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Two of Manchester United’s biggest fan groups – The Red Army and the Manchester United Supporters Trust are seemingly at conflict regarding matters to do with Old Trafford.
Earlier this month, new United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe announced plans for the regeneration of Old Trafford and the surrounding area.
The ambitious regeneration programme spearheaded by the 71-year-old British businessman will also entail the development of a world-class football stadium at the heart of the project.
A task force led by Lord Sebastian Coe, former Chair of the organising committee for the 2012 London Olympics was subsequently set up to study the feasibility of the initiative.
The Oldham-born billionaire recently opened up on the Theatre of Dreams and relayed that his preference is to construct a 100,000-seater arena for the Red Devils.
After the task force was unveiled, MUST issued a statement and branded the proposed project as “a signal of real intent and ambition.”
The group also called for supporters to be given the chance to air their views and opinions. MUST promised to embark on an exercise to understand fans’ sentiments on the regeneration of Old Trafford and the surrounding area.
According to The Daily Mail, MUST launched a survey designed to gauge the priorities of United supporters by asking them what they consider important in any new or redeveloped grounds.
It appears that The Red Army are not too happy with the manner in which MUST are going about collecting the views of fans.
The newspaper relays, ” The Red Army, the group behind the atmosphere section of Old Trafford, have again clashed with the Manchester United Supporters’ Trust over the future of the club’s historic ground.”
“TRA took exception to the consultation, warning the fact it went out to ‘all and sundry’ meant ‘your view as a red who’s got a genuine, emotional and spiritual attachment to Old Trafford, could be judged as having equal weight as someone living thousands of miles away whose only attachment to our club is they watch United in their bedroom once a week.’”
The TRA were insistent that their claim was not an attack on MUST but they felt obliged to issue a response and speak up.
In turn, MUST replied in an email to its members, “It is worth reiterating that the Old Trafford taskforce will have a remit much wider than those of special interest to match-going fans.”
It looks like the crux of the disagreement between the two parties is which category of fans and their respective views should be given more weight. TRA appear to lean towards match-going supporters being given a bigger say in the matter.
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