February 25 – Just how bad are things at Manchester United? The club are languishing in 15th place in the English Premier League and staff are being laid off in record numbers.
Now, billionaire minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has initiated further cost-saving measures by closing the staff canteen at Old Trafford, replacing free lunches with fruit. A similar move is also being implemented at the club’s training ground, Carrington, with only players now receiving a free lunch.
The twenty-time champions of England announced the latest money saving measures ahead of an all-staff meeting on Monday.
Chief Executive Officer, Omar Berrada, confirmed the closure of the canteen while also announcing that further redundancies are imminent. He also offered an apology for saying in September there would be no more cuts after 250 people were let go.
Along with the statement from Berrada, the club announced a “transformation plan”.
“The transformation plan aims to return the club to profitability after five consecutive years of losses since 2019,” the announcement read.
“This will create a more solid financial platform from which the club can invest in men’s and women’s football success and improved infrastructure.
“As part of these measures, the club anticipate that approximately 150-200 jobs may be made redundant, subject to a consultation process with employees.”
Berrada added: “We deeply regret the impact on those affected colleagues. However, these hard choices are necessary to put the club back on a stable financial footing.
“We have lost money for the past five consecutive years. This cannot continue. Our two main priorities as a club are delivering success on the pitch for our fans and improving our facilities. We cannot invest in these objectives if we are continuously losing money.”
While it is unknown what fruit, Ratcliffe, will be offering his demoralised workforce, they’ll have the knowledge that at least it’ll be free, for now.
Contact the writer of this story, Nick Webster, at moc.l1740489512labto1740489512ofdlr1740489512owedi1740489512sni@o1740489512fni1740489512