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Report: Balaclava-clad Manchester United fans attack Woodward's home

Jan Kruger / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Fans wearing balaclavas attacked Manchester United vice-chairman Ed Woodward's home on Tuesday night, The Telegraph's James Ducker reports.

Ducker estimates 20-30 people were involved in the attack. Video circulating online appears to show one person throwing a flare onto Woodward's property.

Woodward and his family weren't present at the time, according to Ducker.

"Manchester United have tonight been made aware of the incident outside the home of one of our employees," the club said in a statement that BBC's Simon Stone obtained. "We know that the football world will unite behind us as we work with Greater Manchester Police to identify the perpetrators of this unwarranted attack.

"Anyone found guilty of a criminal offense, or found to be trespassing on this property, will be banned for life by the club and may face prosecution."

Over the past two weeks, criticism of Woodward's tenure has been morphing into something uglier. A group of United supporters made death threats toward him during Sunday's 6-0 win over Tranmere in the FA Cup fourth round, and they sang about burning the 48-year-old and the Glazers in a bonfire.

Woodward has signed off on a slew of commercial deals that have propped up United, but his failures on the transfer market are well-documented. United have spent nearly £1 billion since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.

"If you don't lose your job for essentially overseeing that investment, that wage bill, and putting that team out on the pitch, then I have to say something is really wrong," said former United captain Gary Neville.

"In terms of what the club needed to do for a number of years now - put the best in class football operators into that club - and they're not doing it. They're not doing it and it's a mess."

Woodward helped the Glazers buy United in 2005, and he was later named to the club's board of directors. He became CEO shortly after Ferguson stepped down.

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