Manchester United Muslim supporters' club calls for Jim Ratcliffe to step down over immigration remarks

Manchester United's Muslim Supporters' Club (MUMSC) has called on Sir Jim Ratcliffe to leave his ownership role at Old Trafford. The fan group says the billionaire's latest remarks about immigration and benefits, made during a BBC interview, are completely unacceptable and have no place at a club built on diversity. The demand arrives with United already under pressure, having lost two Premier League matches and crashed out of the Carabao Cup at the first hurdle against Brighton.

• United's Muslim Supporters' Club has urged Sir Jim Ratcliffe to step down from his ownership role.
• The co-owner said the UK is 'on the slide' and claimed nobody is tough enough on immigration or benefits.
• MUMSC previously challenged Ratcliffe in February, when he apologised for his language on immigration.
• Fans protested against the ownership before the Manchester City defeat with a critical banner.
• United have lost two Premier League games and are already out of the Carabao Cup.

What Jim Ratcliffe said about immigration and welfare

Speaking on the BBC's 'Big Boss' series, the 73-year-old co-owner, who lives in Monaco, returned to familiar ground by linking Britain's struggles to immigration and state benefits. Ratcliffe pointed to the country's past as "the greatest empire in the world" and recalled that Britain won two world wars with "good, honest folk". Yet he argued the UK is now "on the slide", and insisted someone needed to be tough enough to deal with both immigration and the benefits system.

The comments echo a controversy from February, when the INEOS founder said the UK had been "colonised by immigrants". He later apologised if his words had caused offence, but this week's interview shows him doubling down on the broader argument rather than walking it back.

Muslim supporters' club hits back at Ratcliffe's 'unacceptable' stance

MUMSC, which spoke out against Ratcliffe earlier this year, has published a 750-word statement describing his latest remarks as "deeply disappointing" and "completely unacceptable". The group points out that United's players, staff, stewards, security teams and supporters come from different countries, cultures, ethnicities, religions and backgrounds, and insists the club would not be what it is without that diversity.

Different backgrounds. Different beliefs. Different politics. One Manchester United.

The statement says Manchester United does not emotionally belong to investment funds, shareholders or billionaires. Instead, it belongs to the generations of supporters who inherited the club from their parents and grandparents and will one day pass it on to their own children. After years of decline, broken promises and repeated failure, the group says it has lost confidence in the current ownership structure and believes enough is enough.

From February's apology to this week's renewed anger

When Ratcliffe claimed the UK had been "colonised by immigrants" in February, MUMSC publicly challenged him and the businessman eventually apologised for his choice of language. The supporters' club hoped a lesson had been learned, but that hope has now faded. The latest BBC appearance puts immigration and benefits back at the centre of Ratcliffe's explanation for Britain's problems, and the group believes the apology has proved hollow.

Ownership protests amid United's difficult start on the pitch

The controversy has landed during a rocky run for the team. United have lost two Premier League games and were knocked out of the Carabao Cup in their opening tie against Brighton. Before last week's 1-0 defeat to Manchester City, supporters unfurled a banner aimed at the ownership reading "the way you treat us is a disgrace".

For MUMSC, the issue goes far beyond results. The statement argues that what is at stake is bigger than one defeat, one manager or one season, and points to the direction, leadership and identity of Manchester United Football Club. The group is now demanding that both the Glazer family and Sir Jim Ratcliffe leave the club.

The ownership structure behind the fan backlash

The Glazer family remains the majority shareholder at Manchester United, while Ratcliffe's company INEOS has run football operations since taking a minority stake in 2024. That structure has fuelled fan anger for years, with sustained campaigns against the American owners. Ratcliffe's arrival was initially framed as a chance to bring stability to the sporting project, but both poor results and his public comments have deepened the discontent around Old Trafford.

FAQ: Ratcliffe's remarks and the calls for him to step down