Manchester United Muslim Fan Group Calls for Co-Owner Jim Ratcliffe to Leave

The Manchester United Muslim Supporters Club (MUMSC) has called for club co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe to step down, citing recent remarks he made regarding immigration levels and the state of the country.

In an interview with the BBC on Saturday, Ratcliffe, who is also the founder of petrochemical giant Ineos, stated that the United Kingdom was in decline due to a combination of high taxes and immigration. This is not the first time Ratcliffe has faced criticism for his language; he previously apologized in February for saying the UK had been "colonised by immigrants."

"We condemned those comments then," the MUMSC said in a statement of no confidence in the club's ownership. "He [Ratcliffe] subsequently apologized for his choice of language. We hoped a lesson had been learned. Clearly, it has not."

The group expressed disappointment and found Ratcliffe's latest comments, which again centered on immigration and benefit recipients as key issues contributing to Britain's problems, to be "completely unacceptable."

Ratcliffe, who supported the Leave campaign in the 2016 EU referendum and has been a tax resident in Monaco since 2020, acquired a 27.7% stake in Manchester United in 2024. His tenure has already seen significant organizational changes, including approximately 450 redundancies, a revamp of senior management, and the dismissal of two managers.

The MUMSC highlighted the diverse backgrounds of Manchester United's players, staff, and supporters, emphasizing that this diversity is a strength for the club. "Manchester United would not be Manchester United without them. That diversity isn't a weakness of Manchester United. It is part of Manchester United."

The statement also extended the group's call for the Glazer family, the club's majority shareholders, to depart. The MUMSC had initially hoped Ratcliffe's arrival would bring meaningful change after what they perceived as a period of decline under the Glazers, but their concerns have expanded beyond on-pitch performance to include higher ticket prices, a deteriorating stadium, and the team's continued struggles.

Manchester United currently sits 13th in the Premier League after a mixed start to the season, which also saw them eliminated from the Carabao Cup.

"After years of decline, broken promises and repeated failure, Manchester United Muslim Supporters' Club has lost confidence in the current ownership structure of Manchester United Football Club," the MUMSC concluded. "Enough is enough. It is time for change. The Glazers and Sir Jim Ratcliffe must go."