"They don't, they don't speak for us..."

The 138th Manchester derby is still over two weeks away, but already City fans are being castigated and vilified by the national media. The game, as has been well documented for the last god knows how many months, is going to be a sensitive affair falling, as it does, just four days after the 50th anniversary of the Munich air disaster. There is some debate as to whether or not this is a freak coincidence, one of those anomalies thrown up by the computer which generates Premiership fixtures each summer, or if United instigated the idea, romantically yet naively seeing it as an ideal opportunity for the city of Manchester to be, ahem, united in paying their respects to the Munich dead. One wonders if this whole issue could have been averted by simply rearranging the fixture with a minimum of fuss behind the scenes.

The latest furore surrounds the revelation that City's Official Supporter's Club asked United to consider holding a minute's applause as opposed to silence, as is often the tradition these days, in order to nullify the very real prospect of a small minority of City fans being disrespectful. It wasn't a particularly unreasonable request, a preventative measure given that the world's eyes will be upon us. Not that the press saw it that way, of course. "City fans demand Munich tribute to be scrapped" screamed the morning's headlines. Hardly. We're being hung, drawn and quartered before the game has even taken place. Still, it's not for us to tell United how to conduct their tribute.

You almost sense that United fans and the media are willing us to break the silence; every story needs its bad guys and City fit the bill perfectly. There must be literally hundreds of thousands of City fans in the world, yet our reputation will be forever sullied by some drunken lout who thinks it's the height of hilarity to scream an obscenity whilst the rest of us pay our respects. I'm not sure if the press would get away with pigeon holing any other section of society based on the actions of a tiny minority, but what can you do? The knives are already being sharpened.

Every right minded City fan is dreading this fixture, and not for football reasons. It's pretty much a given that the silence will be broken, as there is a small, but vocal, minority of City fans completely lacking in civil decency who will do anything to antagonise their United rivals. How hard can it be to remain silent for one solitary minute, to respect the young men who tragically lost their lives? The vast majority of us find such taunts nauseating and abhorrent, hence the request for a minute's applause so that we could drown out the Neanderthals, but it wasn't to be.

Many United fans revel in their own self-righteousness, but there's a degree of hypocrisy about this, evident in the songs sung about Marc Vivien Foe, Hillsborough and, going further back, Aberfan. Every team has their moronic element I guess, and City are no different.

As a club, City are doing everything within their power to play their part in the tributes. The team will play in a special commemorative kit, incorporating a black ribbon with the sponsor's logo removed (which is probably for the best, given that we're currently sponsored by an airline). United will play in a replica of the strip worn by the 1958 side, which will probably be on sale in the Megastore after the game. Never ones to miss an opportunity. There's currently a big memorial poster outside Old Trafford, with the sponsor's AIG logo crudely plastered on it, which seems a little crass. But United have been exploiting Munich for many years, making the tragedy emblematic whilst simultaneously neglecting the surviving players and families of those who passed away (as detailed in Jeff Connor's excellent "The Lost Babes").

In addition to the special kit, club captain Richard Dunne and manager Sven Goran Eriksson have written to the 3,000 supporters attending the game, asking them to uphold the image of the club by observing the minute's silence respectfully. The letters are accompanied by a photograph of the late Frank Swift, City's greatest ever keeper, who also passed away in the tragedy whilst covering the game for the News of the World. This hasn't gone down too well with some City fans, as the club has done nothing of note to remember Swift in the past, but now seem to be using his legacy as a bargaining tool ahead of the game.

The over riding feeling amongst many City fans is that we should just turn up, pay our respects by observing the silence, not get involved in the media circus surrounding the game, and then get on with the task in hand; namely aiming to beat United at Old Trafford for the first time since that glorious day in 1974 when Denis Law back-heeled them into Division Two.

