The betrayal of Manchester United occurred decades ago yet the prospect of Britain’s most famous club becoming a front for sportswashing is a particularly depressing thought.
Online perception of a potential takeover by a Gulf state is misleading. Many of those on Twitter who welcome interest from Qatar or Saudi Arabia are primarily invested in transfers and titles. Their aspiration is for United to emulate Paris Saint-Germain, a Qatari commodity with an attack dreamt up on a Fifa video game.
Should the Glazers’ occupation be ended by Qatari or Saudi investors, it is hard to imagine scores of supporters gathering on Sir Matt Busby Way with tea towels tied around their heads, crassly trying to impersonate Arab dress (and the act of impersonating is racially offensive, of course). United’s matchgoers have long been one of the most principled and they value morals.
