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Under the Glazer reign, Manchester United fans complained of a lack of connection between the owners and the fans.
Last December, Sir Jim Ratcliffe completed a 25% stake purchase of the club and INEOS Sport assumed control over football operations.
As a boyhood United fan, Ratcliffe has sought to restructure its foundations.
A key part of this notion is the rejuvination of a positive relationship between the fans and the club.
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Manchester United Hierarchy meet 1958 Group
Recently, United’s chief operating officer Collette Roche and director of fan engagement Rick McGagh held talks with the 1958 fan group.
The group revealed that the outcome of this meeting was positive and that they wish to have similar talks with the club’s hierarchy in the future.
‘We want the club to engage with us on a regular basis. They have listened and our meeting was a very important step forward,’ they announced.
The details of the conversation were not revealed, but face-to-face engagement with fans is a massive step forward for United.
‘Being UNITED on and off the pitch is vital so that the fans have a stronger voice. This will make FC58 the largest, truly independent united fan coalition on the planet.
‘We are ambitious, we have big plans, we will make this a success,’ they said.
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Controversial Beliefs
The 1958 Group are an underground fan committee with some contentious views on United.
Namely, they strongly believe that the Glazer family should sell the rest of their stake in the club, that Erik ten Hag should remain as manager, and that Old Trafford should be preserved.
However, all of their core beliefs could juxtapose Sir Jim’s approach to running the club.
Firstly, he was content with only purchasing a minority stake in the club, as opposed to a 100% take over, meaning that he may not want the Glazers gone.
He has also held talks with other managers, such as Xabi Alonso and Thomas Tuchel, to replace Ten Hag, as he may look to sack the Dutchman.
Lastly, Sir Jim plans to knock down Old Trafford and replace it with a £2billion ‘Wembley of the North’.
However, rather than turning a blind eye to people who disagree with their future approach, United are willing to engage with and hear the opinions of those who are most important to the club – the fans.
Although their beliefs are not synonymous at the moment, this is a monumental step forward.
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