Lee plea for silence

February 07, 2008

APPEAL: Francis Lee

CITY'S Old Boys' Association have pleaded with Blues fans at Sunday's Old Trafford derby not to spoil the Munich minute's silence.

The chairman of the association is City legend Francis Lee and he is desperate to get across the message of friendship between the two Manchester clubs.

Lee and his committee have been in contact with United's Old Boys' Association, whose treasurer is M.E.N. Sport columnist David Sadler, to discuss the situation.

"The City and United old boys are in regular contact with each other and we have a great relationship," Lee said.

"We both want Sunday to be an occasion when nothing goes wrong, and to be a day when everybody shows respect and pays tribute to some marvellous people who lost their lives.

"What any of those mindless idiots who might be planning to wreck the occasion must realise is that there is a bond between the two clubs and the ex-players.

"Munich survivor Dennis Violett was a huge friend of City's Ken Barnes.

"George Best and Mike Summerbee were very big pals in the 60s and were even in business together. There are plenty of City and United friendships around.

Best

"The fact was you did your level best for your own club on derby day and there was fierce rivalry on the pitch.

"But we are talking about a football match and at the end of it you were mates again.

"We have great occasions together as Old Boys' Associations. When United have their reunion or charity dinners at Old Trafford, they invite the ex-City players. At City, we reciprocate and they come to our functions.

"Both associations have a golf day and Blues and Reds join together in those.

"Traditionally the two clubs have always had a great friendship.

"When United Old Boys' Association chairman John Doherty died last year, there were probably as many ex-City players at his funeral as there were United old boys.

"That's how it should be."

Lee added: "Deep down, I believe the day will be respected and the minute's silence will be honoured by the City section at Old Trafford.

"I honestly feel they understand and respect the seriousness and solemnity of the occasion and won't wreck it."

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marc (07/02/2008 at 11:50)

i wonder if on sunday, if the silence is as poorly kept as at england last nite....just as little will be made of it.... me thinks not!!

Peter Doherty. As good as it gets. Levenshulme. (Debt free?) (07/02/2008 at 11:56)

It's as if it we have a fait accompli, but what if there is utter silence, this is going to annoy everyone... Not a bad option then?

john blue (07/02/2008 at 11:56)

HOPE YOUR RIGHT FRANNY,COME ON YOU BLUES.

mike summerbee's handbag, manchester (07/02/2008 at 12:01)

After last night's disgraceful 'silence'at Wembley, applause is inappropriate, silence is at the mercy of the stupid and ignorant, singing 'Abide with me' the old Wembley hymn would be a fitting and respectful commemoration of Manchester's loss.

ted knott, droylsden (07/02/2008 at 12:03)

FRANNY? and what about the UNITED fans GOADING the CITY fans before, during and after the game? Are their old players pleading with their fans to play their part in this? THIS IS ALL ONE WAY AND IT IS WRONG! I WANT RESPECT SHOWN TO THE TRAGIC BABES BUT PLEASE CONSIDER THE SHEER PROVOCATION THE CITY FANS WILL HAVE TO ENDURE!!!!!!

SDS (07/02/2008 at 12:04)

this story just drags on and on, there are good and bad fans at every football club, city are no exception,what the tabloids and everyone must realise is a minimum of 99% of city fans will show respect, so focus on that, keep going on about the 1% who may let the club down is giving them attention they should not have, but lets be honest the gutter press will be very disappointed if city fans totally honour the minutes silence, i hope they do, but i wont be having it that me, my fellow city fans and our club are aload of thugs because two or three clowns cant keep quiet for one minute. that said its easy for the united fans they are used to sitting in silence for 90 minutes. my wish observe the minute silence, then beat the reds, benji to score the winner, come on you blues.

Prestwich Blue (07/02/2008 at 12:15)

I usually hate those mindless idiots who ruin a minute's silence but I must admit I was glad they tried to ruin last night's tribute. The only reason is that at least it won't be only at our match that the idiots have their way and they won't be able to just blame City fans. Sky Sports said that the minute tribute was brought to an end by the ref after 27 seconds. I would love our mindless idiots to just think that if they kept quiet, it would now actually do City fans a hell of a lot of good.

The Pope, Rome (07/02/2008 at 12:18)

marc, we will be crucified if someone farts at our end.

barnham blue (07/02/2008 at 12:28)

Prestwich Blue - you're absolutely right. And how much praise do you think the media will give to us if we observe the silence totally, unlike the England fans?

Let's hope we get a chance to find out.......

Blue Cheese (07/02/2008 at 12:28)

United are taking down that banner at the swamp that taunts us for our lack of trophies and they're decorating the away end with tributes to Frank Swift. Let's show them we can rise above petty rivalries and show respect where it's due. Bill Shankly's quote about football being more important than life or death made a nice slogan for a T shirt but it's utter bobbins. If you break the silence on Sunday you deserve a good shoeing.

Here endeth the lesson.

Jack Thorley, Trafford (07/02/2008 at 12:32)

I would think that anyone stupid enough to break the one minute silence would realise that within minutes he would be evicted from the ground and probably banned from attending any future games.Every TV camera and photographer's len's will just waiting to pick you out.

Rick, Glos (07/02/2008 at 12:33)

Some on here may remember my news regarding Bianchi some months back, the details and source of which were not revealed...well maybe indeed FHL we should all learn to keep our mouth's shut about stuff, especially in golf club car parks.

steve cowley (07/02/2008 at 12:34)

i totally agree with the comments of respecting the silence on sunday, the only thing that winds me up is when people on here, the telly and internet refer to it as a tribute to the busby babes, because it isn't it is the remembrance of all the 23 who died in the munich air disaster.

