KEY POINTS:
LONDON - Manchester United will go ahead with plans to mark the 50th anniversary of the Munich air disaster with a minute's silence at Old Trafford next month, despite fears about the conduct of visiting City fans.
The official Manchester City Supporters Club had urged United to hold
a minute's applause instead to drown out any disrespect.
However, United spokesman Phil Townsend ruled that out today.
"It's a solemn event," he said. "We understand and sympathise with what they are saying but it would not feel right to be applauding at an event marking the death of 23 people."
Kevin Parker, secretary of the City Supporters' Club, said he feared the ceremony before the February 10 Premier League clash could be marred by visiting fans failing to respect the silence.
"We just think as a supporters' organisation that if you go for a minute's silence you are taking a risk," he said.
"This is an opportunity where Manchester City and Manchester United can almost come together as one but the minute's silence may jeopardise all of that completely."
The disaster, on February 6 1958, occurred when the plane carrying the United squad back from a European Cup match in Belgrade crashed on takeoff after a refuelling stop in Munich.
Eight of Sir Matt Busby's exciting young team, dubbed the 'Busby Babes', died as did 15 others including Man City's former England goalkeeper Frank Swift who had been covering the match as a reporter.
City and United are bitter rivals and newspapers reported that some City fans had already been heard chanting "We're all going to the golden jubilee" in reference to the commemoration.
"I'm not aware of those chants," said Parker. "So it (the email) has not been triggered by that. It's just been triggered by a general concern.
"I was at a Manchester United v Man City about three years ago after the death of (former United and Ireland captain) Noel Cantwell and United held a minute's silence then and that was broken after 35 seconds by a Manchester City fan," he added.
"That is just an indication of what may happen this time around as well.
"Manchester City as a football club have worked hard over recent seasons to try and remove where they can any reference to songs to do with Munich. But there are idiots out there unfortunately who are singing those songs," said Parker.
"Most of the time these songs are being sung by City fans who are in their late teens and early 20s who probably don't have any real understanding of what the Munich air disaster was all about."
- REUTERS