Manchester United’s Muslim Supporters’ Club has called for Sir Jim Ratcliffe to step down after the billionaire co-owner made “completely unacceptable” comments about Britain’s decline, immigration and benefits.

The Manchester United Muslim Supporters’ Club (MUMSC) issued what it described as a “statement of no confidence” in the club’s ownership. It said the Glazers and Ratcliffe should both leave.

“Our players, staff, stewards, security teams and supporters come from different countries, cultures, ethnicities, religions and backgrounds,” the group said. “Manchester United would not be Manchester United without them.”

The supporters’ group added: “Manchester United does not belong emotionally to investment funds, shareholders or billionaires.”

The furious statement came after Ratcliffe told BBC News’s Big Boss Interview that Britain was “on the slide” from the days when it had “the greatest empire in the world”.

“We were a great people. We won two world wars. We’re good, honest folk,” he said. “But unfortunately, at the moment, I think the UK is on the slide. It’s quite difficult to see how we arrest it.”

Jim Ratcliffe

Ratcliffe, who founded petrochemicals giant Ineos, blamed high taxes and immigration for some of Britain’s problems. He also said the country had developed “a bit of a green eye towards wealth”, arguing that wealthy people were being encouraged to leave.

The businessman has lived in Monaco since 2020, which has a relaxed tax regime. He said the UK had made conditions uncomfortable for people who had created wealth because of tax.

His latest comments have revived an earlier row with Manchester United’s Muslim supporters. Seven months ago, Ratcliffe said Britain was being “colonised by immigrants” in an interview with Sky News, before apologising if the remarks had “offended some people”.

MUMSC said it had challenged those comments earlier this year and had hoped “a lesson had been learned”.

“Clearly, it has not,” the group said.

The supporters’ club accused Ratcliffe of once again placing immigration and people receiving benefits at the centre of his explanation for Britain’s problems.

“This week, Sir Jim has again placed immigration and people receiving benefits at the centre of his explanation for Britain’s problems, arguing that nobody is ‘tough enough’ to deal with either,” it said.

“We find these latest comments deeply disappointing and completely unacceptable.”

MUMSC said Manchester United had suffered “years of decline, broken promises and repeated failure” and declared: “Enough is enough. It is time for change. The Glazers and Sir Jim Ratcliffe must go.”

The latest clash comes after a turbulent summer for Ratcliffe at Old Trafford. The businessman has already faced fierce opposition from supporters over a major ticket-touting crackdown that ultimately saw 685 season tickets revoked.

Supporter groups including the 1958 staged protests over the move. Ratcliffe was already deeply unpopular with sections of the fanbase after increasing ticket prices and sacking 450 club employees.

Away from football, Ratcliffe also attacked government energy policy. He criticised the decision not to invest further in North Sea resources through licences for the Jackdaw and Rosebank oil and gasfields, calling it “insanity”.

He warned that the UK could “run out of gas” during a severe cold spell this winter, potentially forcing industry to be switched off.

The government rejected concerns over gas security, saying it was working to deliver growth and that business investment had increased over the past two years. A spokesperson said the UK had a diverse energy mix and was confident in its security of supply.

Ratcliffe was also asked whether he planned to return to Britain.

“Not at the moment, no,” he said. “I don’t see growth being tackled.”

He argued that Britain needed politicians “tough enough” to tackle difficult problems and make decisions in the national interest rather than for themselves or their parties.

“And we haven’t had one of those for a long time,” Ratcliffe said.

Manchester United Muslim fans group calls on co-owner Jim Ratcliffe to quit

Maybe these supporters should move their allegiance elsewhere?

They could become Leeds fans, folks from Leeds are already barely human. Fookin Yorkists