2026-02-20 14:01:21
Viv Anderson has told Sir Jim Ratcliffe to “think before he speaks”.
He hit out after the Manchester United co-owner said “immigrants have colonised” the UK – remarks that have prompted scrutiny from the Football Association and anger within the club.
Anderson, 69, England’s first black men’s international footballer, was responding after Ratcliffe, 73, the Ineos billionaire who completed a £1.25 billion minority stake in Manchester United two years ago, sparked a national debate with his comments.
The FA is examining whether Ratcliffe has brought the game into disrepute.
United later released a statement saying they remained committed to racial equality.
Interim manager Michael Carrick, who has 17 overseas players in his first-team squad, is expected to face questions on the issue.
Anderson is quoted by The Sun saying about Ratcliffe: “I was shocked that the owner of a club like Manchester United came out with such a statement.”
He added: “He did apologise a couple of days after but it rankles when people say things like that.”
Referring to his own background, he added: “My parents arrived with the Windrush generation from Jamaica in the ’50s and I was fortunate to be the first black player to represent this country.”
He continued: “In many respects it demeans what we did but at the end of the day people should think before they talk.”
Anderson, who spent four years at Old Trafford between 1987 and 1991, also drew a contrast with Middlesbrough chairman Steve Gibson.
He said: “I worked with Middlesbrough chairman Steve Gibson. He’s been an owner for nearly 20 years now. And the only other time we ever heard him speak was at board meetings, we’d meet in the pub somewhere and we’d have something to eat and we’d discuss the club.”
Anderson added: “He never came out in the press and said anything. He employed a manager for that reason. I like chairmen like that, just say nothing and let the manager get on with doing the job.”
On Carrick, Anderson said: “Carrick doesn’t need this side effect of what he said or what he didn’t say.”
He added: “He’ll be grilled on it this week and he’ll want to concentrate on the team performance. So I prefer owners like Steve.”
Ratcliffe’s tenure at United has included the dismissal of managers Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim, alongside 450 job cuts and the scrapping of free lunches for staff.
Anderson, who won two European Cups under Brian Clough at Nottingham Forest, said the focus should remain on football matters as United prepares for its next fixture.
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