Club tried to prevent banner entering ground but chose to take no action once it did
In their comeback win over Crystal Palace on Sunday, Manchester United supporters presented a banner that hit out at current minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe for statements the billionaire made in February.
Before the second half began at Old Trafford, a large banner was unveiled above the tunnel reading: “MUFC proudly colonised by immigrants”. Alongside the message were images of several overseas players closely associated with the club’s modern identity, including Eric Cantona, Patrice Evra, Park Ji-sung, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro and Amad Diallo.
The display was a riposte to Ratcliffe’s recent comments in which he claimed the UK had been “colonised by immigrants”. The comments immediately drew criticism from the fanbase, media and political figures including the UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The club also immediately released a statement distancing themselves from the remarks.
A banner in the Manchester United crowd responding to comments made by Jim Ratcliffe in February. pic.twitter.com/nq8SySHQd4
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) March 1, 2026
According to sources familiar with stadium operations, United had initially hoped to prevent the banner from entering the ground. Once displayed, however, stewards chose not to intervene and no supporters were removed.
On the pitch, United’s foreign players again proved decisive as Fernandes converted a penalty before assisting Benjamin Sesko for the winning goal in a 2-1 victory over Palace.
Ratcliffe, whose company Ineos acquired a minority stake in United in 2024 and now oversees football operations, later produced a half-hearted apology over the comments, saying he was sorry that people were offended by what he said, but not actually apologising for what he said.
