A provocative billboard has appeared next to Old Trafford targeting Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, as growing supporter anger over his recent comments on immigration and his leadership spills into public protest.
The large display, prominent to fans entering and leaving the stadium, reads, “Immigrants have done more for this city than billionaire tax dodgers ever will.”
The message has been widely shared on social media and underscores deep dissatisfaction among sections of the United support.
The billboard was erected in response to remarks Ratcliffe made in a Sky News interview, in which he controversially suggested the United Kingdom had been “colonised” by immigrants, an assertion based on inaccurate figures and quickly criticised by politicians, anti-racism groups and football fans alike.
Ratcliffe later apologised for his “choice of language,” but the backlash has endured.
Background of the billboard protest at Old Trafford
Ratcliffe, who took a minority shareholding and control of football operations at Manchester United in 2024, sparked the row with comments about immigration that many viewed as divisive and out of place coming from the owner of one of football’s most diverse clubs.
His critics highlight that he has lived in tax-free Monaco since 2020, leading to additional flare-ups about his commitment to Manchester and the UK.
The billboard’s message deliberately calls out both themes, immigration and tax exile status, and juxtaposes them with the contributions of immigrants to the city’s culture and economy.
The episode has occurred against a backdrop of escalating fan protests aimed at United’s ownership, with groups such as The 1958 previously staging marches outside Old Trafford and criticising both the Glazer family and Ratcliffe for decisions on ticketing, staffing and club direction.
Reaction from fans and wider football community
On social media, many fans applauded the billboard as an authentic expression of local pride and resistance to perceived corporate aloofness.
Others noted the irony of a billionaire, living abroad to reduce his tax bill, publicly critiquing immigration in a city enriched by diverse communities.
The controversy has also drawn commentary from prominent figures outside the fanbase, with Manchester City manager publicly stressing the importance of embracing multiculturalism following Ratcliffe’s remarks.
United themselves have distanced the club from the comments, issuing statements reaffirming their commitment to diversity and inclusion, and the Football Association is reviewing whether Ratcliffe’s comments could have brought the game into disrepute under regulatory rules.
FGG Says
The billboard outside Old Trafford is a symptom of wider tensions between Manchester United’s ownership and its long-suffering fanbase, as the fans are no longer just frustrated about on-pitch performance or ticket prices, with deep concerns about values and representation also rising.
Football clubs are embedded in their cities, and when an owner’s words seem at odds with a community’s identity, it opens the door to backlash that cannot easily be smoothed over with a brief apology.