11 November 2023 , 20:21
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Manchester United's owners, the Glazers, are expected to deliver a major snub to the club by not attending Sir Bobby Charlton's funeral.
The football world has been in mourning since Charlton, a legend of England and United, passed away last month at the age of 86. An emotional service will be held in Manchester on Monday to bid farewell to Charlton.
Despite many important figures from the football world expected to attend, it seems the Glazers will not be there. As reports the Daily Star, the Glazers had discussions with senior club officials and decided that the risk of receiving abuse from supporters, which could overshadow the significant occasion, was too high.
It is understood that the Glazers did not want to create unwanted headlines and wanted all attention to be on Charlton. The American owners felt they were in a "no win" situation. However, their decision is seen as the ultimate insult to United and Charlton, who is considered the club's greatest ever player.
If the owners change their minds at the last minute, Joel Glazer would represent them at the service. The Glazers' unwillingness to travel from America to England to pay their respects will likely increase the fans' dislike for the billionaire owners.
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The Glazers have been trying to sell the club for the past year but have not been able to reach an agreement with interested parties. The Florida-based owners are rarely seen at Old Trafford due to their unpopularity.
Even the significance of Charlton's funeral hasn't been enough to draw them across the Atlantic. Thousands are set to line Manchester's streets to honour the 1966 World Cup winner. The funeral procession will reach Old Trafford at 1.30pm, before heading to Manchester Cathedral. Despite several tributes to Charlton by United in recent weeks, the Glazers have not attended any.