In 2005, a generation ago now, when supporters were first protesting against the pending takeover of Manchester United by the Glazer family, the approach of the football authorities was mostly to brush off their concerns. There seemed to be a sense among the blazers in the Football Association and the Premier League suits that the fans just did not really understand the mystique of a corporate takeover, or the excitements of having “investors” from America.
Glazers intend to stay and turn Manchester United into $10bn businessRead more
But football supporters are people, citizens, and they understood it very well indeed. The United protesters included corporate lawyers and accountants, and political activists who take heartfelt pride in Ma…