For the weeks preceding the Manchester derby, there were worries that some City fans would spoil the minute's silence planned in honour of the Busby Babes.
After attending plenty of Manchester derbies, I felt as though disruption to the silence could not be avoided, hearing the blue side of Manchester sing about Munich year after year. I have been called “Munich scum” by City fans more times than I care to remember, and whilst recognising the vast majority of blues are not scum bags, there are enough in the minority who I believed would spoil the day.
The season before last, I was at Old Trafford as United played out a painful 1-1 draw with City. Noel Cantwell, who captained United in the 1963 FA Cup final, as well as winning the league with us in 1965 and 1967, died two days prior to the match. The minute’s silence had to be stopped halfway through after the away section started singing Munich songs.
Would this same set of fans be able to sit through silence dedicated to the Babes? I didn’t think so.
But yesterday the referee blew the whistle to signal the end of the minute of silence and it had been observed perfectly by the City fans. In the second half, the City fans launched the chant “There’s only one Frank Swift,” which was in turn applauded by the United fans.
After the match, both City manager Sven-Goran Eriksson and City captain Richard Dunne spoke out out in praise of their fans.
“I would like to say a big thank you to our fans,” said Sven. “They were absolutely fantastic before the game during the minute’s silence and of course during the game.”
“Our fans were fantastic—everyone within the club knew they would be,” said Dunne. “We are very proud of them and hopefully they are very proud of our performance.”
Now, whilst I am appreciative that the City fans kept their mouths shut, I’m not too sure why they should be lavished with praise—they behaved like normal human beings. Congratulations, you’re not sickos who sing songs mocking innocent people who died. Managing to observe a minute’s silence for the sake of 23 people who lost their lives, one of whom was a legend for their own club, makes them “fantastic.” Do me a fucking favour!
The low expectations the manager and captain have of their own fans says a lot about the blues. For the captain to feel “proud” of their fans for joining the human race is quite frankly embarrassing and patronising.
On a lighter note, I hope the events of yesterday will have a positive effect on City fans in relation to Munich. A bitter in my local was hopeful that maybe we will see the despicable chants die down on derby day, but I think he is kidding himself. Saying that, I thought staying silent for one minute to remember the Babes was beyond them, so maybe there is some hope for them yet.
31 comments Last one added about 1 year ago — Leave a Comment
Anonymous about 1 year ago
What about the 6 fireworks? Hardly respectful, and that minority definitely ruin Manchester City's reputation as a whole, not like there was much to tarnish as is.
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
you absolute muppet. it was the united twats selling their free scarfs to commemorate the dead on ebay for profit.
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
What sort of a prick put you as a prick in charge of writing a column!? Not all Blues or 'bitters' as you call them chant munich chants! It is a minority!
You are the sort of person that continues to encourage hatred and bitterness, and I sincerely believe you WANTED city to fuck up on Sunday! I on the other hand as a MANCHESTER UNITED supporter of 40+ years DID NOT! - give them the fucking credit they deserve! and allow us all to move on!
It seems City may have already overtaken United in sorting out the fringe idiots in there ranks, and the munich thing will hopefully deteriorate now that they have set a presidence! People like you incite hatred by writing shit articles like this.... but while you think of an argument to that! Who is sorting out the fuck wits that sing about the tragic deaths of Liverpool fans at Hillsborough!?
Double standards!
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
The rumour has it that the fireworks were apparently set off outside the ground by a faction of disgruntled united fans that requested an 8 gun salute during the minutes silence. They took matters into there own hands because the club refused there request and set off fireworks instead as there own tribute .... I don't think and very much doubt it had anything to do with City fans ...
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
Credit to the City fans inside the stadium, but a deserved minute's silence doesn't immediately dash all the previous Munich songs from the record.
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
i agree; credit to the city fans inside the stadium. but the point about our own fans singing about the victims of hillsbrough does stink of double standards! we need to sort our own shit out before starting on city fans and their behaviour when we do it to liverpool everytime we meet.
