A Manchester United fan group is planning the next large-scale protest outside Old Trafford in response to the latest raft of unpopular decisions by co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his executive board.
The ‘Theatre of Dreams’ has been subject to many fan protests in the last few years, the most notable of late being the demonstrations in May 2021, which saw thousands surrounding the premises and many supporters even breaking into the stadium.
Although the previous instances were in response to the Glazer family’s much-maligned stewardship, the upcoming protest is in response to the new co-owners and minority shareholder Ratcliffe along with the INEOS Sports Group who have taken control of footballing operations over the past year or so.
It’s barely been a full 12 months since the partial takeover was completed and despite plenty of early positivity, the mood amongst the Man United fan base looks to slumped significantly already, with results and actions around the club changing the sentiment significantly. Cue groups such as The 1958:
🗣️Shall we begin: Announcing protest Arsenal 9th March
We have been preparing for this for a few weeks in anticipation.
We are angry, the fans are angry and it’s been building for some time.
The long-standing fan group (named so in memory of the ‘Busby Babes’ and the Munich Air Disaster) are now gearing up for their next big protest, which is scheduled to take place ahead of Man United’s game against Arsenal at Old Trafford on 9 March.
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Although the Red Devils have other home matches before this fixture, including Ipswich on Wednesday, 26 February and the next round of the FA Cup against Fulham, it seems poignant that the fans have selected one against a fierce rival and one which gives them plenty of time to prepare.
The announcement begins by stating: “We have been preparing for this for a few weeks in anticipation. We are angry, the fans are angry and it’s been building for some time.
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“We have all been more than patient. We all know the root cause, we have always known the elephant in the room. Yet, this isn’t being addressed. It’s those who can least afford it, have the most emotional connection with our club who are being asked to pay the price in more ways than one.”
The 1958 go on to accuse the new administration – as what they now feel is merely a continuation of the Glazers’ neglect – of “trampling over generational support and memories of friends and family who handed the club over to us like something they have stepped in.”
Citing “the treatment of fans from the club” and “eradication of fan culture”, they point towards recent widespread grievances such as United targeting concessions and upping the prices of tickets for the remainder of the season; excluding a fan with dementia, ‘forwarding membership’ debacle and more.
The most recent and notable is another imminent series of job losses, with upwards of 100 staff set to be made unemployed.
The post which has already been reshared countless times online, which at least hints at the kind of numbers the protest will garner, goes on to argue that while the club “preach fan engagement the reality is they dont practice it”, adding “We know this first hand and have evidence.”
“ACTIONS NOT WORDS, IT’S NOT GOOD ENOUGH […] We rise again to defend our club and be warned this will not just be on the street campaigns at the ground. Keep treating the fans with contempt at your peril.” An unwaveringly serious tone, to say the least.
In case you need a reminder of the protest scenes we’ve seen from United fans in the past, be it in the name of the ‘Glazers Out’ movement or clubs rallying against Super League talk, look no further…
Let’s just say some much-needed good results in the coming weeks could go a long way towards deciding just how big this next demonstration will be.
Are you a Man United fan who will be heading to the next protest at Old Trafford?
Pep Guardiola apologises for ’embarrassing’ camera operator confrontation
Danny Jones
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has apologised after confronting a cameraman following the Premier League fixture against Newcastle United this past weekend.
The Blues boss was left visibly frustrated as Man City were beaten 2-1 away at St James’ Park by Eddie Howe’s side following a flurry of three finishes in the space of just six minutes.
However, this wasn’t the only action pitchside during the game, as not only have some supporters argued they should have had a penalty as Phil Foden was brought down in the box, Pep was also seen engaging in a loaded exchange with opposition captain Bruno Guimarães, as well as a camera operator.
Guardiola has since apologised for the incident, confessing he was left “embarrassed” by his own conduct and admitting that even “after 1,000 games, I’m not a perfect person – I make huge mistakes.”
As you can see, the Catalan coach approached the member of the broadcasting team following a fairly widespread spat both during the second Newcastle goal and following the full-time whistle.
