Sir Alex Ferguson Calls On Manchester United Fans To End Sick Arsene Wenger Chants
By Kevin Emery
Dec 9, 2010 4:40:00 PM
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is set to make a personal call to the club's supporters to end the sick chants aimed at Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.
The two clubs face off against one another on Monday night in a top of the table clash at Old Trafford.
Previous matches between the sides at Old Trafford have seen the Frenchman routinely subjected to tasteless chants. Both Manchester United and Ferguson have gone on record before about the disgusting chant and the manager will write about the subject in his programme notes for Arsenal's visit on Monday night in the hope that it puts an end to it.
Ferguson will implore the fans not to let down the club, pointing out that they should be backing their own team rather than abusing the opposition manager. He will also appeal for an end to the offensive chants during television and radio interviews before the game between the Premier League's top two teams.
Stewards will be instructed to take strong action with supporters who are seen singing offensive chants and the club hope that ejecting fans and confiscating season tickets will get the message across.
A United spokesman told the Guardian: "We have gone on the record several times about this disgusting chant.
"We don't condone it and have appealed to fans several times in the past but to no avail.
"There are many chants that opposing fans find objectionable and this is certainly one to which all decent supporters should object.
"We will take strong action against people who chant in that way. Season tickets will be revoked and we will remove people from the ground for it."
But Andrew Mangan of the Arseblog fansite expressed misgivings about whether it will have an effect.
He said: "I think it's very welcome but I wouldn't be too confident it will stop.
"I think it's been sung so long and so often at Old Trafford that people have become desensitised to it.
"It's just another song, so they don't think about what it means."