United Fans To Wear Black In Anti-Glazer Protest Before Arsenal Clash

Manchester United fans are set to make a stark statement this Sunday, with The 1958 supporters’ group urging match-goers to wear black for the Premier League showdown against Arsenal at Old Trafford, symbolising a club they claim is “slowly dying” under the Glazer family’s ownership.

The call comes amid mounting frustration over United’s direction, both on and off the pitch, as financial strains deepen and a wretched season unfolds.

Last September, United posted a £113 million net loss for 2023-24, with February figures revealing a £14.5 million payout to sacked manager Erik ten Hag, his staff, and ex-sporting director Dan Ashworth. Debt interest payments hit £18.8 million over six months.

Since Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS group took a 27.7% stake last February, cost-cutting has bitten hard—ticket prices are now a flat £66, regardless of age, and redundancies have rolled out in waves. “The club is slowly dying before our eyes, on and off the pitch and the blame lies squarely at the current ownership model,” The 1958’s Steve Crompton said in Tuesday’s release. “The club is facing financial armageddon. Debt is the road to ruin. Sir Matt Busby would be turning in his grave at the current plight of one of the world’s greatest football institutions which is being brought to its knees and in many ways becoming a laughing stock.”

Ruben Amorim’s October arrival hasn’t stemmed the tide—Sunday’s FA Cup exit to Fulham on penalties only sharpened the gloom. “The club is going backwards and it’s likely to get even worse,” the group’s statement added. “We urge fans to rise up, unite and join us at 3 p.m. on Sunday as we march to the ground and protest against the despised Glazers and the club’s deliberate assault on fan culture.”

The Glazers’ 2005 leveraged buyout saddled United—a once debt-free giant—with over £500 million in debt, igniting fan fury that’s burned ever since.

It’s the second straight week of protests, following last Sunday’s ticket price backlash against Fulham alongside the Football Supporters Association.