Ratcliffe draws fan wrath as Man Utd 'costs purge' hits charity foundation

Tom Weber

• Updated: 29 Dec 2024 14:11 GMT
• 4 min read

Manchester United are set to slash their funding of the club's charitable arm, the Manchester United Foundation, according to a report.

New Red Devils co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is quickly making himself a hugely unpopular figure at Old Trafford. The INEOS billionaire acquired a stake in the club he grew up supporting this year and styled himself as the man to turn Man Utd's fortunes around.

Yet so far, Ratcliffe's investment has been nothing short of a disaster. Man Utd have failed to improve on the pitch and have invited ridicule with their bizarre personnel decisions.

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Erik ten Hag was handed a bumper new contract after leading the club to their worst-ever Premier League finish only to be sacked a few months later, while 'best-in-class' sporting director Dan Ashworth was axed after five months, the same amount of time it had initially taken them to sign him.

These ridiculous actions, which have cost the club millions, stand in stark contrast to the brutal cost-cutting regime Ratcliffe is implementing behind the scenes.

Man Utd cut charity funding

Since Ratcliffe's arrival, hundreds of Man Utd employees have been made redundant, bonus payments have been cut and funding for charitable causes has been slashed.

The disabled fans' group has seen its financial support reduced, as has the organisation maintaining relations with club legends. Notably, Ratcliffe also recently slashed the remittance provided to legendary former manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

Now, Sky News reports that Ratcliffe and company are set to inform Man Utd's charitable arm, the Manchester United Foundation, that its funding will also be cut.

The MU Foundation provides services to underprivileged and marginalised people in the local community and while club sources insist that the allocation of resources will remain 'significant,' it is another worrying development that is being widely condemned by supporters.

Fans on social media have drawn comparisons between Ratcliffe and the hated Glazers, with some suggesting that the former is quickly making himself more disliked than the club's American majority owners.

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The above-mentioned report quotes a spokesperson for the Manchester United Supporters Trust as saying: "The prospect of cuts to the charitable Foundation are another depressing example of the wrong priorities at United, cutting back on support to the community it purports to serve.

"Financial sustainability is important but instead of further investment to show ambition and go for growth, the Club is counter-productively trying to cut its way out of its problems.

"It's hard not to conclude that the negative atmosphere they're breeding is feeding its way through to the equally depressing performances on the field."