Sir Jim Ratcliffe, co-chairman of Manchester United, allegedly entered Old Trafford through a back entrance on Sunday, ahead of the Manchester derby, amid major protests from Manchester United supporters.

Like many VIPs at Manchester United, Ratcliffe typically enters through the Stretford End tunnel at the southwest corner of the stadium. However, on the day hundreds of Manchester United fans protested against the club's ownership, Ratcliffe entered the stadium through the Sir Alex Ferguson stand area on the northwest side.

Ratcliffe was met by Manchester United's multi-project manager Josh Thompson, who has been responsible for related work since February 2024 and regularly attends Manchester United home matches.

Thompson has been a regular at Manchester United home matches since February 2024. Thompson's father, Jonathan Davie, previously served as chief executive of Ratcliffe's petrochemical business Ineos.

A witness stated that Ratcliffe arrived at the stadium approximately 50 minutes before kickoff. He was in a chauffeur-driven car and, after passing through the crowd of supporters, exited the vehicle and entered the stadium through a back door in the northwest area. Security barriers were then lowered to allow the car to enter the plaza area in front of the W2 car park.

Manchester United protesters gathered at the Bishop Blaize pub on Chester Road, approximately a five-minute walk from the stadium. In the past, Manchester United pre-match fan protests had extended to the Munich Tunnel at the Bobby Charlton stand, where the directors' box is located.

Supporters chanted slogans against Ratcliffe and the Glazer family, pointing to the club's recent intensified crackdown on ticket reselling. This action resulted in thousands of fan accounts being blocked and 166 season ticket accounts being banned for at least one year.

When Manchester United and Manchester City players emerged for kickoff on Sunday, a banner was unfurled above the player tunnel reading: "The way you treat us is a disgrace."

Avram Glazer also attended Old Trafford that day, marking his first appearance at a Manchester United match since the season opener against Arsenal in August. His brother Joel Glazer has not attended a Manchester United match at Old Trafford since Manchester United's 1-4 defeat to Barcelona in the Champions League quarter-finals in April 2019.

A Manchester United spokesman said: "We never comment on anything related to ownership changes."

Traducido por IA.

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