Manchester United’s owners have never had a reputation for looking after their own.
| Date | Competition | Round | H/A | Opponent | Result | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22/08/2026 | Premier League | Matchweek 1 | A | Hull City | L | 0-2 |
| 30/08/2026 | Premier League | Matchweek 2 | H | Ipswich | W | 5-2 |
| 06/09/2026 | Premier League | Matchweek 3 | A | Everton | D | 2-2 |
| 13/09/2026 | Premier League | Matchweek 4 | H | Manchester City | L | 0-1 |
| 20/09/2026 | Premier League | Matchweek 5 | A | Fulham | D | 1-1 |
| 10/10/2026 | Premier League | Matchweek 6 | H | Tottenham | D | 1-1 |
| 18/10/2026 | Premier League | Matchweek 7 | A | Leeds | D | 1-1 |
| 25/10/2026 | Premier League | Matchweek 8 | H | Bournemouth | L | 0-3 |
| 31/10/2026 | Premier League | Matchweek 9 | A | Chelsea | L | 0-2 |
| 08/11/2026 | Premier League | Matchweek 10 | H | Aston Villa | D | 4-4 |
| 16/09/2026 | League Cup | Round of 32 | H | Brighton | L | 2-3 |
| 13/10/2026 | UEFA Champions League | League Stage – 2 | A | Atletico Madrid | L | 0-2 |
| 21/10/2026 | UEFA Champions League | League Stage – 3 | A | Como | L | 1-4 |
| 03/11/2026 | UEFA Champions League | League Stage – 4 | H | AS Roma | W | 3-2 |
| 10/09/2026 | UEFA Champions League | League Stage – 1 | H | Sabah FA | W | 4-0 |
Cuts
This has been particularly evident since Sir Jim Ratcliffe took over the running of the football operations.
Since they have taken power, there have been numerous cost-cutting initiatives and staff cuts put into place.
Former players and associations have also suffered, as seen two years ago when he cut a £40,000 donation to the AFMUP charity, which has been helping ex-United players since 1985.
Another blow
The Daily Mail reports that, “last week organisers were informed at the last minute that the second of its two annual dinners couldn’t be staged as usual in the Manchester Suite at Old Trafford and would have to move elsewhere.”
Sir Alex Ferguson’s 40th anniversary party was being held in the Heritage Suite on Friday night, so as a result, “the AFMUP had to rely on Hotel Football – part-owned by Gary Neville and the Class of ’92 – coming to the rescue to host their event over the road 24 hours earlier.”
Those connected to the association now fear that they will never be allowed to use Old Trafford again, as the club are now insisting that there needs to be a total of 400 guests, which is double what the charity can provide.
“Previously, the AFMUP gave half of the £40,000 donation back to the club to hire the suite in April and September, raising additional funds through ticket sales and auctions.”
Director of football Jason Wilcox gave a rare on-stage interview last September at one such event.
In addition, Bryan Robson and Steve Bruce formed a double act at the main event this April.
The paper also reports that the AFMUP’s official filmmaker and publicist, John Gubba, spoke about the latest setback on his Man Utd The Religion YouTube channel.
He claimed, “while the red carpet is being rolled out for Fergie, the club have been brutally abandoning the former players’ association. The latest cutbacks by Sir Jim Ratcliffe have resulted in another kick in the teeth for the AFMUP. Staging their big event at the Theatre of Dreams was always a status that made the former players and their guests feel part of the football club. Being turfed out at short notice leaves a bitter taste.”
Featured image Michael Steele via Getty Images
