Alex Ferguson is right - it's time for the sick chants to stop

By David McDonnell

Published 10:55 19/10/09

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The neanderthal element of Manchester City's travelling support chose to let their club down at Wigan on Sunday.

The chant of "Carlos Tevez is a Blue, he hates Munichs" was sung by a small minority of the 5,000-or-so City fans at the DW Stadium, but that made it no less offensive.

The fact the chant, a reference to the plane tragedy of 1958 in which eight United players were killed, was sung in isolation during the game is also no defence.

And before City fans bombard this site with their incredulity and bile at being singled out, it is only fair to point out they, of course, are not the only fans guilty of such appalling chants.

United fans have sung about the Hillsborough Disaster and still taunt Arsene Wenger with the vile chant - you know the one - that has dogged him ever since he joined Arsenal.

Liverpool fans also goad United fans about Munich, and there are too many episodes of such hatred and venom in the form of chants to mention in this column.

Tribalism is the bedrock of football, it is what makes it such a vibrant and passionate game, where social, geographical and historical rivalries manifest themselves on the football field.

We saw it at the weekend with the East Lancs derby between Blackburn and Burnley, and will see a similarly fervent atmosphere between Liverpool and United at Anfield on Sunday.

But what makes a football chant acceptable or unacceptable? Of course there are grey areas, for what might be considered offensive to one particular fan might not be to another.

It should be pointed out that City fans behaved impeccably during the minute's silence on the 50th anniversary of the Munich tragedy at the Old Trafford derby two seasons ago.

On that occasion they heeded warnings from their own club to respect the occasion and did so, when the temptation to lapse into their bad old ways was surely at its highest.

So why do just that at Wigan? What is the possible justification for taking pleasure in mocking a tragedy in which 23 people died more than half a century ago?

Defenders of such chants say what goes around comes around, that all's fair in love and war, and that no-one has the right to claim the moral high ground because everyone's guilty.

The most worrying aspect of is that such chants are so ingrained in the fabric of clubs, and have been passed down through generations, that those responsible see nothing wrong with them.

The only hope is that future generations of football supporters wise up and realise how distasteful these chants are. But don't hold your breath.

Walking to Old Trafford for Saturday's game against Bolton, I found myself walking behind a United-supporting father and son, holding hands.

The boy was probably no more than five or six, but joined his dad and a group of passing United fans in a chorus of "why don't City f***-off home?". Great parenting.

How long before that boy grows up and is singing far more sinister songs, designed to cause maximum offence and rile opposition fans into a similar response?

Sir Alex Ferguson got it right earlier this season ahead of Arsenal's visit to Old Trafford, when he addressed the sustained abuse aimed at Wenger.

"It should stop," said Fergie. "It's ridiculous and the police should be doing more.

"Our supporters should know very well the chants levelled at us over the years - i.e. Munich - and understand the sensitivity, and the criticism directed at members of the club itself.

"I don't agree with it at all. There is enough to admire in our game without having to denigrate people."