Sacked Manchester United steward claims revolt at Old Trafford

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/spo...cle7021240.ece




James Ducker, Northern Football Correspondent

The scale of the anti-Glazer movement has been laid bare with internal divisions over the Americans’ controversial ownership of Manchester United beginning to emerge.

A steward with 19 years of service at Old Trafford has been sacked for siding with the Glazer protesters. He has claimed that growing numbers of people employed by United are becoming increasingly opposed to a regime that has left the Barclays Premier League champions £716.5 million in debt.

Granville Boden, 53, was dismissed by CES, the security firm employed by United on match days, after attempting to return an anti-Glazer banner, confiscated by stewards during the league game against Burnley at Old Trafford last month, to the supporters who erected it.

Boden said that he was appalled at the heavy-handed tactics employed by CES staff to remove the banner forcibly — and the fans responsible for it — from the Stretford End and revealed that a 20-man stand-off later ensued between those stewards sympathetic to the anti-Glazer movement and those enforcing club policy.

Although the confrontation did not descend into a fist fight, Boden said that it was reflective of the “wider internal divisions” beginning to emerge and claimed that four other stewards had been disciplined for wearing green and gold, the colours of United’s original incarnation as Newton Heath that have been adopted as a symbol of supporter opposition.

Boden also claimed that three of the club’s catering staff had been sent home for sporting green-and-gold garments, although United denied that was the case and said that one person had been told to stop wearing such attire because it contravened uniform regulations. Other supporters wearing green-and-gold scarfs and hats have been prevented from entering executive lounges until they remove the garments, although United insist that they have not issued such a directive.

Boden was sacked after removing the banner confiscated during the Burnley game from the security offices and taking it to his car with a view to returning it to its owners, only for the offending item to be seized by CES, which provides about 500 stewards on match days at Old Trafford.

Although he expressed regret that he was never asked to give his account of what happened, Boden said that he “fully accepted” the decision to dismiss him because he had defied his employers, but opted to speak out to reveal the animosity towards the Glazers among many club workers.

“There is a lot of internal conflict between the staff and I think that conflict is only going to grow as the protests against the Glazers gather more momentum,” Boden said. “There are a lot staff at the club who are sympathetic to what the Manchester United Supporters’ Trust [MUST] are trying to achieve. I don’t regret anything I did.”

United said the banner had to be removed against Burnley because it was concealing the scoreboard, which is also used to display messages in an emergency. They said that they did not prohibit peaceful demonstrations.

MUST have sold about 8,000 green-and-gold scarfs, although the total number purchased from all vendors is thought to be closer to 30,000.

Sorry








other forum

Originally Posted by Mark Corrigan

Sorry








other forum

no worries, but this is one of the reasons why i don't like sub forums

the G&G needs to be kept in the limelight and not swept to one side imo

Originally Posted by toseeunited

no worries, but this is one of the reasons why i don't like sub forums

the G&G needs to be kept in the limelight and not swept to one side imo

I agree for fwiw

seems to be getting a lot of press - pretty sympathetic too

Originally Posted by toseeunited

no worries, but this is one of the reasons why i don't like sub forums

the G&G needs to be kept in the limelight and not swept to one side imo

Tend to agree - the sub-forum appears to be little viewed.

As I posted on there earlier, someone on the FC forum has told how he has received a letter banning him from OT for life, for singing anti-Glazer songs.

With publicity like that and the one above, things are starting to swing into action.

i never saw it in the sub forum.

nice one tossee

Originally Posted by thatsfuctit

I agree for fwiw

seems to be getting a lot of press - pretty sympathetic too

Originally Posted by Zorg

Tend to agree - the sub-forum appears to be little viewed.

As I posted on there earlier, someone on the FC forum has told how he has received a letter banning him from OT for life, for singing anti-Glazer songs.

With publicity like that and the one above, things are starting to swing into action.

any mods around thinking we could maybe have a label for the G&G threads, so we can post them in Main but they still go into the LUHG sub forum for easy-finding?

Originally Posted by toseeunited

no worries, but this is one of the reasons why i don't like sub forums

the G&G needs to be kept in the limelight and not swept to one side imo

yep agreed. I hadn't seen it either,

Good article - fair play to the lad.

Originally Posted by Zorg

Tend to agree - the sub-forum appears to be little viewed.

As I posted on there earlier, someone on the FC forum has told how he has received a letter banning him from OT for life, for singing anti-Glazer songs.

With publicity like that and the one above, things are starting to swing into action.

really?! £#%&!in ell most of the ground was singing anti glazer songs.

Originally Posted by elephantstone

really?! £#%&!in ell most of the ground was singing anti glazer songs.

I smell bullshit tbh, why would one person get "a letter" and be banned for life for singing? Obviously for racism etc. Surely he's kicked off with a pro-glazer steward who's told him to pipe down, he hasnt so the steward or whoever noted seat number etc and then passed it to the ticket office. As you say, most of the ground was at it.

Bet its bullshit, not seen £#%&! all on here or on RI. if it was legit they would have been bleating for support all over united forums

If it is legit, then very very harsh

can they guy scan it in Zorg and post it up?

and his membership number, bank account details, and girth too

Cheers

Like it.

Not liking the fact that the bloke has done the right thing (in our eyes, anyway) and lost his job for it, but like that he's opened some eyes as to what's going on inside the club.

Good man.

'Granville' though

Ffs, the guy's now saying it happened last year but he didn't say anything until now.

Bullshit detector at maximum, captain.

It might still be true, however, as this bloke (a friend of someone off the FC forum, not the FC forumite himself as I said earlier) reckons he's bringing the letter to Gigg lane on Saturday.

It's been posted on RI too anyway.

Originally Posted by Zorg

Ffs, the guy's now saying it happened last year but he didn't say anything until now.

Bullshit detector at maximum, captain.

It might still be true, however, as this bloke (a friend of someone off the FC forum, not the FC forumite himself as I said earlier) reckons he's bringing the letter to Gigg lane on Saturday.

It's been posted on RI too anyway.

getting a bit of coverage on sky news

g-g-g-granville

Originally Posted by thatsfuctit

getting a bit of coverage on sky news

what the FC fans bogus letter?

Originally Posted by zorg

ffs, the guy's now saying it happened last year but he didn't say anything until now.

Bullshit detector at maximum, captain.

It might still be true, however, as this bloke (a friend of someone off the fc forum, not the fc forumite himself as i said earlier) reckons he's bringing the letter to gigg lane on saturday. unno:

It's been posted on ri too anyway.

Originally Posted by elephantstone

what the FC fans bogus letter?

Slow news day if that amount of bullshit is on there

And heres me thinking he was dashed out for wearing a half g+g and half fc scarf