Too Far

What happened last night was sick. The reaction on Twitter was even sicker. Ed Woodward’s Cheshire home was targeted by between twenty and thirty Manchester United ‘fans’, who lit flares and let them off in the direction of the home. Luckily, no one was home. Despite what you think of the job he is doing as executive vice-chairman of United, and he is doing a woeful one, it is beyond malicious and evil to attack his home in such a way.
Woodward is married with two young daughters. Twins. What might have happened if he or his wife were home and opened the door to see the commotion and received a flare into the face or into their home where it could have caused more damage? Would those fans have been happy if Woodward or his loved ones received physical harm or life-changing injuries? Unfortunately, probably.

Recently, at Old Trafford, chants have been sung around the ground calling for the Glazers and Woodward to be put into a burning bonfire. The snapchat video that the perpetrators stupidly uploaded had the caption, ‘Ed Woodwards gonna die.’ While it is perfectly fine to be riled up and sing chants about the demise of the succubus of a once great club, to actually go to his home and try and spread terror and cause harm is beyond the pale.

Manchester United released a statement condemning the attack along with a host of sports journalists. The sick reaction came from United ‘fan’ accounts run by xenophobes, bigots and guys looking for reactions. All of us United fans know who these accounts are so I don’t need to name names but I have reported several accounts and will do more later. They have lamented the fact that no actual harm came to Woodward and his family. These fans from far corners of the world and dark corners of the web, along with those thugs from Manchester, will never be true fans of the club. If they think it is bad now, what would they have done when City relegated us in 1973? When a former Manchester United hero scored the winning goal with a backheel? They wouldn’t have done anything because they wouldn’t be fans of a club in the bottom half of the table.

If United continue to fall, which I don’t think will happen, these fans will be gone. Hopefully, though, they will be found by the club and the authorities and banned for life. They took the stance against our vile owners too far. Now the sympathy is in their court instead of the suffering fans. Thanks for that.