Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe faced renewed abuse from fans during Tuesday's 3-2 Champions League win over Roma at Old Trafford, with supporters staging protests that included green and yellow balloons and tennis balls thrown onto the pitch.
The protest, which also targeted the Glazer family and director of football Jason Wilcox, saw play paused in the 21st minute as tennis balls were thrown. Fans also chanted an expletive-laden song about Ratcliffe, who has previously suggested he could walk away if the abuse reaches the level endured by the Glazers.
Protests at Old Trafford
Before kick-off, green and yellow balloons—colours associated with the anti-Glazer movement—rained down from the Stretford End. The protest came as United trailed 2-0 and faced a 10th successive game without a win, though a second-half comeback secured the victory.
Ratcliffe, who acquired a 28.94 per cent stake in United and took control of football operations in February 2024, has become a deeply unpopular figure among the fan base nearly three years into his tenure.
Ratcliffe's previous warning
In an interview with The Times last year, the 74-year-old made clear he would not tolerate the kind of abuse the Glazer family has received since their controversial takeover in 2005.
"I mean, I can put up with it for a while," Ratcliffe said. "I don't mind being unpopular because I get that nobody likes seeing Manchester United down where they are, and nobody likes the decisions we're having to make at the moment."
"If I draw a bit of the ire, I can put up with that. But I'm no different to the average person. It's not nice, particularly for friends and family. So, eventually, if it reached the extent that the Glazer family have been abused, then I'd have to say, 'Look, enough's enough guys, let somebody else do this'."
Ratcliffe added: "They can't really come to a match, the Glazers. They've retreated into the shadows a bit now, so I'm getting all the stick. We bought in and I haven't seen them since. It's, 'Thank you, Jim, you're doing a really good job'."
Reasons for fan anger
Ratcliffe's declining standing with supporters stems from decisions on and off the pitch. He has overseen several rounds of redundancies and been accused of ripping the heart out of the club, while match-going fans have been particularly aggrieved by his treatment of working-class employees at Old Trafford.
With the protests showing no signs of stopping, the question remains whether Ratcliffe will follow through on his promise to step aside if the abuse continues.
