I remember my Grandad always telling me what a player that Duncan Edwards was. Obviously any loss of life is a terrible and tragic thing to all those who are associated but Duncan Edwards was always the one me Grandad talked about.
Captained England at 17, could dribble like a wizard and always seemed to have the ball on a string. Had the world literally at his feet and me Grandad was always quick to mention his manner and maturity for someone so young.
I pray that a lot of the new generation of football followers can read and appreciate that there is so much history and tradition between Liverpool Football Club and Manchester United Football Club rather than get dragged into the cesspool that is tit-for-tat insults, references to tragic times and using these for ridiculous oneupmanship.
For those who say "They call us murderers, give us shit about Hillsborough, brought an inflatable skeleton to Anfield wrapped in a scarf singing about Shankly etc etc", we were singing about Munich long before that ever happened... hence the "Where's your famous Munich chants?"
Shanks once said "Football is not a matter of life or death, it's so much more important than that."
His tongue was firmly in his cheek and he would never in a million years have predicted what was about to occur to his beloved football club over the course of the next 15-20 years (Heysel and Hillsborough)
Those eternal flames, those names you see etched outside the club forever to be remembered, lost their lives supporting the team they love.
Football was never meant to be about this. Football was always meant to be the game for the working class to put their lives and struggles to one side for a moment in time and enjoy life for a couple of hours.
I am not saying for a second to give up your passion, what I am asking for though is a bit of common sense.
Enough is enough.
Someone needs to be the bigger person. Put up their hand and say we're not having this anymore.
We can co-exist as clubs and supporters without the venomous hatred which is permeating more and more whenever this fixture rolls around.
The media love it. They pray for it. It gives them the headlines that they thrive on.
I lost a family member at Hillsborough. I was at Anfield for a couple of weeks after, not really knowing why I was continually going but happy once I got there as I felt a sense of belonging, like my soul needed to be here amongst the flowers, amongst the scarves, amongst the shirts, amongst the hand written notes, amongst the oranges left on the steps of the Kop because humanity help me overcome the grief and utter disbelief about what had just transpired.
There were plenty of Man U scarves and shirts scattered around Anfield during that time.
Just as we extended a hand during their darkest hour, so too did they.
Because humanity should always overcome any prejudice, no matter shape or form that prejudice takes.
I am not saying we suddenly have to love them because that is never going to happen. We have a fierce rivalry that has been based not only on the successes on the football field but also because of other events which have occurred due to the proximity of the respective cities in trade etc.
I have been to Old Trafford, I have had the honour of darts being thrown at us, golf balls with nails in them, sharpened 20p pieces, the works.
But kicking their toilets in and spraying shit everywhere isn't going to do anything other than incite them to retaliate.
And what is going to come out of all this?? Nothing but bad.
When you were a kid you would get told to stop fucking around because someone will lose an eye. Well my fear is it could be greater than that if things keep going between the two clubs.
I feel for those who lost loved ones in Munich just as I feel the pain of Heysel and Hillsborough.
The longest journey always begins with the first step.
YNWA
JFT 96