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
This article is absolute rubbish, and the author obviously shows no respect to City after they show respect to his club. I feel sympathy to the author of this article, as this reveals only the narrow-mindedness of a stupid fan from manchester, neither City or United.
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
It seems that bitterness has transferred from one club to another. Welcome to the losers lounge muppet. May you enjoy many bitter years there. And take your vile anti-liverpool songs with you.
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
As a loyal fan of Manchester United, I'd like to distance myself completely from the pathetic nonsense in the above article. 99% of true fans all feel the same. The blues fans were great, and their team did them proud. We're all disappointed with the result, but let's just move on. This article is just small minded and bitter.
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
Hard to take such a post seriously when you consider the Hillsborough songs that are regularly chanted by Utd Fans. There are a small minority of idiots at every club, if you insist on tarring the whole club with the same brush, then Utd still have not joined the human race.
So get off your soap box and don't try to make out the Utd fans are holier than thou.
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
Not too sure why we should be lavished with praise? No reason at all were it not for the fact that idiots like you, and half the press were absolutely convinced we would not show respect. The simple fact of the matter is that 99% of football fans of all persausion are decent and respectful, however as pointed out by others here there is a minority at most clubs (including yours) that seem to think it is ok to sing songs about the deaths of fans of the likes of Liverpool and Leeds.
Feel free to post again on a subject you know virtually nothing about when United join the human race.
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
Wow, what arrogance ! And you wonder why fans from all other teams hate you !
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
Ha ha ha - I love it - you were shite on the big day and now you are looking to have a go at the man city faithful who to a man out performed you in the stands and on the pitch - poor luvvies
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
I've got a Cat.
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
Christ, lets hope the result still stands...
2-1
Bwahahahahahahahahaha
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
How can you welcome someone to a race that you yourself don't belong to, you monkey? I like many others, of both a blue and red persuasion, have felt that our rivalry has take a more acceptable direction. Unfortunately, muppets like you still exist to incite hatred.
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
You utter cock. You're upset that the fans didn't misbehave because you had to throw away that piece you'd already written about how naught and inhuman they all are. Instead, this is the best you can come up with?
The Manchester City fans out performed the United fans throughout. They were, and have always been members of the human race and to write anything otherwise is inciting hatred.
You lost on the pitch and off it at your big party. It's a bitter pill to swallow but just get over it.
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
I hope a flock of rabid aids-infested seagulls gang rape you, cockface. see what you've done to me now? you've incited hatred....ooooh, you naughty naughty man
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
The internet is an awesome tool. It gives you news, information and porn at the click of a button. But it also allows ignorant fools, such as the boy who wrote this nonsense, to vent their anger.
City won and he doesn't like it. That's it really.
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
I wonder if Man City had demanded a minutes silence for say Marc Vivien Foe on Derby Day at COMs whether your fans would have behaved as well. Mind you, that won't ever happen. He didn't play for the mighty United did he?
Your club has milked this tragedy for 50 years. Let it go now and stop the crappy Liverpool chants while you are at it. Knob!
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
The fireworks... yeah right, City fans stood outside the Swamp just to let off fireworks, nothing to do with it being Chinese New Year then?!?
Also funny how you United fans are suddenly so squeaky clean eh? Let's forget the years of singing songs about Heysel, Hillsborough and the death of Bob Paisley eh?
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
What a sad little, bitter, bitter, bitter knobrot you are.
Turks with knives. Hillsborough. Marc Vivien Foe. Build a bonfire etc etc etc.
Have a word with your own before you get on your high horse and start branding others you rag muppet.
It is so obvious that you cannot abide the fact that you were beaten on and off the pitch so you have to spit your dummy out like the spoilt little brat you are!
Do one!
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
Sour grapes mate - you can't have a moan about City being lucky - as they played the most overpaid pile of shite off the park - so you have to turn on their impeccable fans. It seems obvious from your imbecilic post that you are a meat head. Let it go!!!!