Ric Turner
www.bluemoon-mcfc.co.uk

Comments

[Rob]

The Munich air DISASTER, The Hillsborough DISASTER, Mark Vivian Foe DYING during a football match. Only the sick could find anything amusing in these DISASTERS. Next time somebody makes some sick comment to you about such events, take the pi** out their granny dying, see how they like that. The Munich songs sung up and down the country for many years make me feel sick. I actually remember finind out the words in the early 90's when a group of evertonians were happily singing "songs" in the school canteen. Obviously this was post Hillsborough and so the songs had stopped at Anfield, although they continued for many years at Goodison. United fans like to take the moral high ground, but you are all missing the point. To truly have the moral high ground the best route you can take is not to chant about Hillsborough or the Leeds fan stabbed to death in Istanbul. And for those who claim that no Hillsborough songs have ever been sung at Anfield, no i have never heard a direct "Hillsborough" chant and i have been to every LFCvUtd game since 1989, however, you must be very niave if you think that every doesn't know what you're getting at with your "wheres your famous...." chant. Take the moral high ground, at the end of the day there are probably many united fans who knew people who died.

The best thing city can do on Sunday, and i hope to god they do, is show the media gobsh*tes that football fans are not going act out the sterotype stage show that they want, yes WANT. Afterall it makes for better viewing figures and paper sales than a respectfully observed silence in tribute to the 23 people killed in a terrible DISASTER.

Take the moral high ground city fans, your support is fantastic, don't listen to the clown talking about the 27000 attending the cup match, if they stripped out the cling ons at OT then they wouldn't fill they (magnificant) stadium for mid week cup replays either. Be the better man city fans, observe the silence, show your respect and the beat the buggers!!

RIP The Victims of Munich, a terrible disaster we hope is never is repeated

[vinnie manchester]

I was at anfield in the united section the day after the 96th victim of the hillsborogh disaster died.I think his life support system was switched off from memory.There was a minutes sience which was observe by all the Manchester United supporters in the stadium.All clubs including my club have an element of idiots its knowing when to be an idiot and when not to be that makes the difference.

[The Kippax Street Kid]

The sad truth of the matter is that rather than spend the minute of silence paying their respects to the fallen of Munich, the vast majority of United fans and the worlds media will be willing City fans to disrupt the occasion. In fact, I wouldn't be at all surprised if it is a United fan who does break the silence in an effort to "score points" over their Mancunian rivals. Manchester City and their fans are effectively being set up for a public flogging -and there is nothing we can do about it. Catch 22. On another widely read forum, I called for a minutes applause as a happy medium between showing respect and drowning out those foolish enough to deliberately disrupt the occasion, but was immediately lambasted by a mini army of indignant United fans. I, like most City fans feel we are being forced into a corner. We are resentful of this, and resentful of the fact that United and their fans wring their hands in anguish over the tragedy yet continue to reap the rewards from their commercial exploitation of it. The minutes silence is almost certain to be broken - the faintest sneeze or cat call will be met with a crescendo of self-righteous howling. If a minutes applause is not deemed fitting for those who lost their lives at Munich (even though other similar occasions have been marked in this way) then apart from accepting our fate as decreed by the powers that be at United and the media, the only alternative I can see for City fans is to file out of the seating areas and into the concourse and observe a minutes silence in there. It would at least allow those of us who wished to the opportunity to pay their respects and illustrate in no uncertain terms that we will NOT kowtow to either Manchester United or their sycophant followers in the media.

[bitter blue, lol ironic considering the situation]

we're all going to a golden jubilee- was made up by a journo who was in saudi with united.

- lets reaffirm this, derby game...united sang where's your 23, one a couple of people the crowd sang it, if you think united have nver sung about hillesborough has nver been to games, lets not forget russian submarinie song that you were so pround of.

- united will be wearing AIG on their shirt, unlike city, they will keep the corporate logo, thats respect!
- it seems united fans on here are the nost bitter, we never sang this or that but you do. although your taunts have been well recorded in the press.

