United saddened by passing of Chas Banks MBE

by

Communications Department

Wednesday 30 October 2024 16:00

Everyone at Manchester United is profoundly saddened by the loss of our longstanding friend, and Manchester United Disabled Supporters’ Association (MUDSA) secretary, Chas Banks MBE, who has died at the age of 74.

Chas grew up in the shadows of Old Trafford and often recalled watching Duncan Edwards play on his first visit to the stadium with his father on Christmas Day in 1957. He was part of MUDSA since 1997, after becoming disabled the year before, and worked tirelessly to improve the experiences of disabled supporters not just at Manchester United but across our game in the years since. 

In 2016, Chas became the secretary of MUDSA, and helped form a close bond with Manchester United Foundation, taking MUDSA’s support for those with disabilities beyond football and into the local community. 

Chas always sought to improve the environment for fans and MUDSA members - he helped shape and drive forward the club’s £11 million investment in the stadium’s accessible facilities that created 118 new wheelchair positions and 158 new amenity seats, doubling the capacity of these sections in Old Trafford. As part of this project, the South Stand platform and Ability Suite were also upgraded and this is where Chas would often be found on matchdays and where he held many of his famous MUDSA events. 

Collette Roche, Chief Operating Officer at Manchester United, said: “This is truly devastating news for all of us at the club who knew and worked with Chas. He was an important figure within our fan community and represented MUDSA with integrity and passion, as well as playing a significant role on our Fans’ Forum for almost a decade. Chas was a relentless advocate for the interests of fans with disabilities and played such an important part in driving forward the development of our accessible facilities at the stadium.

“We send our sincere condolences to Chas’s family and friends. The best tribute we can pay to Chas is to continue strengthening the bond between the club and MUDSA and continuing his hard work to make our game accessible for all.”

A wreath will be placed in the Ability Suite ahead of kick off by Denis Irwin, in remembrance of Chas and his great contribution to the club and MUDSA.

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