• Sun. Apr 21st, 2024

The 1958

Some things are worth fighting for...

Update on the Villa Protest

May 1, 2023

Right, let’s clear a few things up on the protest yesterday along with every other protest for the last 20 years. This is going to be a long one so please bear with us.

Yesterday, was yet another protest against Glazer ownership. We want them out of our club root and stem. That doesn’t mean 66% out, or out but some in that rotten family can still continue to bleed our club dry. They have taken more than enough over the last 18 years.

The media is a circus with all the leaked stories from all sides. It’s currently a game of chess and nobody knows what is going to happen. One thing is certain though the protest yesterday was not about any bidder or preferred bidder.

IT WAS ABOUT REMOVING GLAZER FROM OUR CLUB. 

NOTHING ELSE.

FULL SALE MEANS FULL SALE OF GLAZER 69%

Suddenly, some journalist are piping up and paying attention to what we do. How about actually doing some research and actual journalism? It’s not difficult, it’s all over our timeline and website. How dare you, after all this time not supporting protests of the past or listening to the voice of United fans. Start to try and second guess what this is all about. It’s ill informed at best and actually a disgrace to your so called profession. Do some research and corroborate with us if you have to. 

Finally, let’s get onto yesterday. A mention to everyone who made the effort yesterday to create memories we always talk about whether with family, friends or community. Those things are the bedrock of this club, it’s always been the case since the club was formed. Rooted in the community and working class. 

We linked up with other groups en route as planned and also paid a poignant tribute to Ian Sterling who was one of the original protesters back in 2005. It was an epic day through the heart of Manchester to Old Trafford. 

We knew it wasn’t a televised game and we didn’t care. The timing was right with the bid closure.  It’s not about journalists, media and TV, its about the fans. It’s always been about the fans and what this club means to them. The journalists can continue their agendas against this club and us if they have to. We started this from nothing and have had very little help from a media perspective along the way.

Believe it or not, some go out of their way not to mention our name (they know who they are). Thats fine, it’s not about us, it never has been but the agendas out there are clear.  What we have learned in the last year really has been eye opening.

We are following a strategy that can be sustained and built on and we strongly believe this is the right approach. You can keep mentioning about emptying stadiums that will never happen. You have to respect the wishes of all United fans, even if that wish is that they really don’t care about the Glazers and just want to see the game. All we can do is raise awareness and continue to educate and hopefully influence in the right way and win these fans over.

Let’s make this crystal clear once again. We wont be stopping any fan going into the ground so focus on what we can do in a positive way and what is in our control.  We will never be calling for any action that doesn’t lie with a legal boundary. That is not what we are about. We want to be inclusive for young, old, families and everyone else.

We have also seen some comments around the following, so lets clear that up:

  • We are controlled opposition and on Glazers payroll 😂
  • We are on Arnolds payroll and all sorts of other conspiracy theories 😂
  • We are self promoting 🤷‍♂️

It’s actually quite comical but also a marker to show that we have taken the right approach. There is a severe distrust of anyone in this fanbase given that a lot of people use it as a vehicle for their own self interests and ambitions whether financial, keeping on the right side of the club or whatever.

We wanted to show that there are still good people around with integrity, that can be trusted and don’t have any agendas. We have worked really hard on these core values and it’s a factor in everything we do. We hope people recognise and see that. We want to help to restore standards and dignity back to this club and that starts with the Glazers who have had a death grip on this club for 18 years. 

So, again, the truth isn’t as exciting as the above. We are just a bunch of lads who wanted to give ourselves a voice and other fans felt the same and also wanted their voices to be heard. We have our finger on the pulse of our fanbase and it is that what drives us forward.

We do this in our our spare time without asking for anything in return. We are totally self funding out of our own pockets. It takes an incredible amount of effort and time. This will continue to be the case because we believe integrity is paramount in showing this fanbase that not everyone is out to rinse them. We all have the same values in The 58.

We have worked hard behind the scenes to unite and reach common ground with major fan groups. Evidence of this was there for all to see yesterday. We will continue to reach out to the global fanbase and do our best to ensure we have Unity. Healing this broken, fractured fanbase has always been a goal for us. Remember, this is primarily down to Glazer division. This cannot be achieved until that horrible family are gone.

The days of local business men and companies owning a club are long gone. We need to be pragmatic and focus on the things that we can influence and control. 

Hopefully, we should all have an indication on the future of our club in the next week or so. Only then do we move and decide what the next course of action (if any) will be. 

Now we wait and see what happens.

Glazers Out Always.

Some things are worth fighting for….

The 1958 🇾🇪