Ricketts family to meet club supporters over backlash against ownership bid

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9:01 AM ET

The family that owns the Chicago Cubs, who are bidding for a club in the English premier league and face criticism on social media due to past anti-Islamic comments made by the family's matriarch, released a statement condemning racism on Wednesday.

The Ricketts family has agreed to meet with fans of a club they are trying to buy after comments made in an email about Muslims were leaked.

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Three years have passed since Joe Ricketts apologized for making anti-Islamic comments after emails were published.

A New York-based merchant bank, Raine Group, is in the process of identifying preferred bidders for the club, and one of them is the Ricketts family, who are trying to buy the club.

Sources have said that two or three bids are expected to be advanced to the next stage this week, when senior figures at the club will make their choice before the U.K. government.

This has led to #NotoRicketts being used on the social networking site as fans of the club voice their opposition to the family's offer, while Paul Canoville, the first black footballer to play for the club and an anti-racism campaigner, stated on the platform that

The head of the Chicago Supporters Club who is also a Cubs fan, Brian Wolff, claimed that the Ricketts family bid was met with universal disdain by supporters and urged Raine Group to reject their offer.

Our family rejects any form of hate in the strongest possible terms. There is no place for racism or Islamophobia in our society. We have partnerships with the Muslim community in Chicago as well as with all communities of colour.

The values of our family are based on respect for diversity and inclusion. If we prevail in our bid, we will commit to the club and the fans that we will promote these values.

The family investment group led by Tom, Todd and Laura are not part of the bid, according to sources.

The meetings set to take place this week are not a reaction to recent events but the product of lengthy conversations taking place over the last few months.

The source said that fan engagement has been part of the ownership of the Cubs.