COMMENTATOR Jon Champion was bizarrely cut off while passionately criticising the Glazers’ ownership of Manchester United on US telly.
Thousands of Man Utd fans protested at Old Trafford, with some even getting inside the Theatre of Dreams – leading to the match being called off.
And, appearing on ESPN alongside former US striker Taylor Twellman, Champion was keen to explain to American viewers why United fans are so against their owners.
But, in the land of the free, Champion wasn’t allowed to do so.
Twellman, 41, started the segment by saying that the protests were ‘difficult to comprehend’ as an American, because of his country’s franchise model.
At this point Champion, 55, interjected, in order to passionately make his feelings known.
He said: “I hate that word [franchise], because that has no face in our lexicon when we talk about European sports clubs.
“They’re clubs with beating hearts, not franchises.
“You have Manchester United, one of the ‘Super League clubs’ in inverted commas, now for the time being owned by the Glazer family, who are widely despised because they’re seen as absentee owners.
“They bought the club by loading debt onto it, they don’t show any signs of care for it – yet this is the thing that dominates the lives of so many of its followers-.”
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At this point the screen was cut off, before another voice hastily re-appeared telling viewers they would hear more from Champion and Twellman ‘coming up’.
Fans on Reddit were overwhelmingly behind the British commentator, with one writing: “His surname is literally Champion. Imagine topping that.”
While another referred to him as: “Jon “People’s” Champion.”
The protests led to United’s clash with Liverpool being postponed, with the FA having launched an investigation into what went on.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side are yet to find out when the match will go ahead.
SunSport understands that the most likely course of action will be that Liverpool’s May 16 clash with West Brom will be brought forward four days – when the Red Devils are scheduled to play Leicester.
This would then create a gap on May 16 for the two sides to play each other.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
