Manchester United’s Muslim Supporters’ Club has called for co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe to step down after comments in a BBC interview about Britain’s decline and immigration.
In a statement posted on X, the supporters’ group said Ratcliffe’s remarks were “completely unacceptable” and issued what it described as a “statement of no confidence” in the club’s ownership. It called for both Ratcliffe and the Glazer family to leave Manchester United.
The group said the club’s players, staff, stewards, security teams and supporters came from diverse countries, cultures, ethnicities, religions and backgrounds. Manchester United, it added, would not be the same without them. The statement also said the club should not be viewed as belonging emotionally to investment funds, shareholders or billionaires.
Ratcliffe, the founder of petrochemicals company Ineos, told the BBC’s Big Boss Interview that the UK was “on the slide” from the period when, in his view, it had the world’s “greatest empire”. He attributed the country’s difficulties partly to high taxes and immigration, and criticised what he described as an environment encouraging wealthy people to leave.
The supporters’ group said it had previously challenged Ratcliffe over remarks that Britain was being “colonised by immigrants”. Ratcliffe later apologised if those comments had offended people. The group said it had hoped he had learned from that controversy, but considered his latest comments similarly disappointing.
The Guardian reported that Ratcliffe has also warned about the UK’s energy security and criticised the government’s decision not to issue further North Sea oil and gas licences. The government said it was pursuing growth and that business investment had risen over the previous two years. A spokesperson told the BBC that ministers did not expect gas-supply problems, citing the country’s diverse energy mix.
Ratcliffe has faced sustained criticism from Manchester United supporters since taking a major stake in the club. The Guardian reported that the club raised ticket prices, dismissed 450 employees and revoked 685 season tickets during a crackdown on ticket touting. Supporter groups, including the 1958, protested against those decisions. Asked whether he planned to return to the UK, Ratcliffe told the BBC: “Not at the moment, no.”