Sir Jim Ratcliffe AXES Christmas for Man Utd

Suraj Radia

• 16 Oct 2024 15:00 BST
• 3 min read

Sir Jim Ratcliffe has continued his cost-cutting at Manchester United by axing the club’s Christmas party this year.

The INEOS CEO and United chief attracted attention this week by ending payments of more than £2 million a year for former manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who had been the club’s global ambassador since his retirement from management in 2013.

And The Athletic have claimed that, as part of measures to lower United’s expenditure, the Christmas party for club employees will be cancelled, although Erik ten Hag will seemingly be allowed to sanction a celebration for the players if he wishes.

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United’s employees tend to have a party in the lead up to the festive season in December but Ratcliffe has cancelled such plans, while also removing club credit cards from senior executives.

Ratcliffe had already risked employee harmony by slashing more than 250 jobs at the club this summer and removing free travel for United’s FA Cup final trip to Wembley in May.

Having invested in United earlier this year, Ratcliffe has been determined to lower the club’s costs, although the billionaire oversaw a spending spree of more than £200m this summer – the second-highest in the Premier League.

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The news of Ferguson’s contract being terminated led to polarising responses, with several United legends criticising the club’s treatment of their best-ever manager.

Ferguson has also been asked to stay away from the club’s dressing room – effectively breaking a tradition that has seen former United managers such as Sir Matt Busby enjoy welcomed visits to the players.

United deny that they have directly banned Ferguson from the changing room but say there is now a ‘collective understanding’ over who goes inside.

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The decision over Ferguson led to Eric Cantona describing the situation as ‘scandalous’, insisting there was a ‘lack of respect’ from United.

“Sir Alex Ferguson should be able to do anything he wants at the club until the day he dies,” the Frenchman posted on Instagram. “Such a lack of respect. It’s totally scandalous. Sir Alex Ferguson will be my boss forever! And I throw them all in a big bag of s---!”