The Premier League Owl
This week has been full of good intentioned comments, from players, managers, and from Manchester United themselves – additionally, the Manchester United Supporters Trust and the Stretford End Flags fan associations have also appealed for respect and good behaviour when their club meets Liverpool on Sunday.
That’s good; those are all signs of a sincere attempt to build some bridges between the two clubs ahead of what will be an emotional day in Liverpool.
Unfortunately, there’s still a lingering doubt in the air, because – quite simply – you can’t trust all fans to behave themselves. That’s not a criticism of Manchester United, because every club in the country houses an idiot minority who believe in their right to say and sing whatever they want, regardless of its suitability.
When a small, yet audible, volume of Chelsea fans jeered the minute’s silence for Hillsborough at Wembley, the entire watching world cringed, because it was a timely reminder that such neanderthal attitudes still exist.
It’s time to crack-back against this type of fan. There are no ‘rights’ to express yourself in whatever way you want in football grounds, that’s just an outdated misconception – and anybody who believes otherwise belongs to that archaic throng of mouth-breathers who don’t understand that football isn’t about racism, violence, and tasteless abuse anymore.
If, on Sunday, there’s any whiff of the kind of chanting that has no place within the occasion, then extreme measures must be taken – kick these people out of the stadium and out of the sport. Football doesn’t owe anybody a place in its audience, and if you’re incapable of recognising the difference between playful banter and bilious malice, then you don’t belong anymore.
Football fans don’t always respect commonsense, and so unfortunately it might well be necessary to create some very strong examples of what happens to those who still think that being part of a crowd allows the shedding of social responsibility. The Premier League is now a global product, and the whole world will be watching on Sunday – let’s cross our fingers that respect prevails, but if it doesn’t then let’s be prepared to act.
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