not with the anniversary coming up...
Manchester United will orchestrate a campaign urging their supporters to show respect for victims of the Hillsborough disaster if the club are drawn against Liverpool today in the Champions League quarter-finals. The second leg of the tie will take place in the week that Liverpool mark the 20th anniversary of the tragedy and there are deep concerns behind the scenes about Rafael Benítez's team being pitted against Mr. Ferguson's.
When the two clubs met at Old Trafford on Saturday a banner saying "Murderers" was draped over the middle section of the Stretford End. There were songs directed at Hillsborough and some Liverpool supporters could be seen making aeroplane gestures to mock the Munich air disaster of 1958.
Many visiting fans also chanted "There's only one Harold Shipman" – apparently celebrating the fact that his victims were from the Manchester area – and a video has appeared on the internet of Liverpool supporters throwing an inflatable plane around outside the ground.
Privately, there is a sense at Old Trafford that it would be better if the two clubs can avoid each other at such a delicate time in Liverpool's history. However, if they are to meet in the Champions League for the first time United intend to be proactive and investigate various ways of trying to promote a more respectful relationship.
How that will take effect has not yet been discussed but one possibility is that Ferguson, the manager, and the club's ambassador, Sir Bobby Charlton, one of the survivors of the Munich air disaster, will speak out about the importance of good fan behaviour.
United would take their lead from Manchester City's campaign in the build-up to the 50th anniversary of Munich in January last year. On that occasion City were so concerned that a minute's silence could be disrupted that their own supporters' club wrote to United asking, unsuccessfully, for it to be changed to a minute's applause. However, the publicity that was generated and City's concerted efforts over the course of several weeks helped to ensure that the club's supporters behaved impeccably.
Uefa's president, Michel Platini, has already pledged to do all he can to make sure Liverpool do not have to play the second leg on the actual anniversary, promising that the organisation is "aware of the huge significance of the 15 April date for both Liverpool and their fans".
However, both legs would have evening kick-offs and there is a concern that this could increase the possibility of drink-related problems.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/mar/20/champions-league-manchester-united-liverpool-hillsboroughGOT DISASTER WRITTEN ALL OVER IT
