After surveying nearly 26,000 fans, The 1958 said the results showed around half of supporters were backing Ratcliffe
A planned protest against the Manchester United ownership has been put on hold after organisers said fans were too divided on whether to take action.
Supporters’ group The 1958 had arranged a march to Old Trafford ahead of United’s Premier League opener against Arsenal on 17 August.
The protest was intended to criticise not just the Glazer family, who remain majority shareholders, but also minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe. A spokesperson for the 1958 group said it was a new season but “the same old ownership issues”.
Ratcliffe now owns around 30 per cent of the club and took control of football operations in February 2024, but he has overseen a series of changes that have sparked widespread controversy.
Supporters are particularly furious about ticket pricing, which has gone up under Ineos. They say they are being forced to pay for the Glazers’ financial mistakes, and Ratcliffe is “in bed with the Glazers” and “helping keep them in charge”.
A spokesperson for The 1958 group said Ratcliffe was “a man once seen by many … as a possible saviour” but is in fact “complicit in the ongoing erosion of everything that makes our club what it is”.
However, after surveying nearly 26,000 fans, The 1958 said the results showed that fans were split in opinion over the protest, with around half backing Ratcliffe.
The group said: “With a fanbase as diverse and passionate as ours, finding the right balance isn’t always easy.
“We’ve had to consider momentum, timing, fan appetite, broader consequences of protest activity, whilst assessing how current and future decisions may impact us as fans.
“Given the current sentiment within the fanbase and particularly in light of these recent survey results, it’s clear there is no unified view on the direction of the club under Ratcliffe.”
