Organisers made the decision late last night after deciding they had not left enough time to drum up widespread enthusiasm for what was always going to be a risky strategy.
A proposed march to Old Trafford from the nearby cricket ground has also been cancelled in the first major setback for the `Not For Sale' Coalition in their bid to prevent a takeover by American business tycoon Malcolm Glazer.
Even as the boycott was being announced on Wednesday, dissenting voices were being hard.
Rather than act as a focal point for an anti-Glazer stance, some fans felt it would only serve to undermine their argument if the vast majority of ticket holders opted to ignore the call to stay out of the stadium.
With supporters routinely heading to Manchester from all points of the United Kingdom and Ireland, it was felt asking them to make the journey but not watch the game was a step too far.
While senior figures within the `Not For Sale' group insist the organisation remains united and determined to see off Glazer's advances, a strategy rethink will be required to exert any pressure on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers owner.
Glazer has been set a May 17 deadline to lodge a formal '800million offer for United and is currently in talks with major backers JP Morgan and NM Rothschild over his next move.
Red Devils chief executive David Gill has already indicated he would not be able to recommend a bid if it eventually arrives, describing Glazer's business plan as aggressive and claiming the debt levels required would place the long-term future of the club under threat.
Nevertheless, it is widely assumed Glazer will pursue his takeover dream, putting the spotlight firmly on Irish racing duo John Magnier and JP McManus, without whose 28.9% stake the American cannot hope to succeed. Tweet
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What a complete circus this is turning out to be! I've not laughed so much in years. Do you lot realise that cancelling it will only fuel his desire to take over even more. What he now knows is that you lot of clowns have no faith in your support, so mush so, they are going to ignore the boycott and turn up anyway. IMUSA, what a joke?
Blah,blah, blah. As I said all along the vast majority (albeit silent) don't care who owns the club. For god's sake is anyone interested in what is happening on the pitch? 19 years and one Champions League final! Time for this underachiever and the rest of them to go. In my opinion this great club is underperforming. That is the real issue to address.I fthis board can't or won't them let some one else have a go.
Well that's really showed him! People power. Impressive stuff. Still it gives the rest of us a good laugh.
I'm a united fan beause of the team. I care about how the team perform, the players and about watching football. Glazer knows what everyone thinks about him and it hasn't made one bit of differnece and neither would boycotting a nothing league match. The whole thing comes down to whether Cubic sell their stake to him or not and NOTHING else. I for one will be there on saturday to watch and support my football team for the simple reason that I love them. My presence on saturday has absolutely nothing to do with my opinions of the board, some ginger fool or my feelings on aggressively leveraged buy-out transactions. I love football, I love United and I'll go to every game I can with a clear conscience.
Just proves what everyone already knows. Apart from a few self-important windbags, no-one really cares who owns the club as long as they can watch their team play football every week. This is why Glazer is interested as he knows that just about whatever he does he will get a full house every week. If you really want to stop him then it has to be a full boycott every week.
I can understand why all you city fans on here are bemused by United's inability to stage a match boycott. After all, about 5000 of you lot boycotted your last home match didn't you?
What was that protest about?
I think Malcom Glazer would be ace for Utd.
yeah Citeh - who's trying to buy you??? Or is it jsut precautionary? Because it looks like it's working!!
united we stand. bravo. bravo.
ain't it funny that when magnier and mcmanus increased their stake. all you 'concerned' united fans took to running on the racetrack at cheltenham. ap pro po achieving nowt. and is'nt it far far far funnier that them two are the only ones that can save you now.
it truly is a case of 'selective memory' with you lot - yet again...
you'll be in more debt than us by the end of next year.
and if you do fail to qualify for the chumps league, which is a real possibility, crippled is a term deemed very usable.
silly united, silly billy united, silly silly silly stooopid united.
have a nice day y'all....
A good decision. many of us who have to rely for tickets on success in the draw need more time so as we don't actually enter the draw. i for one come from belfast, I have secured tickets in the draw for both West brom and Chelsea and intend to stay from Saturday to Wednesday. This is causing me a hughe financial drain. i also feel that West brom is the wrong match to boycott. It belittles the return of my beloved Robbo and it would deny West Brom that support that so many United fans feel for them. Boycott by all means but decide on it before we have to apply in the draw for tickets, book flights, accommodation etc.
Ella
Oh dear red Rob - you're a plc you see and so you are for sale, City are not. You lost your right to decide who owns your club the day you sold out to the stock market. Perhaps you should have been a little more vocal back then....enjoy your pretzels and $200 admission charges...and well done on organising such an effective boycott, by jove you United fans are such a dedicated bunch aren't you!!!!
Rick mate, fair point about United fans not being dedicated enough. Imagine how embarrassing the boycott would have been if only 3,007 people had turned up!
I fully concur with the comments of Wily Coyote who is one of the few posters who talks sense on here.
I am sick to death of minority fan groups representing just that, a very small minority of United's vast global support, and acting as if they are the de facto leaders of all supporters.
In fact the majority of them are on an ego trip and needed a lesson in humility, the aborted boycott was that lesson.The anti-Glazer campaign is on the ropes and I'm confident he will assume control of United shortly.
Welcome to the real world folks!
desperate of southend gets ever more desperate. However way you look at statistics of shareholders united and the alleged global fan base (many switch allegiance every season and will be blues at the moment), SU are an overwhelming majority compared with that minority of one, Glazer. Repeat all you like your confidence in glazer gaining control, the simple fact is he is a busted flush. If Glazer could offload his shares he would bite that hand off. He has already bought the stake he has at the wrong price with borrowed money. His entire business career has been about heavily leveraged takeovers and/or greenmail. And the Irish are very well aware of this, they wont blink, glazer is dead in the water.
so let's get this right - the self-appointed leaders of the anti-glazer crusade (or is that damp squib) can't even organise for fans to leave an end of season game after 70 mins because most of the fans dont come from mcr + dont want to miss the match - pathetic u r all sad acts
ps frank - COMS was full last home match (of mancs as well - not irish / cockneys / chinese)
VOTE MALC!
Rick Glos - what makes you think City can't be bought? They are owned by some poor sod at the moment and if he chose to sell it to some other poor hapless sod then he could and would. Things don't have to be on the stock market to be sold pal. I've said this countless times before but your arguement is incredibly stupid. I'm off to the pub to buy a pint now (or should I buy buy my beer on the stock exchange?)
Rick, I happen to work in mergers & acquisitions for an investment back in the city. I can assure you it is MUCH easier to buy out a private company than it is to buy a publicly quoted one. And in any case, it is certainly possible!
you lot have no bottle. not enough time. you are having a larff. mind you the last demo that i seen on box there was only 500 shouting .and you had a full house that day.???
nuffff said
I'm very sorry to hear about this take over. I'm even more sorry that its one of my own countryman that like so many people here know nothing or care little about soccer. One thing i like so much about manchester united and the rest of european soccer is the fans devotion to there teams. i pray that you remain faithful to your team reguardless of the outcome. i hope that this glazer chump finds someone that will assist him in making the best choice for the team and its fans