- as for munich, the fact that united have used it as a money spinner for years but didnt give too shits about the victims at the time. - kicking families out of player houses, paying cantona twice the amount o the whole compensation given away to play in tribute match for the families. what about that exhibition match in memoraywhich united kept all the income

"They received massive international support following the disaster. But they didn't treat people properly then, did nothing for us all those years, and they're still making money out of it directly now." ray wood

- it bollocks, being told to be silent, united is run by sycophants, a mins applause would appease everyone and make the occasion respectful, so how many deaths does it make it appropiate to change from a clap to silence, what a ridiculous statement. Football has fully gotten behind the clap as it is respectful and shows thousands of fans making a joint effort to celebrate the lives of those who dies.

- in what way isnt it appropriate?

[BRUCE]

Quite astonishing! A perfectly well balanced article about the 'silence' from a Manchester City supporter, and what's the result:
"The only supporters who have disgraced themselves in paying respects in my lifetime and been Liverpool, City and Leeds...
"Obviously there are thousands of good City fans but if you think it is a small few that spoil it for everyone you are deluded.
"For too long have the City and their fabled wonderful supporter have been allowed to shamefully abuse the dead of munich.
"the vast majority of city fans dancing and singing with arms outsteched 'Who's that dying on the runway..'
"Same old liars, same old crap and same old bitterness,
"Many city fans are a disgrace to the club, and always have been. They'd be a disgrace to Manchester, I suppose, if most of them didn't hail from the god-forsaken mill towns that are dotted around the city.
"And you wonder why we call you the Liars. How can you say it is a minority, absolute rubbish.
"I've been attending Manchester derby’s for 37 years and without exception I've heard Munich chants coming from the city supporters in all of them.
"your famous munich chant is one of the first songs you learn when you are a young bitter growing up in Stockport or Rochdale.
"I think nobody associated with Man City are in a position request anything anything from Utd .
"the bitterness felt toward Utd from City has escalated beyond belief in the last 50 years, to the point where even this tragedy takes second place to City's delusional feelings of persecution.

As Ric's article said: "Every team has their moronic element I guess". Point proven: That element clearly exists even amongst readers of the Times. But it is rare to see such an outpouring of "self righteous, quivering indignation" in one place.
Undoubtedly, the dead (and, indeed, survivors) of February 1958 deserve their moment of respect, and from me they will have it. But what a pity that those who profess now to support their successors are so unworthy of anything approaching that respect. Your club deserves better than you.

[mike the manc]

When City played Liverpool last year the Liverpool fans ruined the mins silence for george Best and yet nothing was mentioned in any papers?

And no one talks about the FA Cup derby at OT in 1996 when United ruined the mins silence for Bob paisley who'd died on the Friday before.

But the press cant slag off United or Liverpool fans as theyd stop buying their rags.

Ive got a ticket and ill be silent,if others decide not to repsect the mins silence (sponsored by AIG) then thats their choice but all theyll be doing is exactly the same thing supporters from other clubs have done before.

[Mick]

An Idea.

Why don't United open the ground on the actual anniversary, and allow all those who wish to honour the name of the victims to stand in respectful silence, say a prayer or just reflect on the lives of those who perished?

[Dennis Higgins]

It is strange that it is only usually todays football supporters, who have this ability at what should be a time of rememberance for Manchester as a whole, to remember along with all the nation that horrific night when all these young players lost their lives.
In those days two teams were dominant in the league Wolverhampton Wanderers and Manchester United, and as a young Wolves fan I was shocked and apppalled at what happened that night.
Many true football people and supporters cried at the loss of life of such a wonderful team and I know the shock of losing one of Englands greatest young players in Duncan Edwards, a local lad from Dudley.
This was felt all over the Midland region and I remember the first time we played Manchester united after the Disaster,I can't remember if it was the same season or not but the people and the players on the day seemed very subdued.
This is a personal memory of those times, I can not remember the score to this day of that match,it did not matter,the united team were applauded onto the pitch and applauded off at the end of the game and it was obvious to everyone in the ground that Wolves Supporters were highly affected by this disaster just as if it had been their own team.
I think this sums up the effect this had on the whole of the nation whether they were football or cricket or rugby fans,it had an affect on everyone,it upset us all,for days this is all anyone talked about,I seem to remember a TV interview with Duncan at his bedside, so it was another shock two weeks later when he died.
So it affected not only every supporter of football but the man in the street also, as a child memories good or bad often stay with you all your life.
I just hope that all fans pay their respects on the day, I am sure all of the Manchester City fans of that era were just as shocked as the rest of the nation,football rivalry was completely forgotten when this tragedy happened.
I belive that nearly all true supporters feel the same as I do,only idiots feel they need to let rivalry enter or interfere in having a minutes silence to honour some great players and a great team.

