COLLISION COURSE
● United threaten to ban supporters who broke law ● Disaffected fans ready for new protests
MANCHESTER UNITED have ramped up tensions with disaffected fans by insisting they will ban those who broke the law in Sunday’s protest. Fan groups say they cannot rule out further protests at next Wednesday’s home match against Leicester because they feel so “sidelined and ignored”. On Sunday
two major security breaches, with two injured police officers and criminal damage inside the ground resulted in the postponement of the Liverpool game.
Although most fans protested peacefully against the Glazers after their involvement in attempts to form a breakaway European Super League, United said yesterday they will hit back by trying to identify season-ticket holders on CCTV and imposing sanctions.
“The majority of our fans condemn criminal damage, along with any violence towards club staff, police or other fans and these now become a police matter,” United said in a statement.
“The club has no desire to see peaceful protesters punished but will work with the police to identify those involved in criminal activity. The club will issue sanctions to any season-ticket holder or member identified.”
Fans’ groups are understood to be contemplating further protests at the fixture against Leicester.
A Manchester United Supporters’ Trust open letter hinted that another protest could happen. It read: “No one wants what happened at Old Trafford yesterday to be a regular event.We don’t want to spend our days off work protesting outside our football ground.
“What happened was the culmination of 16 years in which your family’s ownership has driven us into debt and decline, and we have felt ever more sidelined and ignored.”
United defended the approach to security at Sunday’s game, saying they attempted to keep tensions low with light-touch security.