BATTLE LINES ARE DRAWN
Pitch invasion too easy for fans – but fight to rid club of hated Glazer family will be tougher
IT was all too easy. A barrier pushed over, a few stewards brushed past and a possibly unlocked gate walked through.
From first push to first calls of “We want Glazers out” echoing around an empty Old Trafford around two-and-a-half hours before kick-off the invasion took about a minute and met with no resistance whatsoever.
Protesters picked up the match balls and set off on dribbles towards the Stretford End.
They hugged each other, grabbed corner flags and even swung on the crossbars. From the forecourt where the yellow and green flags of Newton Heath flew, flares were ignited and the bulk of the protest ers gathered, it was 60 seconds before they were chanting in front of a startled Jamie Carragher and Geoff Shreeves in broadcaster Sky’s pitchside position.
If part one of the protest was easy, part two might be the difficult bit. Because what they want, to see the back of the Glazers, will be no such cakewalk.
For owners who have taken an estimated £1.5billion out of the club in debt, interest payments, dividends and other outgoings since 2005, there is every reason to ride out the storm.
If the Glazers were bothered at all about what happened yesterday it will be nothing to do with the passion but all to do with lost revenue.
Even then this fixture will be rearranged to be broadcast to non ‘legacy fans’ at a commercially convenient time. This was a chaotic day at Old
Trafford. With fans cavorting on the pitch in two separate incursions – the second around an hour and a quarter before the scheduled kick- off – issues surrounding contamination of the Red Zone Covid secure area always seemed likely to postpone the fixture.
It was not all goodnatured either, with bottles and flares being aimed at the Sky broadcasting position. Outside two police officers were injured, including one
Bottles and flares were aimed at the Sky position
hospitalised after sustaining a significant slash wound to his face.
At the Lowry Hotel in town Manchester United’s two coaches remained parked.
Protesters were gathered there, too, letting off their flares and their feelings as players remained inside waiting for instructions.
Over at the Hyatt, Liverpool waited before turning for home at 6pm.
At the ground referee Michael Oliver had struggled through protesters, initially having to wait outside. Inside two Liverpool kit men had to lock themselves in the away dressing room as fans marauded around the tunnel area. The banners outside made it clear that the fans have reset their sights on the owners.
“Woodward gone…. Glazers next” read one. Gary Neville, speaking on Sky, said it was a “warning” to the owners.
Everybody knows the anti-Glazer feeling has been building and the attempt to place United into the European Super League structure without consultation has clearly lit a fuse. But getting the owners to relinquish their grip on a cash cow that keeps on giving will not be done with anything but a cold eye for business.