Manchester United Muslim Supporters’ Club Calls for Ratcliffe Exit
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has drawn a renewed backlash from Manchester United supporters after returning to immigration and welfare in remarks made during a BBC appearance, prompting the Manchester United Muslim Supporters’ Club to declare that it has no confidence in the club’s current ownership structure.
The 73-year-old INEOS chief had apologised in February after saying that Britain had been “colonised by immigrants”, describing it later as a poor choice of words. However, his latest comments, made on the BBC programme Big Boss, have reignited the dispute. Ratcliffe spoke of Britain’s former empire and its role in both world wars before arguing that the country was declining and that political leaders were unwilling to address immigration or the benefits system.
He said Britain had once been a great nation but that he could not easily see how its present decline would be stopped. Ratcliffe added that somebody would need to take a firmer approach to both immigration and benefit payments.
The Manchester United Muslim Supporters’ Club responded with a statement of around 750 words, stressing that the club’s identity has been shaped by people from across the world. It pointed to the range of nationalities, cultures, faiths and backgrounds among United’s players, employees, matchday staff and supporters, arguing that this mix is fundamental rather than a weakness.
The group said Manchester United’s emotional ownership rests with the generations of fans who have supported the club through their families, rather than with shareholders, investment vehicles or wealthy individuals. Its statement described United as one club despite differing beliefs, politics and backgrounds.
Supporters call for ownership change
MUMSC said Ratcliffe’s new comments were especially disappointing given his earlier apology. The group said it had challenged him publicly after the “colonised” remark and had hoped he would learn from the reaction. Instead, it said, he had again made immigration and benefit claimants central to his account of Britain’s problems, which it called unacceptable.
The supporters’ club went further in its assessment of United’s leadership, saying the issue extended beyond a single result, manager or campaign. It cited years of decline, unfulfilled commitments and failure, before calling for both the Glazer family and Ratcliffe to leave the club.
The row comes during another difficult period on the field for Michael Carrick’s team. United have already lost twice in the Premier League and were eliminated from the Carabao Cup by Brighton earlier this week.
It also follows a protest before United’s 1-0 derby defeat to Manchester City, when supporters displayed a banner criticising the way they had been treated by the ownership. MUMSC’s intervention underlines the growing frustration among sections of the fanbase, with criticism now focused not only on results but also on the direction and values represented by the club’s leadership.
