Taking Action - Manchester United Supporters' Trust vs The Glazer family

Lowdown

MUST used the final of the Carling Cup between Manchester United and Aston Villa to protest against its club's controversial owners, the Glazer family. The not-for-profit group distributed green and gold scarves to act as a symbol of the club's heritage. It also released 30,000 coloured balloons.

Why the protest?

MUST began its 'green and gold' protest campaign at the beginning of the year, amid concerns over the Glazers' financial management of the club. The figures for 2008-09 showed that the club would have made a loss if the sale of striker Cristiano Ronaldo for £81m had not gone through. The group believes the club should be owned by supporters, not by individuals.

Who are the PR players?

The campaign group has just turned to Blue State Digital to help with its campaign. The digital specialists were widely credited for the success of Barack Obama's online election campaign.

How did the media cover it?

The story gained extensive media coverage, with The Observer writing a piece about the protest before it began. Sky News ran the story, including interviews with football supporters at the match, a fund manager who was involved in the protest and an author specialising in the football industry.

This article was first published on PR Week UK