ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE:A STUDENT working part-time in an Old Trafford catering kiosk has become the latest individual connected with Manchester United to claim he has felt the strength of the club's backlash against protests targeting the Glazers.

Jerry Vyse, a first-year anthropology student at Manchester University, said he bought a green and gold scarf outside the ground and wore it during his half-time shift at last week’s Champions League match against Milan only to be sacked when he refused to remove it. He said fans buying pies and Bovril cheered his stance and booed when his supervisor put the queue on hold and asked him to leave the kiosk, marching him to the office of the catering manager.

“I turned to the supervisor and asked him why I could not continue doing my job,” Vyse told Student Direct, the Manchester University newspaper and website. “He said it was not because I was wearing a scarf because, if it had been a different colour, he would not have minded. MUFC will no doubt state the decision was based on uniform policy – what he told me surely refutes that. He said it was because it was ‘anti-Glazer’. Does it not sniff a little bit like a dictatorship if not even the smallest of dissents can be made about an incredibly rich man who has more or less taken over the club?”

The Champions League tie was largely seen as a triumph for the protesters targeting the Glazers and supporting a potential takeover bid from the self-styled Red Knights, with David Beckham donning a green and gold scarf as he left the pitch following loud protests during the game.

In an attempt to quell the dissent, United have banned players from discussing the campaign, forbidden the inhouse TV channel MUTV from mentioning it and sacked a steward after 19 years’ service for attempting to return an anti-Glazer banner to its owners. United could not be reached for comment on Vyse’s allegations yesterday.