Manchester United fan groups respond to call to boycott meetings with Glazers

Six Manchester United supporter groups have called for unity in protests against the Glazer family as they responded to calls from The 1958 to end all communication with the owners.

The protest group had called for fans to boycott meetings with the owners, including the fans' advisory board, which they said had been set up as a "tool for manipulation and deception".

That demand came before the news that Sheikh Jassim was withdrawing from the takeover process, leaving the way clear for Sir Jim Ratcliffe to take a 25 per cent stake in United.

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Now, the six independent supporters' groups who represent fans' views to the club have issued a joint statement in which they called for togethenress but said communication would continue.

Their statement said: "We welcome and echo the call for unity. We all believe we need better ownership and investment for our club. We all believe that fans have the right to lawfully protest. We all believe that fans have the right to be represented. We all want what's best both for our club and for all of our fans.

"Many support protest, many support dialogue and many support both - they are complementary. For the greater good of our club, let's work towards our shared goals, set aside what divides us, and respect that different people, working towards the same goal, will have different strategies to get there."

In their statement just over a week ago, The 1958 said: "Joel’s initial response to the Liverpool protest was to engage in dialogue, merely to appease and pacify our support.

"By maintaining a dialogue with the Glazers, we have validated their actions and