Sir Jim Ratcliffe (left) at the Etihad on Sunday. (Image: Getty)
It seems isn’t yet finished with his extreme cost-cutting measures at with club stewards reportedly the latest employees to be left unimpressed by his ruthlessness.
The chief has been on a mission to increase transfer funds since purchasing his 25 per cent stake this year, having been handed control of the daily running of operations at Old Trafford.
His overhaul has already seen , while VIP guests have had their packages reduced.
Around , and fans have protested against the 72-year-old’s decision to increase ticket prices.
According to , bonuses and rewards for stewards have also been culled. Those charged with managing the crowd during games have traditionally received a £100 bonus for every 10 matches they worked at, a notion now seemingly scrapped.
There was also a £50 prize given to whoever was crowned steward of the week. That incentive has also been reportedly removed, despite stewards traditionally among the lowest-paid workers at football clubs.
And one former steward, who left after nearly two decades at United because of his anger over Ratcliffe’s treatment, has criticised his policy of targeting lesser earners despite paying players extortionate wages. “A lot of stewards are leaving since Ratcliffe came in,” Frank Robinson was quoted as saying.
Stewards at Old Trafford during Manchester United’s last home game. (Image: Getty)
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“Up until last year they used to get an attendance bonus. Every 10 matches we did, we got a £100 bonus. Now they said you’re not having that. So they stopped that completely. For many years you’d have a steward of the week.
“That was someone nominated or fans wrote in and said how well this steward had done. You got £50 for that. Now they still have steward of the week, but they have no award. It’s very petty for a football club. You’re pinching off people at the bottom of the ladder.”
And Robinson, 67, also claimed a number of his former colleagues were following him out the door. “Supervisors and stewards who’ve been at United for years are packing it in,” he said.
“Some stewards in their 70s, they’re putting them into the top tier of the North Stand because they know they won’t like it and they’ll leave. They can bring more agency staff in. They’re trying to force them out.”
Ratcliffe sanctioned a net spend of £101.8million on players in the summer, having granted manager a contract extension. However, that decision backfired , taking away a reported severance payoff of around £16m.