Despite journalists recognising a natural amount of frustration and passion amidst the narrow loss and speculation over decisions, he went so far as to say he wasn’t “ashamed” of his actions at the time and doesn’t like or condone this kind of behaviour.
He was also seen smacking his seat in the dugout after conceding as well as after missed chances by his own players.
Pep assured that he apologised to the cameraman within seconds, remarking, “I am who I am” and reminding football fans that he is a human capable of acting on instinct just like anyone else.
He also clarified that the bulk of his issues on the day were to do with the officiating, taking umbrage with the referee’s decision-making in multiple instances.
You can see the clip down below:
"I feel embarrassed and ashamed when I see it"
Pep Guardiola apologises for his behaviour towards a camera operator after the defeat at Newcastle. pic.twitter.com/wVYfJDbnLm
As for his conversation with Guimarães, he wouldn’t disclose any details of their conversation, but did insist to one reporter that they share a good relationship, confessing that he is “an emotional guy” and can often appear particularly animated as he is known for gesticulating.
It seems that the 54-year-old was just annoyed over the potential penalty, but match-winner Harvey Barnes’ brace in particular, too.
Not only were there questions of a foul on new goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma – whose shot-stopping was otherwise excellent for the majority of the match – but Guimarães was supposedly offside in the build-up to the strike.
Regardless, Pep went on to add that the confrontation with the cameraman, Donnarumma’s booking for dissent, and general disappointment have been “immediately forgotten”, and all eyes are now focused on City’s big European meeting with Bayern Leverkusen.
You can see the highlights from Newcastle vs Man City down below.
Scott Carson reveals important behind-the-scenes role at Manchester City
Danny Jones
Recently retired goalkeeper Scott Carson has revealed the unsung but important role he had behind the scenes during his time at Manchester City.
The 40-year-old ex-pro called time on his playing career after more than two decades and six years in sky blue, having made just two appearances for the club during a period in which they won 11 trophies.
Carson officially hung up his gloves on 23 October 2025, following his contract expiration, and since then has found himself carrying out a number of interviews, including one with Fozcast, hosted by another fellow shotstopper who spent time in Manchester, Ben Foster.
While lots of people have joked that he did very little to earn the flurry of medals so late in his career, or at the very least theorised as to what he actually did behind the scenes, he’s now been more open than ever about the largely sidelined spell.
🗣️ "When people had to be serious, they were serious"
Scott Carson reveals what it was like working under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City. pic.twitter.com/HZGjVkrso0
Sitting down with Sky Sports, the Cumbrian keeper confirmed that initially it was, indeed, just a case of serving as not even as a rotation option but a back-up third choice.
Nevertheless, he’s an experienced veteran with 11 different teams on his CV, including Leeds United, Liverpool and Sheffield Wednesday – though only a handful of games for each – as well as half a century of appearances at Wigan Athletic before his longest stints at the likes of West Brom and Derby County.
While this job usually involves purely training, helping keep other players sharp, he says that after settling into the Etihad Campus a little more, he found himself performing a much more influential, albeit largely unsung, role in the background.
Getting validation from manager Pep Guardiola that the side “needed more of that”, he essentially ended up providing valuable seniority and motivation amongst the group, despite only playing a couple of times.
Bidding farewell to the Whitehaven-born cult hero, the club wrote: “During his time at City, Carson has been praised by goalkeeping coach Xabi Mancisidor and peers Ederson and Stefan Ortega Moreno for his work ethic and the effect of his positive attitude amongst the group.”
Speaking about Guardiola specifically, he hailed the Catalan coach for having overhauled modern football in this country, as well as giving him the secondary task of supporting his teammates, be it via boosting morale and ‘picking up’ those left frustrated by matchday selection.
As well as noting his widely publicised detail-oriented nature, he also made a point of recognising that Pep himself was “evolving each season”, whether or not everyone else saw it.
In short, he said he has helped improve the quality of the Premier League and, more specifically, that he helped redefine what a goalkeeper can be in the division.
You can watch the rest of the interview in full down below.
Danny Jones -
17th February 2025 
