Sir Jim Ratcliffe is reported to have slashed Manchester United staff's Christmas bonuses and their annual party as the Red Devils' billionaire co-owner continues his cost-cutting drive

Fans of Manchester United have compared Sir Jim Ratcliffe to Ebenezer Scrooge(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

Fans have branded Sir Jim Ratcliffe "Ebenezer Scrooge" after the billionaire's latest penny-pinching measures at Manchester United.

Supporters have likened the INEOS boss to the infamous Christmas crank from Charles Dickens' novel A Christmas Carol after it emerged Sir Jim has cancelled United employees' annual party and slashed their festive bonuses.

Prior to Ratcliffe's team taking over, staff were believed to receive a £100 bonus during the holiday season. However, this has now been replaced with a £40 Marks and Spencer voucher under the club's blundering new regime.

The chemicals group chairman, who is the second wealthiest figure in the UK and in 2020 moved from his home in Hampshire to tax-free Monaco, officially took over at United two months after his investment at the club was announced in December 2023.

Since then he has introduced a swathe of cost-cutting measures, with The Mail reporting that this year's Christmas party has been axed due to it being deemed inappropriate after a year of job losses. Approximately 250 people's jobs have been slashed since Ratcliffe's arrival, nearly a quarter of the workforce, in an effort to save between £35million and £45m, reports the Mirror.

Ratcliffe stripped back some traditional FA Cup benefits in May, with staff still given free tickets for the Wembley showpiece but missing out on other benefits handed out in previous years. Now, with Christmas just a fortnight away, the cut to bonuses has come to light.

That is said to have brought a mixed response, according to The Mail, with some staff left frustrated, but others pleasantly surprised to be receiving anything after all the other cuts made on Ratcliffe's watch. In addition to the bonus reduction, the club's Christmas party, which was scaled back in 2023, is now said to have been completely cancelled.

However, fans have made their views clear, comparing the co-owner of United - who has also controversially ditched club ambassador Sir Alex Ferguson and moved to raise ticket prices - to the notorious miser from Dickens' novel. One fan wrote on X: "Ratcliffe is the real modern version of Ebenezer Scrooge.

A second posted: "It seems Jim Ratcliffe is trying to be the Michael Caine of Man Utd. Playing the role of Ebenezer Scrooge, while being surrounded by a bunch of Muppets."

A third added: "Jim Ratcliffe as Scrooge is too fitting: hoarding wealth and cutting corners while Manchester United turns into a humbug empire. Profit over passion, the club’s soul is slipping away. Where’s the ghost to show them the cost of their greed?"

Another commented: "Nah! After that disgusting £66 ticket hike, I'm not gonna put 1 single penny in the coffers of ScroogeRatcliffe! And scrapping the Christmas party for the staff is another disgusting penny pinching decision! Scrap the £66 hike asap"

Discounts for young people and those over 65 have been scrapped for the rest of the season, with tickets for Saturday's loss to Nottingham Forest going on general sale following the price increase to a minimum of £66. In an email to fans, United stated that the changes would only affect a small number of tickets.

The club defended the measures, saying they were introduced when they were seeking to raise funds to "invest in football and infrastructure", but there has been a backlash against the move.

"The recent hike in member ticket prices, particularly for children, is by far the most unpopular decision the club has made since the partial ownership change earlier this year," said the Manchester United Supporters Trust. "It has created a significant rift with the fanbase and the club must act urgently to repair the damage."

Another fan branded it: "A Manc-Christmas Carol (2024) - Starring Jim Ratcliffe as Ebenezer Scrooge."