[Dave]

I think that the comments Ju are really spot on "Whats really astounding about this is the fact that both sides are arguing along the lines of "but you're evil chants are worse than our evil chants ". An evil chant is an evil chant no matter who sings it, and as an MUFC supporter I will call any United fan a liar if they say United fans havent sung about Hillsborough, Heysel, Mark V Foe, Shankley or whatever because I have been going to OT for 30 years and I've heard it. If you want others to behave then its about time United fans got their own house in order first."

I think all houses at all clubs need to be put in order lets have positive support for our team not negative support for the opposition.

On the point that Ju states "If City fans know they have an element who will set out to spoil it, then its up to them to show them that their chants, booes, songs etc wont be tolerated."

If you ever go on any of the forums of MCFC you will know that we are all urging the silence to be respected not only as a mark of respect but also so that the City is not denigrated in the press.

The problem is if just 1 person shouts as I am sure they will just to show how "hard" they are, it will very quickly generate into a slanging match which will ruin the whole situation hence the call for a minutes applause, but so be it, we just have to hope that anyone who does disrespect the silence is named and shamed and that the whole Club is not blamed as I don't think that City as a club could have done much more than they have to ensure that the anniversary is marked with respect.

[seamus]

united could have planned this better but as usual the want to make money, doing this against city is another chance to put brand united in the media spotlight and then drop a few hints to the gutter press about how city will not show respect. this could have been done
with taste but then that is not the united way

[GW]

Back in 1967 I attended a match at OT with a number of fellow school children from Aberfan.
No-one from the club was "available" to meet us, we were offered zero hospitality.
Says it all really.

[rabi burns]

how many of you crying red muppets know that this weekend is holocaust memorial day ? not many i would guess - but why remember those millions of dead when you can wallow in your own self pity over what was a tragic accident ! ironic is it not that the club whos fans invented hooliganism and sick chants in the 70,s are now outraged that morons from other clubs sing sick songs about them - what goes around comes around .

[jack]

I agree with the guy who wrote that the media are just waiting and hoping for City fans to act up and make a noise. I reckon these scribes have already written their articles and are just itching to press 'send'. Why don't we actually wait and see what happens first before we all start getting hot under the collar?

If it does happen then I reckon the media should show the ***** involved in glorious close up and I am sure their parents, mates, work colleagues, neighbours, etc will be so proud to know them.

As a Liverpool fan I first heard the Munich chant when I started going to games on my own in the mid 80's. The very first time I heard it was at Loftus Road about 6 months after Heysel. Around the same time United fans would sing songs about Shankly's heart attack to the same tune.

After Hillsborough things seemed to calm down between Liverpool and United for quite some time and Liverpool stopped Munich songs for many years, while United never broached the subject of Hillsborough. It is only the last 4 or 5 years that things have got worse than ever between the sets of supporters.

[Ian]

What a truly sad and sorry state of affairs, and a true endictment of our society and football in general.

You cant even pay tribute to 23 dead people without someone trying to wreck it.

23 people die, so 50 years on they are to be commemorated at the football ground where some of them played.

On that plane there were not only United players, but an ex City player, City supporters and people with affinity to neither team.

Here we have one set of fans who aknowledge they have a problem, but rather than face up to that problem and deal with it want the other club to alter the memorial so they can pretend they arent really there.

Now call me dim if you like, but isnt that just pandering to the small minded majority. Giving them the publicity they want. No one is expecting City fans to stand there if they dont want to. If they dont want to join in then walk to the concourse behind the away end and stand there until the silence is over. Go into the ground late. Do what the heck you like but dont spoil what is to many United fans a very poignant day.

