Ferguson admits United can't gag fans
Sir Alex Ferguson accepts a minority of Manchester United fans may cause problems at Anfield on Sunday
Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted little can be done to silence those who are determined to cause problems at Anfield on Sunday.
The Manchester United boss has expressed his disappointment at the small number of supporters who sang anti-Liverpool songs at Old Trafford last weekend. Ferguson had already called for a line to be drawn in the bitter feud between United and Liverpool fans in the wake of last week's official verdict into the Hillsborough disaster in 1989.
With United set to visit Merseyside this weekend, Ferguson said: "It is a minority. But in society there is a minority wanting to be heard."
He added: "I didn't hear it (on Saturday), but others did, particularly in the directors' box.
"(Chief executive) David Gill was disappointed. It is going to be a very emotional day on Sunday and we will support them in every way we can.
"As a club we are totally supportive of Liverpool in the situation they are in. We understand what those families must have felt when they got that report."
Ferguson's comments came as a report was being released by MPs stating football's authorities need to do more to tackle racism and discrimination within the game.
One of the triggers for that study was the high-profile issue involving Luis Suarez and Patrice Evra. Last season, Suarez did not shake Evra's hand at Old Trafford. That brings added tension to this weekend's game, with Ferguson insisting a bad 12 months for the game should not be allowed to obscure the positive work that has taken place.
"English football has been very good in challenging these issues," said Ferguson. "Last year was a bad year for the sport but hopefully we get back to normal. I don't know what the report is going to say but until last year I don't think it has been an issue.
"I haven't seen anything for 20 years. One bad year doesn't cast the game in doubt as far as I am concerned. I am sure it will be brushed aside and we will go back to normal."
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Let's hope United fans don't shame football again with their chants on Sunday.
Time to show a bit of class and dignity, as City fans did in the derby on Feb 10, 2008 when Utd commemorated the 50th anniversary of Munich. You could have heard the proverbial pin drop that day . . . . .
Ultimately, if Utd fans act like morons again, they will be disrespecting their own club as well as the victims of the Hillsborough disaster. Everton FC have shown how a proper football club and its supporters should behave in the past week.
Easy solution. Make an announcement before the match that if there are any disgusting chants, that you will call your players off the pitch. And go through with it.
There is no place in Football for IMBECILES, who ridicule opposing supporters by insulting the memory of the dead.
as for Suarez and Evra, that pails into insignificacnce in relation to the memory of the 96.
Of course chants will be made, some of the fans that go to these game's should be in lunatic asylum's not football ground's.
But they are just weak minded idiots following pear pressure. Probably hen pecked husbands or people that got bullied when they were younger..
I love football but the stupidiest people i have ever meet have to be in football grounds.
Its unbelieveable other sports dont seem to have this problem.
That's a certainty SAF. Especially the cretin mob part that spoil it for the genuine fans.
What chance have you Sir Alex of being heard and listened to and taken note of? Three chances is the reality. A dog's chance, a cat in hells chance and No flipping chance. they haven't a brain cell between them, and even think how clever they are when dragging Man U's great name through the quagmire!
That's a shame... they are shameful.
