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The Premiership leaders are now the most hated company in Britain.
They are more hated than the only people in the country who probably earn more than the club’s multi-million pound stars – bankers.
In a survey of 1 000 UK adults, 26 percent said they hated Manchester United compared to 23 percent who cannot stand budget airline Ryanair, the next most despised company.
There is also plenty of resentment for companies who seem to be making big profits while the rest of the country suffers – the third most hated firm is British Gas.
Not surprisingly, Britain is also seething at the bankers living it up on big bonuses, with 17 percent naming RBS and 16 percent citing Lloyds as financial giants they cannot stand.
The poll, conducted by Online Opinions for The People, showed no love lost either for chains who appear to be taking over the nation’s high streets – 19 percent hate McDonalds and 14 percent hate Starbucks.
Reasons for hating big business vary, according to the responses, with 61 percent hating banks for their bonus culture, 54 percent having a downer on oil companies for petrol prices and 51 percent who can’t stand utilities for hiking up energy bills.
Manchester United may have the biggest crowds and a winning record but their success and power alienates many others from across the country.
In both north-west England and London they are hated by 31 percent – though many of these are probably supporters of their biggest rivals.
That figure falls to 22 percent in the South West and 23 percent in East Anglia.
Ryanair gets the most negative response from Londoners where 31 percent hate the airline, compared to just 13 percent of those in the north-east.
Network Rail is most unpopular in the commuter heartlands of the south-east, while BT gets the thumbs down from 20 percent in Scotland, but only eight percent in Wales.
A spokesman for Online Opinions said: “It is not surprising that so many big companies are hated by so many people when you consider the ways in which they make themselves unpopular.
“Manchester United is possibly a victim of its own success and the way it is viewed by passionate fans of its rivals but it is different for banks and utilities.
“Banks get billions of pounds to rescue them from the public then go and splash out millions on bonuses while the rest of the country is in recession – no wonder they are so disliked.
“And utilities keep raising household bills at a time when people can afford them the least yet they still seem to be making lots of profits.
“With other companies, the reasons are more personal.
“Ryanair is probably the most popular airline in Britain thanks to cheap fares yet passengers still moan about having to pay for their luggage or booking by credit cards.” – Daily Mail.