Yesterday’s match between Liverpool and Manchester United, currently at 7th and 2nd place in the Premier League, respectively, was scheduled to kick off at 16:30, but had to be postponed due to fan protests.
Two officers are reported to have been injured in violent clashes with United fans who had been protesting on the forecourt, with those who had made it into the stadium itself having already been evicted. Greater Manchester Police also included in their statement that one officer was ‘attacked with a bottle and sustain[ed] a significant slash wound to his face requiring emergency hospital treatment."
A full investigation is now taking place.
The protests began as part of an ongoing campaign against the Glazer family, an American family who took over the club in 2005. The recent collapse of the European Super League, which Manchester United tried to join, has brought the diverging interests of the club owners and its fans into a sharp spotlight. Manchester United Supporters Trust (MUST) declared that today’s protests were "the culmination of 16 years since the Glazer family's acquisition of the club" and that it had "zero trust in the owners."
Fans, unsurprisingly, have described the events as “pandemonium.” However, many would agree that regardless of its execution, the protest certainly sent a powerful message of defiance against “greedy” club owners. Avid Liverpool supporter, Sami, noted that the fans of different clubs have “put aside their rivalries to band together into one cohesive group: fans of English football.”
