Manchester United have been branded “beyond arrogant” after campaigners revealed the club had repeatedly ignored requests for a meeting with Ed Woodward to address their “grotesque” failure to pay all workers there the “real” Living Wage.

Despite pledging more than six months ago to respond to an open letter signed by almost 2,500 people - including United’s MP and the Bishop Salford - calling for talks between Woodward and civil-society alliance Manchester Citizens, Telegraph Sport can disclose the world’s richest team have failed to do so.

It can also be revealed five subsequent requests for a meeting went unanswered, prompting a demonstration outside Old Trafford ahead of Friday night’s opening match of the Premier League season between United and Leicester City.

The action saw Manchester Citizens, a branch of campaigning charity Citizens UK, parade a giant football plastered with messages from United fans demanding all who carry out work there are paid at least £8.75 per hour.

A huge calendar was also unveiled in an attempt to shame executive vice-chairman Woodward into agreeing to meet campaigners, who wanted a club representative to write down in public a date for that meeting.