http://www.mcfc.co.uk/News/What-the-pap ... as-to-stop There’s only one place to start today’s media round-up and that’s with two emotive interviews in the Daily Mail and Guardian with City legend Colin Bell, whose views accurately reflect those of the board, other senior figures at the club, and the vast majority of Blues fans.
The man most Blues regard as the greatest City player of all-time has pleaded with the minority of City supporters who have brought a spate of negative headlines in the last few days to stop their shameful chants once and for all.
Ian Ladyman’s piece in the Mail entitled, ‘You degrade us’, begins with: ‘A minority of City supporters tarnished their team’s win at Blackburn by referring to fans of rivals United as ‘Munichs’ in a song hailing their recent FA Cup semi-final victory.
‘And last night former City star Bell spoke out in a bid to stop fans taunting the memory of the 23 players, staff, officials and journalists who died when a plane carrying the United party crashed at Munich Airport in 1958.
“They are not true City supporters. Football is a sport and at the end of the day, they are chanting about people’s lives,” said Bell.
It has gone on long enough and I appeal for them to stop
...Colin Bell
Ladyman goes on to point out ‘City have worked tirelessly to eradicate such behaviour, securing banning orders to supporters who make aeroplane gestures.’
Mark Ogden in The Guardian follows a similar theme, pointing out that among the Munich victims was another of City’s greatest players, goalkeeper Frank Swift.
He writes: ‘The club has made efforts to stamp out the songs with former manager Sven-Goran Eriksson and captain Richard Dunne writing to fans to successfully appeal for a minute’s silence prior to the game at Old Trafford in 2008 marking the tragedy’s 50th anniversary.’
Ogden, too, quotes Bell, who succinctly ends today’s round-up by saying: “It’s sad and I think it is truly out of order.”
Hark now hear, The City sing, United ran away, And we will fight for ever more, Because of Derby day.