Ratcliffe has caused controversy with his comments(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Sir Jim Ratcliffe could face Football Association action after his controversial “colonial” comments. The FA are reviewing the Monaco-based billionaire’s remarks which have caused a huge backlash and widespread condemnation.
English football’s governing body have yet to launch any kind of formal investigation but they may look into whether they have brought the game into disrepute.
Manchester United co-owner Ratcliffe caused outrage by saying “immigrants” have led to the “UK being colonised” and the country cannot afford to pay for it.
Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, said the comments were “inaccurate, insulting, inflammatory” and were “against everything for which Manchester has traditionally stood.”
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And it is the inflammatory element that the FA are likely to look at most closely to see whether that could prompt a full investigation and further action.
The remarks were made in an interview with Sky News and have brought condemnation while he also got his facts wrong.
Ratcliffe said the “population of the UK was 58 million in 2020, now it’s 70 million. That’s 12 million people.” But that is incorrect, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics who say it was 67 million in 2020 and was last anywhere close to 58 million in 2000.
It has caused a massive backlash from United fans with Ratcliffe already a deeply unpopular and divisive figure since buying a stake into Old Trafford.
This latest storm has caused a huge issue as he has been accused of being a “hypocrite” because he lives in Monaco which is known as a tax exile.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the comments were “disgraceful and deeply divisive”, while he also said Ratcliffe should “apologise immediately.”
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The Manchester United Muslim Supporters Club (MUMSC) said Ratcliffe had used “language frequently used in far-right narratives”.
A statement said: “Manchester United is a global club built on diversity – on players, staff and supporters from every background, faith and ethnicity. The strength of our club, and of our country, lies in that diversity.
“We stand with all communities who reject racism, antisemitism, Islamophobia and hatred in all its forms, and we call for leadership that unites rather than divides.”
The Manchester United Supporters Trust said: “Comments from the club’s senior leadership should make inclusion easier, not harder.”
The anti-racism football campaign group Kick It Out called Ratcliffe’s comments “disgraceful and deeply divisive”. In a statement, the organisation said: “In addition to the inaccurate figures mentioned, it’s worth reminding him that Manchester United has a diverse fanbase and plays in a city whose cultural history has been enriched by immigrants.
“This type of language and leadership has no place in English football, and we believe most fans will feel the same.”
