Man United have pledged their renewed commitment to tackle tragedy chanting in their games, after more ugly scenes during the FA Cup clash with Liverpool.
Throughout Man United‘s 4-3 win over Liverpool in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup earlier in March, vile chants could be heard inside Old Trafford.
Chants of ‘murderers’ and ‘always the victims’ were audible during ITV’s broadcast of the tie, with it clear that it was a matter of hundreds, if not thousands, of fans, rather than a handful.
Ian Byrne, Labour MP for West Derby, contacted Man United to discuss the matter and their plans to curb any further tragedy chanting, with chief executive officer Patrick Stewart responding on Tuesday.
An excellent response by @ManUtd regards tackling tragedy chanting and delighted we can work in collaboration through education with #RealTruthLegacyProject @LFCFoundation @MU_Foundation pic.twitter.com/3jq8FOVZQ1
— lan Byrne MP (@IanByrneMP) March 27, 2024
In a letter shared by Byrne on Twitter, Stewart vowed “strong club sanctions” alongside any criminal action, as well as a “joint education programme” in tandem with Liverpool.
The statement reads:
“On behalf of the club, let me reiterate our strong condemnation of the unacceptable chants that were heard from some fans against Liverpool FC.
“Ahead of the game and afterwards, we have made our feelings clear by reiterating the comments made by both managers in a joint statement last season, as well as providing our unequivocal support for the statements by The Football Assocation and Greater Manchester Police condemning this behaviour.
“We are working closely with Greatest Manchester Police to identify those responsible and will back up any criminal action with strong club sanctions as we seek to eradicate this issue from our game.
“Football must stand together on this subject, and we applaud your campaign to raise awareness of the realities of what happened on that terrible day at Hillsborough in 1989, particularly among those too young to remember.
“To this end, we have formed a working group between Manchester United and Liverpool FC to explore the delivery of a joint education programme aimed at educating young people through the Manchester United and Liverpool FC Foundations.
“We are hopeful we can announce this programme ahead of the Premier League fixture on April 7, and subsequently roll it out in our respective partner schools across the two city regions. It would make sense for us to connect with your campaign as part of this plan and I have suggested that to my colleagues who are leading this forward.
“We have no desire to subdue the great rivalry that will always exist between Manchester United and Liverpool FC, but we do firmly believe it should take place in a spirit of mutual respect for our shared histories of achievement and tragedies.
“Thank you again for getting in touch and please be assured of our openness to continued dialogue on this matter, as part of our wider engagement with community stakeholders to educate people on this issue alongside Liverpool FC.
“We wish you well in your campaign and look forward to working collectively to change behaviours on this issue.”
Liverpool visit Old Trafford in the Premier League on April 7, with there clearly hopes of a more respectful atmosphere among the two sets of supporters.
With the most high-profile charge following the FA Cup clash being for 44-year-old Michael Bernard Avery of Manchester, however, the emphasis on educating young people in particular could be seen as misplaced.
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