Man Utd fans demand full sale in protest against Glazer family before Villa game

By Simon Peach, PA Chief Football Writer

A group of Manchester United fans protested against the Glazer family and demanded a full sale ahead of Sunday’s match against Aston Villa.

Friday was the third, and what is expected to be final, deadline for interested parties to make offers to buy the club.

Sheikh Jassim and Sir Jim Ratcliffe both submitted offers to the Glazers, who have faced fury from United fans since their leveraged takeover in 2005.

Fan group The 1958 has led renewed protests against them for the past year and held another before Sunday’s Premier League home match against Villa.

For the love.

For the passion.

For each other.

For past generations.

For the next generation.

For United.

Today we make it count

Form behind the 58 flag & new banner.

See you down the front.

The 1958🇾🇪 pic.twitter.com/YV0QLvGPDL

— The 1958 (@The__1958) April 30, 2023

Leaving from central Manchester, the march continued on to Old Trafford as fans displayed a giant banner reading ‘Full $ale Only’.

The shutters were closed in the Munich Tunnel when protestors arrived at the ground, where chants against the Glazers were relentless.

Smoke from the flares outside rose through the concourses and filled the air inside Old Trafford as the players warmed up.

The 1958 called for an 18-minute boycott of the match – “one minute for each year the Glazers have driven our club into the ground”.

There were some visible empty seats at kick-off but Old Trafford was largely full. There were chants against the owners from the outset.