Two arrested as hundreds of Man Utd fans protest against Glazers before Liverpool clash
United’s home fixture against The Reds came under the spotlight after thousands of fans gathered outside the stadium demanding Glazers’ acquittal and later broke into the arena, injuring a police officer in the process.
The angry fans had once again arranged a protest before last night’s fixture, and like last week, the Red Devils faithful set off flares while chanting and demanding the Glazer family to sell the club after years of mismanagement.
Although the massive police force outside the stadium did manage to restrain vandalism, concerns were raised regarding the large gathering, which flouted the country’s strict coronavirus restrictions.
“We encourage everyone to remember we are still living under restrictions due to the pandemic and have a collective responsibility to remain safe and protect one another,”
said Chris Sykes, assistant chief constable of Greater Manchester Police.
According to reports, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men arrived six hours prior to ensure smooth stadium access and brought beds into the dressing room to rest before the match.
Guests Liverpool reached Old Trafford an hour before the match on unmarked buses after the club’s official bus was blocked by protesters close to the stadium.
Apparently, the bus was on its way to pick up the squad from the hotel when protesters halted it, and Greater Manchester Police have claimed two arrests had been made shortly after.
The incident drew heavy reactions from United fans worldwide, with former defender Gary Neviile voicing his dissent over the Glazer family’s lacklustre management saying,
“Let us be clear with what we are seeing, which is effectively Manchester United turned into a prison.
“It’s a devastating image for the club and its brand around the world.”
And after United’s woeful 4-2 defeat to Liverpool, manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer added,
“Of course it disrupted us a little bit so it’s not been ideal but we had to deal with it.
“Hopefully when we let the fans in on Tuesday it’s a good atmosphere. We have waited a long time to let them in so we’re looking forward to enjoying the game together.”
On May 2nd, a similar incident took the world by storm when United fans managed to breach security and stormed the pitch. This lead to the postponement of the North-West derby to last evening as a greater policing presence was felt outside the stadium while two arrests were made for public order offenses.
Protests against the Glazer ownership soared when the club announced as one of the founding members of the controversial ESL earlier last month. But subsequent mass protests saw United withdrawing itself from the breakaway league just 48 hours after the competition was announced. Co-chairman Joel Glazer swiftly apologised for their involvement in the Super League plans and promised a meeting with the fans after the season ends.
“The owners absolutely do care about the club. They are committed in the long term.”
“We’re in a situation where all the fans want to see, the staff want to see and the owners want to see continued success – and that’s what we need to build towards.”
said Charlie Brooks, director of communications at Manchester United.
United are scheduled to host Fulham on Tuesday, and around 10,000 spectators will be allowed in the stadium for the first time in a year.
