Premier League English

Why militant attack on Ed Woodward’s mansion is a tragedy for Man United fans

Manchester United’s hierarchy have been under heavy siege in the troubled wake of a disappointing season with the club accumulating their lowest points tally amongst the top-flight. It has also been leaked that United supporters are in the midst of staging a walkout during the forthcoming Saturday evening’s game with Wolves at Old Trafford. 

Speaking on The Debate on Sky Sports, Kevin Phillips and Graeme Le Saux voiced in unison their outrage at the inclement news that Ed Woodward’s home was targeted by militant, torch-throwing United supporters who behaved no better than thugs.

Kevin Phillips: 

“At the end of the day, football is just a game. It should never spill over to being personal. It’s a game we all love, it is watched throughout the world and it makes you feel sick to hear that this has happened. It’s shocking.”

“There’s a line and you don’t cross that line. It’s a sport and whatever is going on at United, or any club, you can’t just hold one person responsible – even if that person owns the football club – because there’s a board. They make joint decisions about whatever, so you can’t blame one person and go and attack their house. It’s just not ethically right, it’s wrong.”

Graeme Le Saux: 

“There’s no excuse for people behaving in this way. No matter what you think of somebody within a football club, whatever their job is, they are trying to do the best they can. There are lots of reasons as to why Manchester United aren’t performing consistently and you could argue that the structure of the club needs to modernise or change. There’s lots of debate about that but you can’t take it onto yourself and go and behave like that. It’s disgraceful.”

“Football at its best is there to entertain, for people to enjoy and be passionate about, but there’s a line and everyone involved in football is constantly fighting about protecting what’s sacred. Unfortunately, a sport can’t be held responsible for the actions of either individuals or people’s behaviour when it becomes so volatile.”

Sky Sports News’ North West reporter James Cooper remarked on the irony that the occurrence of the incident was on a day that Man United actually took great, positive strides in the January transfer market in firming up the long-awaited deal for Bruno Fernandes.

He said: 

“It was a mob of about 20 and reminds us of the bad old days at the start of the Glazers’ tenure, when similar gangs visited the houses of Manchester United figures including former defender Rio Ferdinand and former director Maurice Watkins.” 

“There is a frustration among United fans with the way things are at the moment but the club have been resolute in condemning the behaviour, making it clear that there will be sanctions following on from it.   “This has certainly crossed the line. There was revulsion and disgust at some of the chants in recent weeks and it hasn’t been pleasant.   

True, football is indeed a sport and should for all the right reasons remain so. However, it is unfortunate that for some amongst the millions of football fans, particularly in England, this once honourable sport has degenerated into a gladiatorial slug fest that somehow seems to satiate the lust for violence and psychological aberrations that their convoluted minds have evolved into. They entertain fantasies that they indirectly have ‘ownership’ of the clubs, the managers and the players. They realise their power lies in their united voice to proclaim approval or disapproval.   

Those who have the propensity and inclination to behave like hooded maniacal thugs are actually ordinary denizens with mundane, daily existences and club football at its highest competitive levels provides that rare avenue for them to live out their own fantasies by proxy through the clubs, managers and the players they champion. Under the wrong pressure cooker circumstances, these hordes become a wrongly channeled destructive, dark force, morphing into hideous zombified “Men in Black” to wreak havoc and exact punitive vengeance on those they believe are the villains confounding their dreams of glory.    

And when they realise that things do not necessarily go with the flow that they want, that’s when things will get out of hand and turn really ugly with disastrous consequences. Perhaps with even tragic outcomes as have happened in the past.  

To quote James Cooper again:  

“It is the minority of supporters but singing about “killing” or “burning” does not have a place in football and I think this event indicates an escalation of that. These are clearly not a true representation of United fans but it has happened …”