fans urge fergie to quit manure

[derbydan]

The former chairman of a Manchester United supporter's group has urged Sir Alex Ferguson to resign in protest at the Glazer family's ownership of the club.

A meeting was arranged by the Manchester United Supporter's Trust (MUST) before Saturday's game against Burnley, at which Johnny Flacks, a founding member and former chairman of the Independent Manchester United Supporters' Association, spoke.

The Guardian reports that a protest march is planned for before the Champions League tie against AC Milan in March, and Flacks proposed that the group write to Ferguson asking him to quit in solidarity.

"This is not intended as an Alex Ferguson rant," Flacks is quoted by the paper as saying.

"But he claims to be a socialist, a former shop steward and a man of the people, so he must be horrified by what is going on. It would work only if thousands of people sent a copy of this letter to Ferguson letting him know that our fear, if the Glazers stay in control, is that his legacy is going to be destroyed. We wouldn't want that and I don't think he would either."

Asking the most successful manager in the club's history to resign over a matter of principle will seem ludicrous to many, a fact that Flacks acknowledged.

"That is the ridiculous scenario," Flacks said. "We are talking about a manager who has achieved so much for the club and has created the monster that is Manchester United. But we have to look at the greater good and at the moment we have the ludicrous situation where a club that gets over 70,000 supporters is losing money.

"This would be Ferguson's chance of saying that something had to be done. He would be looking after the club in the longer term if it meant the Glazers would sell more quickly. And if he said he was going to resign, maybe that would also encourage potential buyers to hurry up."

However, MUST have confirmed that they do not support Flack's sentiments.

In a statement released to members of the group, MUST said they are absolutely behind Ferguson and that, 'The only people we want to see leave Old Trafford are the Glazer family'.

There was sustained anti-Glazer chanting at the Burnley game, with a large banner that read 'Love United, hate Glazer' unfurled at the Stretford End, a banner that was confiscated rapidly.

http://msn.football365.com/story/0,17033,13852_5868325,00.html