Purple Nose wrote a letter to Man Yoo fans urging them to behave this weekend

[Dirkus_Circus]

Sir Alex Ferguson has written a letter to Manchester United supporters attending Sunday's Premier League encounter with Liverpool.

The letter will be presented to fans as they enter the turnstiles and is a final plea aimed at getting them to behave themselves.

Earlier Friday, Ferguson spoke of the sensitivities surrounding the fixture, Liverpool's first at home since the damning judgement on the Hillsborough disaster was released last week.

And he wants an end to the baiting of Liverpool fans over the disaster, in which 96 people died.


As published by www.manutd.com, Ferguson's letter reads:

"Dear Supporter,

"The great support you gave the team here [at Anfield] last season has seen our allocation back up to near-full levels. I want you to continue that progress today.

"But today [Sunday] is about much more than not blocking gangways. Today is about thinking hard about what makes United the best club in the world.

"Our rivalry with Liverpool is based on a determination to come out on top - a wish to see us crowned the best against a team that held that honour for so long.

"It cannot and should never be based on personal hatred. Just 10 days ago, we heard the terrible, damning truth about the deaths of 96 fans who went to watch their team try and reach the FA Cup final and never came back.

"What happened to them should wake the conscience of everyone connected with the game.

"Our great club stands with our great neighbours Liverpool today to remember that loss and pay tribute to their campaign for justice. I know I can count on you to stand with us in the best traditions of the best fans in the game.

"Yours sincerely, Sir Alex Ferguson."

Earlier Friday, Ferguson admitted he could not discount the emotion having a negative effect on his players.

Liverpool intend to mark the occasion with a number of significant gestures, including a mosaic across three sides of the stadium.

And having gone through something very similar four years ago on the 50th anniversary of the Munich air disaster, the Red Devils boss accepts it may have a hidden impact.

"It's a possibility, I don't deny that," Ferguson said. "Human nature can be that way. When we played Manchester City for the 50th anniversary of Munich the place was so flat in the dressing room before the game. I even felt it myself. We just couldn't perform and were glad to get it out the way. It was such an emotional day for us and it could be that way on Sunday."

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers said he expects the emotional clash with Manchester United to be remembered for the right reasons on and off the field.

"There has been dialog all week," Rodgers said. "There is respect in terms of the traditions of both clubs. We want this day to be remembered for the right reasons before the game, and the footballing reasons. A lot of work has been done and hopefully Sunday will pass off peacefully and well and we can talk about the tributes and football.

"It is an emotionally-charged game. I wouldn't sit here and tell Liverpool supporters how to behave. I know how they have behaved over many years has been fantastic. These are well-educated supporters who value humanity. I have no issues or no problems there, the message has been clear, and from Sir Alex as well, in relation to his supporters. I am sure once we pay the tributes to the families we can get on with the football."

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/s...on-expects-emotional-match-at-anfield?cc=5901
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/s...on-expects-emotional-match-at-anfield?cc=5901

 

[gkmacca]

Jump over a cliff.

 

[Boozer]

Oh, come on. That's the most decent, respectful statement he's ever made. It must have been written by their Press Officer.

 

[gkmacca]

Forget it Fudgie and come out in full loon mode:

Bite his nose off. Bite his nose off!!!!

 

[SaintGeorge67]

It seems fine to me.

 

[gkmacca]

He's based his whole managerial career on drumming up hatred. It's good in this instance he's saying the right things but there's no one less likely to believed. He drips bile and bitterness from every pore.

 

[Molbystwin]

If there is one occassion not to have a pop at the man this is it. I hope for the sake of the game the tributes are well respected on Sunday.

 

[Jack D Rips]

Already posted in the" United" thread

 

[FoxForceFive]

Tbf Macca, he's always been very upfront in his support of the Hillsborough campaigns & the families speak extremely highly of him & that support.

 

[mark1975]

He's based his whole managerial career on drumming up hatred. It's good in this instance he's saying the right things but there's no one less likely to believed. He drips bile and bitterness from every pore.

I kind of agree, though I agree with Jon's point aswell, he has supported the campaign well. What galled me slightly was the "we're the best fans in the World" comments throughout, it's unnecessary, it's giving it a lingering point about them being the better fans which kind of defeats the whole point about the banter going too far, the whole point of his letter is to urge the fans to dumb down a bit.

 

[Ryan]

A good letter. Good on him.

 

[mark1975]

He's still a dick though.

 

[Vlads Quiff]

It's a time when we need to stand back and see that some things are more important than bitter rivalry and really have to accept that. I think the sheer vein-bulging hatred on both sides need knocking back a point or two and now seems like a good time to start.
It's a good letter and if he wrote it or not he has put his name to it.
For all that we might think about Ferguson he has always been very supportive of the club over Hillsborough, at the immediate aftermath and whenever appropriate since.
I remember going to Old Trafford for a semi a few years ago, we completely wrecked the ground, smashed up the wash basing the toilets and scrawled Munich 58 all over everywhere, I was not proud to be a Liverpool supporter that day, and I don't think that particular event has helped what relationship there was.

I would like to see it for the sake of Hillsborough and the emotions of the last couple of weeks to be a bit like the Germans and British troops playing footy on Christmas day in WWI , hostilities can be resumed after, but a little toned down.

 

[doctor_mac]

Good post Vlad.

 

[Sunny]

There's idiots who support every team though. We have them and Man U have them. I remember that semi and I remember some of our fans acting like dickheads. I also remember the 'murderers' signs as we drove into Manchester

 

[Vlads Quiff]

I know which is why one side or both sides have to make the effort to rein the dickheads in a bit, to be honest we started it all in the seventies with a whole load of Munich songs.
I sang them myself with gusto as a lad, something I am not proud of now, ashamed of, in fact.
We sit in the main stand overlooking the away fans, and they have really got obsessive over us and seem to only sing anti Liverpool songs and in fact little in support of the team,
as I said we all need to move on a bit.

regards

 

[Sunny]

Of course we do George. I will say thing though - we don't obsess about Man Utd like they do us I.e. singing about us every game they play regardless of the opposition

 

[Vlads Quiff]

Of course we do George. I will say thing though - we don't obsess about Man Utd like they do us I.e. singing about us every game they play regardless of the opposition

That's what I said 😉

 

[gkmacca]

Tbf Macca, he's always been very upfront in his support of the Hillsborough campaigns & the families speak extremely highly of him & that support.

I know, but he's encouraged the most bitter and brutal tribal mentality among his fans ever since he arrived in Manchester, so good for him with the letter and his earlier gestures but he's no damned innocent when it comes to that mindless behaviour on the terraces.

 

[Spionkop69]

I just want them to shut up. If their fans act up, then he knows that our fans will be so behind us that it works against them.