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
What a complete and utter dick! Made my day though. I'm delighted that he's enraged to the point of delirium. Good work sir!
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
Thats strange, I thought the minutes silence was in honour of ALL those who died in Munich, not just your so called Busby Babes, and you wonder why the Blues have so much hatred for you.
Not that Manchester United would ever want to make money out of the disaster, but why did the advertising hordings change from showing the names of the dead to rolling adverts as soon as the game started,( it would be interesting to know if the club INCREASED the advertising rates) and you wonder why the blues have so much hatred for you.
Not that Manchester united would ever want to make money out of the disaster, but when the two clubs were wearing sponsor free kits why did the mascots, looking so appropriate with the names of the dead on the back of their shirts carry the AIG logo on the front (Not to mention your now world famous AIG Munich poste, and you wonder why the Blues have so much hatred for you..
If all Manchester United fans are so virtuos then why did a number immediately try to Cash In ob the disaster by selling their Scarfs,programmes and ticket stubs on e-bay, when will these fans be joining the human race. and you wonder why the Blues have so much hatred for you.
In light of the intense media provocation over the last four weeks, do you honestly think that had this been Anfield on April 15th 2039 and Manchester United had been playing and the same amount of media interest had been shown to United fans. Can you put your hand on your heart and say that there would have been no, Heyel, Hillsborough Marc-Vivien Foe, Mathew Harding etc etc songs, No I thought not. and you wonder why the Blues have so much hatred for you.
If the focus was so much on whether City fans could be trusted to behave themselves on the day, then why were they kept locked in the stadium "for their own safety". Is it that Manchester United fans could not be trusted to ruin Manchester United's global day of remorse by attacking the City fans and bringing shame on their club. Hmmm, and you wonder why the blues have so much hatred for you.
For all those that think that the fireworks were set off by City fans, not that you would jump to conclusions but where is your proof, and you wonder why the Blues have so much hatred for you.
You need to take a real good look at yourselfs and the way that you deal with this Munich thing every year, let's not forget how the Club treated the survivors of the crash-disgracefully- before you go wallowing in the glory of the dead. and you wonder why.......I think you get the picture.
Now the city fans have something to remember the Munich air disaster by, and they won't have to stabd back and suffer Manchester United's world wide show of crocodile tears every year, if you could only stand back and look at the way your club milk this occasion every year then maybe you could see why the blues have so much hatred for you...
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
Songs about a dead shankly, hillsboro and russian submarines?? I think its is MUFC scum that should wake up and be part of the human race.
The fact this post has appeared and its poor taste only reflects the following statement,
"ON SUNDAY FEB 10 2008 MANCHESTER UNITED TRIED TO SHOW THE WORLD THE PAST , UNFORTUNATELY MANCHESTER CITY SHOWED THEM THE FUTURE"
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
And the proof you have of this is what..........??? you are the most hated club in the world so it could have been anyone, even my Mum hates you and she dont even like football.
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
Does this idiot have selective hearing????? Why are United fans held in such high regard???
Hilllsborough, Shanks, FOE, Leeds Fans should i continue?? Get your facts correct before writing such drivel. Prick!!!!!!!!!!!
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appy ammer about 1 year ago
as a appyammer i would like to congratulate the citeh fans for their contribution to a respectfull minutes silence, the problem was manure carried it on for a further 90, cmon citeh (only not when your playing us)
So between our clubs we;ve taken 15 points off the so called best team in the premiership
ALL TOGETHER NOW "CAN WE PLAY YOU EVERY WEEK"
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appy ammer about 1 year ago
just noticed theres a lot of people called anonymous oop north , your not all dingles????
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Peter Wright about 1 year ago
Bitter ManUre supporter. Same kind who can only make excuses for his Club's defeat. Get used to it...Sven's record in Derbies...dating back to his Italy days is pretty good.
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