A year in review 🧵
Firstly, an explanation from us. Around the time of Sir Bobby’s passing and our last protest the group have been dealing with a lot of family and personal issues.
Lads have lost close relatives. Lads have had to cut down working hours to spend more time looking after family. Lads have had other bad news about close family. In short, other things have had to be prioritised. This isn’t a cry out for sympathy but we all have limited time so recently this has been spent supporting each other and family. Everything else was put on hold whilst everyone was in limbo waiting for an announcement. This has now happened.
As a group we have evolved. We have levels. The inner circle of the original core lads is strong and together. That will never change. Others around that who profess to be part of the 58 are not and don’t speak for the group. It’s as simple as that. Any opinions are their own and they don’t speak for the group.
Onto the this year and there is a lot.
The year started with a bangđź’Ą
A protest from dual locations co-ordinated to meet at SMBW for the City game.
February Full sale only calling a sale of 69% of Glazer ownership. This was before other bidders entered. This was before the message was twisted to suit others preferences. We called for a sale of the club before the club was even put up for sale. We had banners in every ground calling for it.
Organised multiple online campaigns against :
- Adidas
- Elliot management (including a visit to their head office)
- Raine group
- Arnold
- In April we organised a protest march starting from the heart of the city meeting at designated spots en-route. Thousands turned out. A nod to the past, present and future and to pay our respects to Ian Stirling. A long march followed by an 18 minute stay out. Deansgate arches was biblical. A massive amount of planning went into this which coincided with the bid deadline.
- We run Q&As on Facebook and some spaces on Twitter attended by 27K. Education has a big part to play. We think everyone understands this now.
- Podcast with the BBC and Simon Stone. Shame most of our points and edge were left on the cutting room floor. Typical BBC. However, Simon did follow up with an article.
- Not a highlight but satisfying to rinse Simon Jordan when others have failed to do so
- Semi final Wembley video banner & protests. The banner begins the goal for the free kick was perfectly executed and again went viral
<ADD PICS AND VID>
- Final manhandled by club stewards and banners confiscated. Lads didn’t even get to see the game and people say the club and Glazers don’t care. They do care they just pretend not to.
- Megastore protest for the new kit launch This went viral and was covered by US channels and Al Jazeera.
- Deadline day protest and Sky Sports having to green screen locked away after being escorted inside.
- Arranging and co-ordinating protests with our colleagues in the US during pre-season
Start of the season and planning for a sit in that went on for weeks.
- We had 10,000 leaflets printed to canvas match going fans.
- We distributed leaflets at the ground (Wolves and Forest)
- We had banners front and centre at the ground (Wolves, Forest and Spurs away)
- We had a promotional campaign video made
- We distributed leaflets at all United pubs around Trafford and Urmston
- We collaborated with TRA (thanks lads) who helped with some funding
- We spoke to MUST to ask them to contact MUSC groups two weeks before Forest. They never got back to us then said they were too busy 2 days before the protest. So, we contacted them ourselves.
- We spoke to journalists (we have a trusted circle now)
- We spoke to some media outlets (local radio news bulletins)
- Forest sit in. The first in the 113 year history of Old Trafford. Very successful and global coverage.
- Soft launch of the claim back united website. With over 51K registrations already and over of 28K of those being ST holders and members. More promotion and updates on this soon. Game changed.
- Protests at Under 21s game
- Protest at the Women’s Game
- One fight. One club, all levels
- We protest against the board, sponsors and Glazer. WE CALL FOR A BOYCOTT OF ALL COMMUNICATION WITH THE CLUB. Unity is standing with the fans, not the Glazers.
- A call out of the Fans Forum and FAB (link). We don’t accept the throwaway response and will be following this up
- Another protest at the ticket office on the marginalisation and exploitation of the match going fans. Nice of Sam Kelleher to smirk and act all smug at fans from inside surrounded by stewards
- Plans for the City game in October put on hold due to the passing of Sir Bobby. We paid our respects.
- So onto November. Fans are tired of Glazer. Tired of the damage they have done. November saw our last protest of 2023 a lot of this down to personal and family issues lads have had to deal with in the group.
What else:
- Flags and visual protests home and away all season
- Raising awareness of the club touting and rinsing the common fan
- Continued media and club censorship through the year. The Athletic run an article with the club and they even admitted this.
- Added automated blocking on our account for bots and those inciting violence to smash and burn Old Trafford.
- We remain totally self funded. Our own money, our own time and our own energy
- Continued campaigns against investors and sponsors and raising the awareness of why Glazer ownerships caused generational damage.
- Large Glazers Out banners appearing at every home game. The level of planning to get visuals like this into the ground is not easy
We have never supported any particular bid. We have always been committed to removing the Glazers first and foremost to allow our club to breathe and heal. This is a matter of record over spaces and podcasts we have done. Find them, listen to them, they are not hard to find. Anybody who infers any different is either driving their own agenda or totally wrong and are choosing to jump on their own narrative. Their fault not ours.
We are proud of the efforts of ourselves and all fans who care about our club and how it is perceived. Caring above performances and results. Other protests groups from other clubs have also copied our blueprint
strategy in 2024 whilst supporting any favourable bidder to remove them.
We will not rest until they are out. Generations of United fans have fought long and hard for this not to happen.
The club is fractured, the fanbase is fractured. This cannot go on.
Our intentions are pure. Our values are pure. Many with self interests are afraid of this.
We do not care, we will do what is best for the club and fanbase, not anybody else.
We thank everyone who has stood with us at the ground and supported us this year.
Look after yourselves and each other.
See you all in 2024.
this strategy in 2024 whilst supporting any bidder to remove them.
We will not rest until they are out. Generations of United fans have fought long and hard for this not to happen.
The club is fractured, the fanbase is fractured. This cannot go on.
Our intentions are pure. Our values are pure. Many with self interests are afraid of this.
We thank everyone who has stood with us at the ground and supported us this year.
Look after yourselves and each other.
See you all in 2024.
The 1958 🇾🇪