Whats really astounding about this is the fact that both sides are arguing along the lines of "but you're evil chants are worse than our evil chants ". An evil chant is an evil chant no matter who sings it, and as an MUFC supporter I will call any United fan a liar if they say United fans havent sung about Hillsborough, Heysel, Mark V Foe, Shankley or whatever because I have been going to OT for 30 years and I've heard it. If you want others to behave then its about time United fans got their own house in order first.

But what United fans have done in the past isnt the issue. Neither is what City fans have sung in the past.

The issue here is 23 people are to be remembered, and City, United whoever, I dont think anyone disputes they deserve to be remembered. Those losses didnt just affect United, it affected England, City, Liverpool, Scotland, Ireland, Wales in fact it impacted across football in general.

Why do people feel the need to ignore the fact 23 people died and prefer to use the memorial to try and score cheap points..

One death attached to football is one death too many, and that includes scousers, Mancs, Leeds fans, Bradford fans whoever, and as a lifelong matchgoer I know its a case of there but for the grace of god go I. I could have been killed at games on countless occasions, and I would much prefer my death not to be used as a cheap points scoring trick. Likewise victims of other tragedies shouldnt have to suffer that either.

If City fans know they have an element who will set out to spoil it, then its up to them to show them that their chants, booes, songs etc wont be tolerated. Not because they should feel particular sorrow about Munich but because its the right thing to to.

Whats missing out of all of this is the sense of whats right and whats wrong.

[PS]

Jamie: “never … songs about Hillsboro , unless it has been in reply to Liverpool fans singing 'Munich ”

Oh yeah?

Jamie, you are the hypocrite. Utd only play Liverpool twice a year, unless it’s a cup-tie, yet you sing songs all around the country week after week! Even in Europe! The ones you sing the most, to the same tune as “we won it five times” with variations on the theme, refers not only to the 39 people who died at Heysel but also the 96 people who died at Hillsborough. I wont repeat the lyrics here because they are truly offensive.

City fans have every right to be furious at this current smear campaign. Only when Manchester United fans learn to keep their foul mouths shut and the decent ones have the courage to root out their own scum can they lecture City and the rest.

[Rob]

Any United fans claiming they haven't heard any songs relating to Foe or Hillsborough are either liars, or deaf.

[Ben]

Wow...

OK, to start with, great article.

On to the comments-

I cannot believe how much general stupidity, ignorance and selective reading is on display here.

Also, just to point out- the word "Munich" has become synonymous with the word "rag" and is used simply to refer to a red. "Town full of Munichs" is merely referring to a place infested with utd fans, it's not a chant having a dig at the tragedy. I'm sure everyone knows the "runway" chants that are.

Let's also emphasize the point of where the term "Munich" referring to a rag has come from. To put it simply, it's from your profiteering from the tragedy.

Heysel, Hillsborough, Foe... Get down off your high horses, you bunch of hypocrites.

Also, if this situation was happening anywhere else they'd be in the same boat. It's unfortunate for us that we're going to be crucified in the media because of a select few who will almost certainly break the silence.

[Nuccle]

very poor article. self obsessed and distasteful. the Munich air disaster effected the whole city of Manchester at the time.
unfortunately, the bitterness felt toward Utd from City has escalated beyond belief in the last 50 years, to the point where even this tragedy takes second place to City's delusional feelings of persecution.

[James H. Reeve]

This is truly pathetic. I assume the people involved in this squalid battle for the high moral ground are adults, and all both sides can come up with are tit-for-tat, thuggish insults. "Your fans are worse than ours. Ner ner na ner ner."

Let me explain things in a sensible fashion.

Imagine it had happened to a different major club of that era (Wolves, Preston, Burnley, whoever) with whom Manchester City fans have no particular axe to grind. Fair enough. I imagine that only the worst 1970s throwback would do anything other than respect it.

