Sports19 September, 20262 min read
Manchester United Muslim Supporters Club Demands Jim Ratcliffe Leave Over Immigration Comments
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Manchester United Muslim Supporters Club calls for co-owner Jim Ratcliffe to quit amid immigration remarks. Ratcliffe described the UK as 'on the slide' and criticized immigration levels in BBC interview.
8 outlets told this the same way.
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Ratcliffe “must go”
Manchester United’s Muslim Supporters’ Club has called for club co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe to leave the club after he told the BBC the UK is “on the slide” because of immigration and benefits.
In the BBC interview, Ratcliffe said, “Nobody’s tough enough to deal with the immigration problem,” and the group described the comments as “deeply disappointing” and “completely unacceptable.”
The BBC reported that MUMSC issued a statement of no confidence in the club’s ownership, saying “Enough is enough. It is time for change. The Glazers and Sir Jim Ratcliffe must go.”
The dispute comes as United have lost two of their first four games in the league and were knocked out of the English League Cup by Brighton in midweek, according to AP.
No confidence statement
MUMSC said Ratcliffe’s latest remarks followed his earlier apology after he said the UK had been “colonised by immigrants,” and it argued that the club’s diversity is central to its identity.
The group said, “Manchester United would not be Manchester United without them,” adding that “That diversity isn’t a weakness of Manchester United. It is part of Manchester United.”
The BBC also reported that a source familiar with the Glazer family said the majority shareholders were “horrified” by Ratcliffe’s initial remarks and saw them as showing “disregard for their ownership.”
In the same BBC account, MUMSC pointed to concerns that now extend beyond the pitch, including “higher ticket prices” and “a stadium allowed to deteriorate,” while United entered the weekend sitting 13th in the Premier League after gaining four points from their first four games.
Ownership fight widens
Ratcliffe’s comments have intensified scrutiny of United’s ownership as MUMSC linked its call for change to “years of decline, broken promises and repeated failure.” The Guardian reported that MUMSC posted a “statement of no confidence” on X and said, “Manchester United does not belong emotionally to investment funds, shareholders or billionaires.”
The Guardian also quoted Ratcliffe saying the UK was in decline from the days when it had “the greatest empire in the world,” and it included his claim that “We’re good, honest folk” but “at the moment, I think the UK is on the slide.” AP said fans protested against the current ownership before United’s 1-0 loss to Manchester City last week with a banner that read “the way you treat us is a disgrace.”