Whilst watching Manchester United at home this season, I noticed a couple of things: 1) The amount of Green and Gold is starting to deteriorate, and 2) the majority of those still sporting the ‘anti Glazer’ merchandise don’t seem to understand quite what it represents.
Towards the end of last season, especially in the bigger games, Old Trafford looked more like Carrow Road than the Theatre of Dreams. The colourful attire was accompanied by some lyrically brutal songs aimed at the clubs owners, and protests were happening all along Sir Matt Busby Way. The aim, of course, was to persuade fans to join the Red Knight’s plight: Boycott the start of games, stop buying merchandise and consequently force Malcolm Glazer out of pocket and out of Manchester.
For the time being, though, quite the opposite seems to be happening. Old Trafford, despite managing to sell out yet this season, still sees fans flock to the stadium from all over the country, with the majority proudly wearing the clubs merchandise. I am not for one minute condemning such fans. Although the ones who accompany their brand new United shirt, hat and badge with a green and gold scarf, seem to have become lost in translation.
The green and gold colours are meant to represent the club before it became Manchester United, and thus before they were owned by certain American businessmen. It was to mark a signal of intent: take the club back to its roots before it becomes no longer financially viable for the club to operate. In reality what has started to happen is the colours seem to have been adopted as a fashionable new addition to the winter wardrobe, for a section of the Old Trafford faithful at least.
Hearing the financial jargon often associated with such articles is enough to send anyone to sleep. But the simple message the anti Glazer brigade are trying to send out to fans is that any merchandise bought with the United logo on will inevitably end up in Mr. Glazer’s rather expensive Armani suit pocket. What was it the Stretford End used to sing? ‘We won’t buy Nike or Vodaphone’ back when they were sponsors, of course.
Despite the club being in millions of pounds of debt and struggling to pay back any incurred interest, United’s owners are personally doing pretty well out of the deal. Why wouldn’t they be? Not one part of the loan is secured against any of the Glazer family personally, and if fans are still going to pay the ever increasing ticket prices and buy the new shirt, (which rumour has it will now be changing every season) their own financial future seems pretty stable. Who cares if there is a bit of green and gold around?
The next time United entertain at home I’m sure we will all hear the anti-Glazer chants chorusing around Old Trafford as passionately as ever. Emotions run high whenever Malcolm and co. are mentioned, but as long as fans are still happy to plough money into the club, the ‘green and gold until United are sold’ fight seems like it’s losing its edge.
Written By James Ireson
