Man United and Liverpool fans plan joint protests

What is perhaps the biggest rivalry in English football could be put to one side next month when Manchester United and Liverpool fans round on their common enemy - American football club owners.

It is claimed that supporters groups have been in touch about staging unprecedented joint protests against the two clubs' backers when the rivals meet at Old Trafford next month.

In the sights of United fans are the Glazer family, who took over the club in 2005 and have saddled it with huge debts of more than £700m. Earlier this year they were forced to raise £500m in a bond issue.

For supporters of Liverpool, the targets will be George Gillett and Tom Hicks, who rolled into Anfield in 2007 promising investment and a new stadium. However, those stadium plans have been put on hold and the club are now £237m in debt, and unless the owners can raise £100m by July they may have to sell up.

An 'unholy alliance' of fans who traditionally cannot stand each other at one of the biggest games in the Premier League calendar would certainly have an impact, but whether it would influence the owners of the clubs remains to be seen.

It is also unclear what form the protests would actually take, although chants and banners inside Old Trafford look the most likely option. As the Manchester Evening News says: "Any joint demonstration is expected take place in the ground with protest marches ruled out amid fears fans, unable to ignore the two club's historic differences, would clash."

Fans of the two clubs are well used to venting their spleen at their current owners. Many United fans have swapped the colour red for green and gold, the colours of United's original strip when they played as Newton Heath. And Anfield is regularly bedecked with banners calling for Hicks and Gillett to stand down.

However, one businessman has told fans that the only way to influence club owners is to stop watching games.

Former Football League chairman Keith Harris, who is part of a consortium hoping to buy Manchester United from the Glazers, said: "[Fans] have to be prepared to take the pain of not watching their club in order to achieve a long-term gain. Supporters have to be galvanised to say, 'We will not come. We will not buy programmes and merchandise'." ·