Gary Neville calls on ‘ALL football fans to unite’ after Man United protestors break into Old Trafford to delay Liverpool match… as Jamie Carragher admits he ‘cannot …

Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher backed Manchester United fans who stormed the Old Trafford pitch, with the former Manchester United right back launching a renewed attack on the Glazer family following the failed attempt to take Manchester United into the European Super League.

The debacle has already led to chief executive Ed Woodward announcing that he will step down at the end of 2021 and now the supporters want the Glazers to follow suit.

After fans also set off flares and smoke bombs and clashed with police outside the ground and another group tried to prevent Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his players leaving the Lowry Hotel and boarding the team bus, Neville said he understood their anger and slammed his old club for failing to understand their privileged role within English football.

Gary Neville has backed Manchester United fans for their dramatic protest at Old Trafford

Speaking before Sunday’s potential title-decider against Liverpool, which was delayed due to the protests, Neville said on Sky Sports:  ‘I’ve never thought they were brilliant owners, but I’ve seen there are worse owners in football than the Glazer family. However, I think all football fans should unite today behind what Manchester United fans have done.

‘What they did two years ago was dangerous for English football, we must not forget that. They tried to walk away and create a closed shop league which would have basically created a famine in this country for every other football club.

‘Those 15 clubs (who would have made up the European Super League) would have walked away from their leagues and basically destroyed the ethos of the pyramid and relegation in English football. That’s number one, it’s unforgivable what they did as a family two weeks ago.

‘The Glazer family two weeks ago tried to implement something that would have damaged every single community that has football at the heart of it. That’s why they’re dangerous. 

‘Perez is dangerous, Agnelli, Laporta… they are dangerous to the concept of equal opportunity and fair play in European football.

‘Let’s not forget what we’re arguing about here. Today there is anger. I hope tomorrow it switches to mobilisation towards reform and regulation behind the fan-led review.

‘When I talked about Manchester United and Liverpool two weeks ago, they should act like the grandfather of English football.

‘Demonstrating compassion, spreading wealth through the family and being far. They haven’t done. They’ve demonstrated greed and tried to walk away with all the money themselves and left the family struggling below. That is not what you do at this football club or Liverpool Football Club.’ 

Fans set off flares and smoke bombs outside the Theatre of Dreams before the Liverpool match

A media camera was smashed by a protester after fans entered the Theatre of Dreams, while other supporters tried to get down the tunnel and although most of the crowd did disperse at around 2.20pm shortly after entering the stadium, some fans were still there an hour later. 

Neville’s fellow pundit Jamie Carragher, who is also covering the game for Sky Sports, also backed the eye-catching stance by fans and said the animosity towards the owners of the Red Devils is far more than about just planning to join a breakaway league. 

‘The feeling of Manchester United and Arsenal fans towards their owners was a lot bigger than the Super League. I think that’s why they’ve protested so much,’ the ex-Liverpool centre back said. 

‘This is not just about the Super League for Manchester United – this goes back 10 or 15 years ago when they were taking money out of the bank and charging season ticket holders if they didn’t want to go to a Carling Cup game, or maybe a Europa League game and just taking money off fans.

‘I totally get the frustration of Manchester United fans, and Arsenal fans, I think they’re in a similar situation with their owners. Every football fan in some way should stand with them. 

‘We don’t want to see games called off, no-one wants to see that, but supporters are frustrated with the ownership of their own clubs. What we spoke about with the Super League, and supporters stopping that – we saw the scenes at Chelsea as well – supporters coming together is powerful.

‘Me even as a Liverpool fan, being part of those six clubs that tried to move away, I cannot criticise Manchester United fans for how they’ve gone about things basically. 

Supporters broke into the ground to protest at how the Glazer brothers are running the club

‘An ownership running their club for the last 15 years has had no thought whatsoever for them. They do spend a lot of money, but I go back to what they did with the season tickets and they state of the club now compared to when they first came in.’

No new kick-off time has yet been fixed. If the game goes ahead this afternoon, a win for Jurgen Klopp’s men would see Manchester City win back the Premier League with four games of the season remaining.