- The charity was set up in 1985 to support ex-players following retirement
- Red Devils legends Bryan Robson and Dennis Irwin are among 300 members
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has reportedly continued Manchester United’s cost-cutting measures by cancelling a charity donation for club legends.
Ratcliffe embarked upon a root-and-branch financial review after taking a quarter stake in the club earlier this year.
The club made around 250 redundancies over the summer and earlier this month hundreds of fans gathered outside Old Trafford to protest against the decision to raise matchday ticket prices.
As reported by The Sun, billionaire Ratcliffe has continued the penny-pinching scheme by cutting funding for a charity.
United donated £40,000 each year to a charity set up to help former players. But there are fears it will cease to exist.
The Association of Former Manchester United Players was in 1985 to support players who did not make the mouthwatering salaries of the modern era.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has reportedly continued Manchester United ‘s cost-cutting measures
A charity which supports former ex-United players such as Denis Irwin (right) and Bryan Robson (left) is set to be cancelled
Hundreds of Manchester United fans staged a protest earlier this month over a ticket price hike
Red Devils legends such as Bryan Robson, Brian Kidd and Dennis Irwin are among the 300 former players the charity supports.
Trustee Jim Elms played for United’s youth side and reserves and he has slammed Ratcliffe’s decision.
The 84-year-old told The Sun: ‘We sent a letter to say we’ve not been paid. Nobody came out and told us so we had to send another letter.
‘That’s when we started hearing things that it was going to be the end of us.’
Elms had a phone call with United’s chief executive Omar Berrada. He added: ‘It didn’t go too well.
‘Omar was non-committal. He’s going to meet us again in January but he said he couldn’t see it changing.
‘He didn’t seem to think that we were a necessity.’
Ratcliffe’s latest cut comes just months after legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson lost his role with the club.
Sir Alex Ferguson was axed from his role in October after a face-to-face meeting with Ratcliffe
Ferguson became a global club ambassador and club director after stepping down as manager in 2013 after a 27-year reign. He reportedly received £2.16million-a-year to serve as a global ambassador for the club in an agreement which continued for over a decade.
But United’s legendary manager, 82, lost his contract following a face-to-face meeting with minority owner Ratcliffe in October.
On the pitch, United have not fared well so far this season. Thursday’s loss against strugglers Wolves condemned the side to their eighth Premier League defeat of the campaign.
With just 22 points from their opening 18 games, the 20-time top flight champions sit closer to the relegation zone than they do the top four.
United return to action on Monday night when they play host to Eddie Howe’s Newcastle.
