A MANCHESTER UNITED fan group has cancelled a scheduled protest against the club’s ownership due to split opinion.
The 1958 had organised a march to Old Trafford on Sunday before United’s Premier League opener against Arsenal to demonstrate against minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
Ratcliffe’s recent and unpopular policies, such as mass redundancies, failed signings and stadium plans, have sparked frustration within Man Utd’s fan base.
However, the protest had to be postponed after a survey found the supporters divided regarding the Ineos chief’s handling since 2024 when he took over sporting operations.
Almost 63 per cent of the near 26,000 respondents said Sir Jim should be held to account for his decisions so far by means of a protest.
However, 68 per cent also believe the billionaire businessman and Ineos should be given more time.
The 1958 issued the following statement: “Jim Ratcliffe chose to get into bed with the Glazers and, in our opinion, is helping keep them in charge.
“With a fanbase as diverse and passionate as ours, finding the right balance isn’t always easy.
“We’ve had to consider momentum, timing, fan appetite, broader consequences of protest activity whilst assessing how current and future decisions may impact us as fans
“Given the current sentiment within the fanbase and particularly in light of these recent survey results, it’s clear there is no unified view on the direction of the club under Ratcliffe.
“That split is real, and we believe it would be irresponsible to risk creating a situation that could result in any ‘red on red’ conflict inside or outside the stadium.”
This comes after United’s worst ever Premier League campaign that saw them finishing 15th last season.
However, the Red Devils have completed some impressive signings this summer with the likes of Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko joining Ruben Amorim’s squad.
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