5 football club owners who were at the receiving end of the fans' ire

#4 The Glazer Family

The Glazer family saddled Manchester United with millions of debt

While Manchester United fans’ feelings towards their American owners have mellowed somewhat in recent years, the Glazer family remain one of the more controversial – and disliked – group of owners in the Premier League. Sure, United are still a financial powerhouse – probably the richest club in Britain right now in overall terms – but the way that the Glazers seized power at Old Trafford, fuelled largely by heavy debt, still leaves a sour taste over a decade on.

While United continued to succeed on the pitch in the years immediately following the Glazer family’s takeover – despite tons of fan protests surrounding the debt that the club had been shouldered with, particularly in times of world financial crisis – in hindsight most of this had to do with the presence of manager Sir Alex Ferguson. Since Ferguson retired in 2013, the real success – as in Premier League titles – has all but dried up.

United have spent big money since – particularly since the arrival of current boss Jose Mourinho – but you can’t help but think that some of the more expensive signings of the post-Ferguson era – Alexis Sanchez, Angel di Maria, etc – were simply bought to sell replica shirts. Many fans blame chief executive Ed Woodward for the issues, but in reality, the problems all started with the Glazers – which is why they remain disliked by United fans.