Man Utd cancel end of season awards event again after miserable campaign
- United will not host their annual award ceremony at the end of this season
- The Red Devils on brink of their lowest Premier League finish in history
- Erik ten Hag's side also preparing for FA Cup final against Manchester City
By Tom Gott
Manchester United have cancelled their annual end of season awards ceremony as they approach the end of a bitterly disappointing campaign.
The Red Devils previously cancelled the event, which is usually held at Old Trafford and attended by men's, women's and academy sides, towards the end of the 2021/22 season after a miserable run of form under interim boss Ralf Rangnick.
The Athletic note that the same decision has been taken this season as the celebration, which was initially scheduled for May 20, has now been wiped from the calendar.
Players will still receive the annual awards, such as the Sir Matt Busby player of the year prize, but they will simply not be handed out at a specific event.
The report claims that United have taken this decision so as to avoid adding any extra distractions ahead of the FA Cup final against Manchester City, which will be contested five days after the initial event plan on May 25.
While Erik ten Hag's senior side have endured a thoroughly underwhelming campaign - Sunday's 1-0 defeat to Arsenal leaves them eighth in the Premier League standings - the wider club have enjoyed plenty of success in 2023/24.
United's women's outfit won their first major trophy on Sunday by lifting their own FA Cup, while the Under-18 side were the runaway winners of the U18 Premier League North and find themselves in the National Premier League Final.
Those accomplishments would usually be celebrated at the annual awards ceremony but they will now have to make do with behind-the-scenes events.
The women's academy sides have already held their own ceremony to celebrate success at both Under-21 and Under-18 level.