Utopian plans for Liverpool and Man United fans to march in solidarity against their respective American owners would be an unmitigated disaster

By Richard Buxton in Liverpool Fans Blog

Published 15:46 26/02/10

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Utopian plans for Liverpool and Manchester United fans to march in solidarity against their clubs' owners before next month’s game at Old Trafford surfaced in the press earlier this week.

Whilst there is a valid argument that this would send out a strong message to the footballing world and the authorities running the game, there needs to be a sense of perspective.

In October, a lonely housewife was more than happy to tell the world about her grand plan to have both sets of supporters walking through the streets of Anfield in unison before the game between the two sides to denounce the trading of insults on the internet, namely via YouTube videos.

Not surprisingly, the local paper gave her fantasist idea the exposure she craved whilst this blog underlined the mere stupidity of the concept. Instead, over 6,000 Liverpool fans took to the streets to vent their anger at the presence of George Gillett and Tom Hicks at the game.

However this new proposal for a unified show of support has the potential to be a JFK moment for different reasons and unfortunately negativity shines through these two options.

If United and Liverpool fans did embark on this effort to rid their club of the unfit and improper Americans running it and all went as planned, it may alert some of those that have buried their head in the sand over their respective side's financial plight.

Whilst both clubs have been very much led down the garden path, the Reds more than the Red Devils, the latter tried to do something about it. United fans strongly opposed their club's takeover whilst Liverpool’s were more than happy to stand outside Anfield sporting cheesy grins and clutching Old Glory.

Action was only taken when finances started to dry up at L4 and the manager's position was placed into jeopardy by meddling owners. Credit has to be given to those supporters who have taken the fight to the Americans since things turned sour after hopes of an Abramovich-like renaissance dissolved very quickly.

But United are no saints either as they proved little over a decade ago when they were all for welcoming Rupert Murdoch’s takeover which was kyboshed by the Government because it would damage the broadcasting of live games. With hindsight, very little has changed as Murdoch still holds the monopoly.

If you were to sum up these great clubs in political analogies, it would be akin to the allegiance between Mussolini and Hitler; one’s primary concern was the state whilst the other was for his own self-importance. As one supporter remarked, Liverpool could help rid United of the Glazers yet still be saddled with Gillett, Hicks and an insurmountable amount of debt.

How sickening would it be for Kopites to hear United fans crowing about Alex Ferguson finally knocking Liverpool off their perch like he had always planned, thanks in part to some pressure on the hierarchy by people that some on the Stretford End refer to as fence-eaters?

Likewise for United, how would they feel knowing that they had aided the people who call them Munich in extending their gloating with several Premier League titles?

This idea has the potential to be either a roaring success or a Molotov cocktail for unmitigated disaster with dangerous consequences. Both clubs should continue to fight individually against their clubs’ respective owners, without the help of one of their nearest enemies.

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