beer on the terraces, have a sing-song and forget your troubles for a couple of hours. Fewer people are able to do that at the very top level, on the grounds of affordability and accessibility.”

His view of United’s current state is bleak. “What has happened to Manchester United is an absolute tragedy,” he said. “Yet for more than 20 years it’s been treated increasingly as a financial asset by owners who appear completely disconnected from what the club means to its supporters.” Ratcliffe has overseen two rounds of redundancies after agreeing a minority stake in December 2023 and has defended them as essential to return the club to profit. Boom was unmoved: “You cannot rebuild a football club by dismantling the very culture and community that made it great.”

Boom said the club had been pleased when the 1958 Group, who have led the recent protests at United, reached out to FC United after more than 20 years. “We’ve developed a good relationship, and while we’ve taken different paths, we’re united by a belief that Manchester United and its supporters deserve better,” he said.

Running a Supporter-Owned Club Is Not Easy

FC United know the financial strain that comes with their model. The club have a significant debt of their own. “Supporter ownership isn’t easy,” Boom said. “There’s no billionaire ready to write a cheque at the end of the month to make up any shortfalls.” He said the debt “did get out of control for a period” when the push for their own ground led to the club overextending. Broadhurst Park, which holds 4,900 and opened as the club’s home in 2015, is now “showing wear and tear”.

A profit of more than £100,000 is forecast for the current year, a £350,000 improvement. The club need an annual surplus of £200,000 to pay for work on and around the ground and to meet loan repayments. Members still do not want a front-of-shirt sponsor, but naming rights for the stadium are under discussion. A recent change of senior personnel has also led to a review of the club’s relationships with existing commercial backers.

FC United send a monthly board summary to their 1,528 adult members. A recent one covered plans to increase solar power generation at Broadhurst Park, which the club think will save up to £4,000, and a £5,000 donation from one fan. Boom is a volunteer who lives in West Yorkshire and estimates he spends 70 hours a week on club business.

An FA Cup Tie With Money Attached

On the pitch, FC United travel to Altrincham this weekend for an FA Cup fourth qualifying round tie. The winners collect £9,375 and are guaranteed at least another £15,800 for reaching the first round. The losers receive £3,125. Altrincham are in the National League play-off places, and Boom said his focus will be on football once the whistle blows.

Striker Adam Le Fondre, 39, who scored 14 goals in his one Premier League season and more than 300 in professional football, spent Tuesday lunchtime coaching a dozen academy players at the club. Eric Cantona became a co-owner of FC United in 2025. On Boxing Day the club meet Bury, another supporter-owned side now in the same league, in a game expected to draw a huge crowd to Broadhurst Park.

Michael Carrick takes Manchester United to Leeds on Sunday, hoping for a win to quieten the noise around him and the club. Boom no longer takes part in the protests he once joined, but he said the club has “enormous respect for anyone continuing to protest”.