ManU pledged to honor the memory of former Manager Matt Busby "in the directors' box at Old Trafford, despite his family being moved out," according to Callum Davis of the London TELEGRAPH. The club received criticism on Monday morning following reports that it had decided to "remove a plaque" commemorating Busby. According to the PA, four plates bearing the name Busby were removed from seats in the directors' box "and given to to the family at their own request." ManU said that it will have "a new plaque made for the seat which Busby sat in, similar to those which were created to mark the achievements" of Alex Ferguson and former player Bobby Charlton. Busby's grandchildren were given "three complimentary season tickets in a different part of the Old Trafford stadium" after Busby's children, Sandy and Sheena, both passed away during the '14-15 season. The reports were branded "disgraceful" by fans on Twitter who see the removal of the plaque as "disrespectful to one of the club's most famous icons." An online petition has been started calling for ManU to "reinstate the removed plaque" (TELEGRAPH, 9/5).
CUTTING COSTS: YAHOO's Jamie Spencer reported ManU players "have apparently been banned by the club's business heads from swapping shirts with opponents at the end of games" because it is not deemed "cost effective." ManU players have reportedly "been asked not to give their shirts away to opposing players, or even hand them to fans in the crowd." A source said, "They are asked not to swap shirts so they don't have to be replaced. It seems daft given how much the club is worth" (YAHOO, 9/5).
