Liverpool and Man Utd join forces to stop tragedy chanting
- Published
Former Man Utd player, Wes Brown said not all fans engage in tragedy chanting
Ex-footballers have visited schools to warn about the impact of chanting about tragedies suffered by rival clubs.
Former Liverpool and Manchester United players Phil Thompson and Wes Brown went to the Lord Derby Academy in Huyton, Merseyside.
Their visit followed recent incidents of so-called "tragedy chanting" at games between the two teams.
One man was charged with a public order offence after the teams played in the FA Cup on 17 March.
Mr Thompson and Mr Brown, representing the clubs' foundations, talked to pupils about the impact the chanting had on the teams, fans, and wider communities.
Mr Brown said he had "seen the sadness" in the late Sir Bobby Charlton's eyes when he heard chanting about the Munich disaster in 1958, which Mr Charlton survived but which claimed the lives of 23 other people, including eight players.
Mr Thompson said it is "disappointing" to "waste so much negative energy having a go of each other's clubs".
Ian Byrne, MP for West Derby, Liverpool, has praised Manchester United for its response, external following the incident at the Liverpool-Manchester United FA cup tie on 17 March.
The club has said it will back up any criminal action with strong club sanctions.
Phil Thompson said to help put a stop to chanting, education on its impact needs to happen
'Has got to stop'
Margaret Aspinall, whose son James died in the Hillsborough disaster of 1989, which claimed 97 lives, also spoke as part of the sessions, and said any form of abusive chanting "has got to stop".
She said: "I've always said it's not the children that need educating, it's the grown-ups."
Mrs Aspinall said neither those who died nor those who survived the disaster "deserved to have their memory trashed like that"
Kian Juggins, a Year 11 student at Lord Derby Academy, said he had witnessed tragedy chanting and said the partnership between the clubs sends a "united" message.
Kayra Bayraktar, a Year 10 student at Manchester's Dean Trust Ardwick school, said the sessions show "how we can combat it as the newest generation".
Liverpool and Manchester United managers Jurgen Klopp and Erik ten Hag have also previously called for an end to chanting about Hillsborough, Heysel and Munich.
Both foundations plan to make the sessions an annual event and said they were proud to come together for the cause.
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