But it's United. Yes, it's still about 23 people, including 8 good footballers, losing their lives. And, although it shouldn't make any difference, the footballers were working class lads earning a few quid a week more than their mates, not today's overpaid shower. If it had happened to the City team of the day, we'd expect others to respect it.

The problem is not about the crash; it's about the use to which it has been put, particularly by the United-admiring elements of the media. It was why the papers awarded them the League title every August for 26 seasons. It's woven into the United mythology. I was in the Paddock in 1974 when United were relegated, prompting a pitch invasion. One newspaper report tried to justify the invasion by offering Munich in mitigation, an irresistible upsurge of sympathy, etc. (Never mind that a United fan had told me a few days beforehand that it was already planned if City were to win). I watched them running onto the pitch, and the kids who were kicking Tommy Booth and Mike Doyle and throwing missiles (that they'd presumably brought into the ground with them) were barely born in 1958. You might recall that Matt Busby went on the pitch to calm things down and had a stone thrown at him.

What concerns me is that this won't be purely a commemoration of the crash victims, it will be the final apotheosis of Manchester United. Look it up. It will be a public veneration of them, and we will be expected to join in. The trouble is that we don't want to.

It might seem a rather extreme comparison, but there are parallels with the England team being expected to give the Nazi salute in 1938. That was about control triumphalism. We City fans will be expected to dance to the media's, and therefore United's, tune, and don't see why we should have to. I'm sure United themselves don't see it that way, but plenty of their fans will. It's like the trick Gerry Adams played on Ken McGinnis - offering to shake his hand, knowing that he couldn't refuse without looking ungracious. A cheap trick.

The FA have recognised the problem with this situation by not having a minute's silence at the England game, because they know there are so many fans from around the country who have a common detestation of United and who can't be relied upon to disrupt it. But City fans will have to toe the line.

On top of which, there is considerable hypocrisy in United spokesman Phil Townsend's utterances; applause was good enough for Alan Ball and plenty of others.

Any sensible person has, of course, every sympathy with the victims, but I don't see why I should therefore have to kowtow to the Evil Empire fifty years later and play a part in making Manchester City look like its subjects.

I shan't be going to the game. I don't want to be part of it. Personally, I think the City fans should applaud for a minute, while the United fans keep silent. After all, from what I've read lately, they nomally do.

Finally, lest you think this is just a bitter Blue writing, this is an article written after the last commemoration, ten years ago. It's interesting.

The Munich benefit match, finally held after 40 years on 18 August 1998, was combined with Eric Cantona's farewell Old Trafford appearance, in a European XI. As if to underline its lateness, only two weeks after the match Jackie Blanchflower died, aged 65. Six months later Dennis Viollet died, also 65, tended by his devoted wife Helen, of a brain tumour that grew on the same, right-hand side of the head as the injuries he sustained in the crash.

The match raised, after expenses, around £47,000 for each player or family group. For Helen Viollet, it enabled her to pay off some of the costs of caring for Dennis. Others feel the club should still have done more: "It was the public donating money again," says Jean Blanchflower, "just as they did at the time. It wasn't the club who paid out."

Some of the families were outraged at the cost of travel and expenses for Cantona, his European XI and their entourage to the game: £90,555, almost twice the payment to each family. Mick Hucknall, United's most public supporter, sang at the match: "Every time you say goodbye" - apparently addressed to Cantona, not to the Munich dependents, whose committee say they did not invite him.

For many, resentment still burns, exacerbated by United's status as a £600m corporation and by players' wage inflation - which means Roy Keane earnt more in a week than the Munich families received after more than 40 years. Some families resent the Munich exhibition in the United museum, which earned an estimated £1.8m last year, and other commercial exploitation of the club's history, for which no royalties are paid.

"We feel that we helped to build Manchester United," says former player Ray Wood. "They received massive international support following the disaster. But they didn't treat people properly then, did nothing for us all those years, and they're still making money out of it directly now."

