Gary Neville says Glazer dividend payments ‘have to stop’ at Man Utd as MUST release statement

Gary Neville and the Manchester United Supporters’ Trust (MUST) have criticised the Glazer family for paying club shareholders an £11m dividend.

Manchester United’s owners will receive the majority of that figure via a payment on Friday, as per the club’s latest quarterly accounts.

In that statement they stated a ‘semi-annual cash dividend’ equating to nine cents per share would be paid to shareholders on 24 June.

This has caused understandable frustration among fans after such an underwhelming 2021/22 campaign, the lack of summer signings to date and the club’s total debt now standing at £591m.

Neville calls out Glazers

Neville has been outspoken about the Glazer’s policy of paying dividends in the past and also criticised them earlier this week.

On Friday morning, he again called for payments to stop. Retweeting a report from Sky Sports that Christian Eriksen is currently mulling over offers from United and Brentford, the ex-defender wrote: “That’s why Dividends have to stop for a period.

“Every penny has to go back into the club until it becomes attractive again. The club has become a graveyard for players. Culturally for owners to take [money emoji] out of a poorly performing business is demoralising!”

Earlier on Friday, the pundit tweeted United directly and asked: “@ManUtd can you confirm whether the Glazer Family are taking £11m in dividends today please?”

Supporters’ Trust slam owners

MUST also echoed Neville’s sentiment, and said they will be ‘demanding answers’ at the latest Fans’ Forum.

“So today the Glazers pay themselves the lion’s share of an £11m dividend at the end of one of the worst seasons in living memory,” they said via Twitter. “Reward for failure is poor practice in any business, and totally unacceptable given the current state of things at United.

“Both on the playing field and in the stadium, Manchester United is a club in dire need of investment. To see more money going out of the door to the owners whilst, so far this summer, seeing nothing invested into new players, is little more than an insult.

“MUST is advocating and pursuing a strategy of engagement with the Club and its owners, to get a stronger voice for fans, but this payment is indefensible.

“We will be making this point, and demanding answers, in our direct meetings as well as through our representatives on the Fans’ Advisory Board and Fans’ Forum.”