The Glazer family are set to miss the funeral of Manchester United legend Bobby Charlton with the club’s owners understood to be wary of becoming a distraction.
World Cup winner Charlton passed away last month, with a funeral procession set to be held through the streets of Manchester today.
The funeral cortège will pass Old Trafford, the ground Charlton called home between 1956 and 1973, before reaching Manchester Cathedral, where up to 1,000 people will gather to bid farewell.
The Glazer brothers, Avram and Joel, will not be among them, though.
The American family have owned Manchester United for almost two decades after patriarch Malcolm took a majority stake in the club in 2005, but their premiership has proved increasingly unpopular, with protests commonplace at Old Trafford since an era of sustained and significant success came to an end.
British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe is set to soon complete a £1.3b deal that will see the Ineos owner take 25% ownership of the club, which remains one of sport’s biggest brands.
Sir Bobby Charlton’s funeral service will take place on Monday— (PA Archive)
According to the Daily Star, the Glazer family held talks with club officials about attending Charlton’s funeral service but decided that the risk of receiving abuse might overshadow and detract from the event.
The family dealt regularly with the former midfielder in his role as a director of the club.
Charlton was a regular in the Old Trafford stands until being diagnosed with dementia in November 2020.
He died three years on from the diagnosis after an accidental fall at the nursing home at which he was receiving care.
