Shivers of Disappointment: Sir Jim Ratcliffe No-Show
When actions echo louder than words, the deafening silence of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s absence at Wembley Stadium on a recent Sunday afternoon is hard to ignore. Since Manchester United’s men’s team were scheduled to play Arsenal simultaneously with the Women’s FA Cup final. Ratcliffe faced a significant test. As a part-owner of the club and the boss of INEOS. His non-appearance in the directors’ box in north-west London that Sunday afternoon was a glaring failure.
Instead of being present for Marc Skinner’s side’s attempt to secure the club’s first major women’s trophy against Tottenham Hotspur, Ratcliffe. Along with INEOS’s sporting director, Sir Dave Brailsford, chose to watch United at Old Trafford. The men’s team was aiming to secure continental football for the next season after a largely disappointing domestic campaign.
Co-owner Avram Glazer, on the other hand, was observing events in London, alongside other senior INEOS representatives. Granted, Ratcliffe’s focus on elevating the men’s team could justify this priority. Yet, his absence during Skinner’s match, where little was at stake for the hosts against the Gunners, sticks out like a sore thumb. Although United claims that Ratcliffe has sent good luck messages to those at Wembley. The players likely perceive his non-appearance as an affront.
Sadly, this was not unexpected. Ratcliffe, a 72-year-old with ambitions of making United a leader in all departments. Has recently shown a blatant disregard for the women’s team. One of the world’s largest football institutions has often overlooked this team.
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In a press meeting in February, Ratcliffe’s comments on Skinner’s team were conspicuously short. He stated, “If a team wears a Manchester United badge on their shirt, it represents Manchester United, and they must focus on winning and success.” However, Ratcliffe’s interest in contributing to such success seems disappointingly low. It appears that the ‘One Club Mentality’ is only convenient in certain situations.
While it’s true that Ratcliffe is not solely responsible for this major PR misstep. It’s hard not to scrutinize his choices. In the not-so-distant past, he managed to participate in the London Marathon while attending United’s FA Cup semi-final meeting with Coventry City. This makes his lack of effort this time around all the more sobering. It’s safe to say, the enthusiasm that numerous supporters of the women’s team felt for a bright new dawn under Sir Jim Ratcliffe seems to be fading.