Jamie from the United We Stand fanzine was one of the supporters who invaded the pitch. He describes the day
Brilliant. Sunday was the best outcome we could have got. It was the plan all along: to get the game delayed or abandoned – that was certainly the intention from a good number of us.
This is all to do with the Glazers. It has been a long time in the making, because we protested in 2005 [when they bought club], and again in 2010. I can understand people saying: “It’s just because you’re not winning things any more.” But that’s not the point – this is about a football club and a community that surrounds it.
My day started when I met some friends, had a drink outside the Tollgate pub and then walked to the ground, where there were people with banners and flares who were chanting.
We also knew what was going on at the Lowry [the team’s hotel] because we were in touch with people there and knew the people there were trying to delay the coach. The intention was that if the coach did leave the Lowry, we would try to disrupt it at Old Trafford.
People started moving down towards the Munich Tunnel. A gate was put across it and some people managed to get over it. What happened next is fairly unclear but it seemed to me that someone opened an exit gate from inside the ground.
I would say anywhere between 500 and 1,000 got through, and this ended with quite a few of us on the pitch. This was relatively peaceful: there was a bit of ire towards the Sky Sports platform where the presenters were, but nothing too bad. A flare was thrown but it fell well short, and generally it was fairly peaceful and this lasted about 15, 20 minutes and then everyone left fairly peacefully.
The feeling was the point was made and we gathered again on the forecourt. Some more people got into the ground – I wasn’t part of this – and as time went on the police mobilized and started clearing the forecourt.
Things got a little heated. From what I could see there were issues on both sides: bottles were thrown at the police, batons were drawn by them, and that was that.
Of course we’d love to have watched a Manchester United-Liverpool game but ultimately this is much bigger than that. If we get a points deduction we would not care: this is our opportunity because the government allegedly is listening to us [after the failed European Super League]. But as I don’t think that will continue in the long term, we’ve got to seize this momentum and move forward with it.
It was spontaneous to enter the ground. It had been spoken about between several people, though you’ll notice that nobody is taking responsibility for the protests because nobody wants to get into trouble.
Will there be more protests? Yes. Maybe not on that scale again because this was United-Liverpool, a worldwide audience, on a bank holiday Sunday, but there will be more.
I do get that some people say a line was crossed because it was illegal [entering Old Trafford] but there’s only so much passive resistance can do. You can tweet “#Glazersout” but what good does it do?
I’ve seen pictures of a policeman with a cut head – nobody condones that – but given there was the thick end of 10,000 people there you’re bound to get a couple of idiots. The interesting thing was how many stewards were saying they’re on our side.
The number of young lads and lasses there was really heartening. Whether the Glazers will actually hear us? Well, this is all we can do. The only other recourse a lot of us have talked about recently is to withdraw your money full stop, by stopping going to games.
Personally that’s not palatable. I did that in 2005 for a few years and it made no difference. You say: “I’m going to stop doing something I love and has been part of my life for 40 years – so am I going to let them win? No.”
The general outrage about the Super League has provided momentum: it’s now or never. I have seen plenty of Liverpool fans on social media who have backed what we’ve done. There had been talks in the last couple of weeks about them joining us on Sunday but it would have been too hard to facilitate. It would have made a hell of a statement.
Some have asked, if United could have won the league on Sunday would we have done that? It’s a very good question. Hand on heart I think some of us yes, but I don’t think you’d have had 10,000 there.
