Manchester United fans force Liverpool clash to be postponed after hundreds of protestors broke into Old Trafford – smashing equipment and climbing on goals – to demand Glazers sell the club, before clashing with police outside the stadium
The game will no longer take place on Sunday as scheduled. The date for the rescheduled fixture has not yet been announced at the time of publication.
The kick-off, originally scheduled for 4.30pm, was delayed but an announcement by the club at 5.35pm confirmed that it had been called off after discussions with the police ‘due to safety and security considerations around the protest’.
The two sides named starting XIs as planned, but in the end the protest stopped the game going ahead today, however neither team made it to the ground, Manchester United players, due to leave the Lowry, were still there at 5.45 pm while Liverpool were also being held back on security grounds.
Man United fans protest against club owners
United’s involvement in the European Super League was just the latest in a long line of actions which has irked the United fanbase, leaving thousands disillusioned with their football club.
The Glazer family, along with Liverpool’s America owner John W. Henry, were said to be the driving force behind the plan which also brought in Arsenal, Tottenham and belatedly Manchester City and Chelsea. The latter pair were understood to be reluctant to put their names to the plan, and swiftly pulled out once the backlash was felt.
At the time, it was reported how television rights could well have been on the agenda of their meeting because the three sides had been agitating for a greater slice of the pie. But now experts believe the project that has sparked a ‘nuclear war’ in world football may have been on the menu.
Instead of splitting the income equally between 20 Premier League teams, Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United wanted a model similar to Spain, where Atletico Madrid, Barcelona and Real Madrid – coincidentally also founder members of the Super League get more of the cash. All six are part of the ‘dirty dozen’ of clubs now signed up.
The extraordinary meeting re-emerged as Uefa’s boss has slammed the billionaire ‘snakes’ and ‘liars’ behind the European Super League as it was revealed Boris Johnson will meet the FA, Premier League, the PFA and fans today and vowed to give the £4.3billion breakaway competition ‘the red card’ even though rebel clubs are signed up until 2046.
Earlier, a section of the crowd shouted ‘we want Glazers out’ and ‘United, United’ as they ran onto the pitch. Outside the Lowry, others chanted ‘we decide when you play’.
One protester was filmed picking up a camera tripod from a pitchside media position inside the stadium and hurling it onto the pitch.
Others tried to get down the tunnel, while another took a corner flag and some swung from the crossbar of one of the goals. Many were clutching beer bottles.
Later, television footage from inside the ground showed a smaller number of fans still inside the stadium. Some clambered over the seating to taunt stewards before police moved in.
Thousands had assembled at an organised protest outside Old Trafford against the Glazer family and their efforts to sign United up to the European Super League.
A decision on when the match will now take place will be taken by the Premier League and the two clubs.