Whether they helped bring down Jose Mourinho, led marches against their club owners or pushed back against plans to commercialize their sport, fans have a long history of using their passion for football as a weapon in the fight for change. These fan protest stories remind us that — though often overlooked — fan activism isn’t just a passing fad.
On a street corner in Hollywood, a few dozen fans were holding signs like “#SaveTheOA” and a stuffed octopus, representing Old Night, an ancient octopus character who appears on the Netflix show “The OA.” They stood for hours in the sun, soaking up the honks, waves and cheers of passing cars on the busy stretch of road. The spirits of the protestors were high, boosted by a cooler of bottled water and strawberry-flavored Kit Kats. Two of them were also taking turns running a YouTube livestream of the protest for folks unable to make it to the location.
The 1958 group says Manchester United is “slowly dying before our eyes on and off the pitch,” blaming the Glazer family’s takeover for huge debt, poor recruitment, an aging stadium and declining standards on and off the field. They’re calling for the club to sell to a local consortium, and they want their fellow supporters to wear black during Sunday’s game against Arsenal at Old Trafford to demonstrate their opposition. The group says it’s too early to tell if the protest will have any impact.