[Paul]

Adam: Quote: “A full scale chant of 'Hillsborough' has never been heard at Anfield,
Rick: Quote: “As for Hillsboro - well I've heard it sung once in my entire Utd following career of 40 years”

Adam and Rick, you are not by any chance related to those two deaf Utd fans who claimed to have lip read Steve Finnan racially abusing a player, only for it to be proven a despicable Lie?

Fact: Liverpool fans sing:
“We won it five times, won it five times; in Istanbul we won it five times”.

United fans think it witty to sing:
“you killed your own fans you killed your own fans what a day in Sheffield you killed your own fans”

Or

'We won it 2 times, 'we won it 2 times without killing anyone 'we won it 2 times”, coupled with chants of ''Murderers'.

You can clearly hear it on TV and radio broadcasts so why lie?

39 men, women and children died at Heysel; 96 men, women and children died at Hillsborough. It all happened within most fans living memory, broadcast live on TV. The Munich Air crash happened fifty years ago when the game, for all its faults, was much closer to the community and players were closer to the fans. If it happened today newspapers would be just as salacious, insensitive and intrusive as they were over Heysel and Hillsborough, although I doubt that they would stoop so low as to claim that the survivors had urinated on the aircrew or stolen from the dead.

It is 50 years on from Munich and all I know for certain as a middle aged Liverpool fan is that the media are hypocrites, the fans are appalling, the players are money grabbing whores and the modern game is rotten to the core.

[Dominic]

Exactly when are those who shout so loudly for 'respect for the dead' going to start showing some respect to living referees?

[ken no axe too grind]

FOOTBALL FANATICS.
GROW UP
"WELL TRY TOO"
PATHETIC HUMAN BEINGS GET YOURSELF A LIFE
BEFORE YOU REALISE WHAT A WASTE YOUR LIFE IS
LOOK AROUND YOU
YOU ARE A POOR LOT

[Chris G]

There’s going to be a minutes silence to show respect for those who lost their lives in this tragedy and the decent City fans will show their respect. Unfortunately a football crowd is a cross section of society and you’ll have a number of people who have little respect for themselves, let alone those around them.

We can pretend all MUFC fans have morals and wouldn’t do the same if the boot was on the other foot, but sadly this is not the case for that minority. Throw away comments about `biggest’ cheer and `Gary Neville chants’ are more fuel to the fire, please concentrate of showing your own respect and forgive those who should know better.

I hope our supporters remain silent for these 60 seconds, but unfortunately this is a country that jeers national anthems, fight each other in the name of football and kids are stabbed to death in the name of `so called’ respect.

[Jamie]

The post is laughable , i have been following UTD for many years , never has a Marc Vivean Foe song been sung or songs about Hillsboro , unless it has been in reply to Liverpool fans singing 'Munich ' etc . The post is just an awful attempt to mask city's hypocritical supporters , if you are that concerned , send back your tickets and then more reds can attend the game .
Your minority sounded loud enough on sunday when West Ham went 1-0 nil up they live in a ' town full of munichs' apparently .
I think nobody associated with Man City are in a position request anything anything from Utd . I suggest to try and ensure you play your greatest ever Goalkeeper the respect he deserves as you have spent the last 30 odd years mocking his death . Didnt your club even put something in a match programme once .

Hypocrites

[Davie]

As a Utd season ticket holder, I will be attending the match along with a very old friend (we're not getting any younger) - a Blue - with whom I've attended every Manchester derby game since the early 1970s. Although we can meet at a cafe for breakfast, enjoy a drink together, reminisce and look to the future we sadly can't sit together at a footie match in today's climate.

Years ago we used to stand together on the Streford end or the Kippax. There were, of course, idiots around us then - sadly not everyone is civilised.

I just echo the comments of another blog reply but go further: get rid of segregation, it just feeds tribal hostilities. If someone can't behave, we have the technology to apprehend them, stamp the words "I am a moron" on their foreheads, ban them and send them to Elland Road. Over time we'll bve surrounded by civilised people who can enjoy local rivalry, mercilessly take the p**s out of each other till the cows come home and generally have a good laugh.

Oh, and no-one would debase a minutes' silence.