60 seconds then give them everything you have blues on the pitch, we already know we are better fans so we do not need the few to tarnish our reputation.

A Burnage Voice, Burnage (07/02/2008 at 12:40)

If you have to make a point on Sunday don't break the silence just hold up a sign with "Minutes silence sponsored by AIG". Speaks volumes. If you can't keep quiet for just one minute because a load of young men with families were killed in an accident you really are a moron. Any City fans at the game on Sunday are responsible for all our reputations... don't mess it up.

Mike (07/02/2008 at 12:41)

Is it me or is the picture of Franny on this page out of focus? Or do I need my red tinted glasses to see it more clearly?!

j the el, mancunia (07/02/2008 at 12:49)

totally sick of hearing about this damn silence now - sundays will their third this week.
please -leave city out of it. we are not bothered.
its being catorgorically milked.

j the el, mancunia (07/02/2008 at 13:00)

grammar boy.
totally sick of hearing about this damn silence now - sundays silence will be the third they've had this week. please -leave city out of it. we are not bothered. its being categorically milked.

Nasty, East Stand, Level 1, (07/02/2008 at 13:05)

Franny you are one of my heros and a lifelong blue but I think that it will be a struggle for us to come away without the wrath of the media attacking us in some way or another so I appeal to the lucky guys who are there to try your very best for the Blues!! we take enough stick from the Rags as it is and it would be a dream to win this derby.
CTID and then some !!

snozzleblue, Cheadle (07/02/2008 at 13:10)

Let's not be negative about what may or not happen. I hope that every City supporter at the game treats the silence with respect, as they did in '58, and should those who do not, I would hope that they are pointed out afterwards before the game starts, and receive a life ban.

mylifeinthemafia (07/02/2008 at 13:11)

I agree with j the el : can we just accept that by far the vast majority of City fans will honour the minutes silence(both in OT and watching at home) but that a very few mindless morons will not. Also, I, for one, will not seek to tarr all you City fans with the same brush when it happens, and it will.

Sven Sven wherever you may be.... (07/02/2008 at 13:17)

Instead of keep 'arping on about the Munich Air Crash... Lets have a minutes silence for the Great Torino team that died in the Superga air disaster (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superga_air_disaster) - thats where my thoughts will be!!

calum down (07/02/2008 at 13:22)

this article isn't very good. i've just read something much more interesting by the 19th century humorist josh billings:

"one of the greatest victories you can gain over someone is to beat him at politeness."

it made me think how lucky we are to have a manager with such enormous respect in the football world that mancini wants his son to play for us. we need never fear the trafford allstars again, for each time we turn them over, sir awex will get redder and redder, as sven politely thanks him for another good game (surely constantly shouting at players can only result in them eventually losing respect for the manager)

i'm certain city under sven will slowly but surely continue to gain the respect of the footballing world, continuing on sunday. keep the faith, keep the silence and keep the dream alive cos maybe after all we are on the verge of becoming the best team in the land and all the world (or as sven might say 'let's see")

Victoria Ekatrina (07/02/2008 at 13:56)

Of course we should all how our respect for the dead on Sunday (Including all the other forgotten people who lost their lives that day in the same accident in the same plane. Nor should we forget the way Man ure have managed to turn this disaster into one of the worlds greatest commercial success of all time. So lets have a minutes applause also for all those clever people at Man Ure who had the vision to milk this for every penny its worth and in doing so managed to sweep the memory of all those other poor souls and their families under the great Man URE carpet. WELL DONE BOYS!!!
So, what about the city fans..? coming together as one united city of Manchester to remember the minority who died on that day. And, of course, the city ticket alocation will also be in the minority, 3000 tickets for city in a 76000 seater stadium, sure thats a real gesture of coming together from Man ure. As usual city will have to knuckle under and be threatened into submision by the mighty Man ure because our board of directors are too cowardly to stand up and be counted. 3000 tickets...what a joke and a life ban if you so much as sneeze during the minutes silence. Whom ever at city made that threat of a life ban should be utterly ashamed and should be hounded out of our great club. We are not sheep who, like school children, need a rap on the knuckle for being naughty, We are Manchester city fans who have stood by this club through 30 years of pain. PLEASE REMEMBER THAT WHILE YOU ARE STANDING IN A SMUG MINUTES SILENCE. IM SURE THAT ALL TRUE BLUES HAVE ENOUGH PRIDE AND DIGNITY TO HONOR FOOTBALLS GREATEST TRAGEDY FOR THE CORRECT REASONS. We are BLUE and we are PROUD so lets do the club proud and lets be silent. To all real Man United supporters..For one minute we will come together and feel your loss but after that minute (and I know you feel the same way) Let battle on the field commence. CTID and beyond.

Neil Allen (07/02/2008 at 13:57)

I am sick of all this talk about whether the City fans will or will not keep quiet and the daily media attention on this issue, United themselves couldn't give a monkeys about the players that died or were injured that night in Munich, but are only interested in making marketing money out of this tragedy, even their past players Scanlon, Wood and Gregg never got any help off United, and two of them were ordered to leave their homes and with their families just after not being able to play football again.....some club that United are.

A dispicable act by a dispicable club, who have made money out of a tragedy ever since the day happend, it is that much a concern to United that it took them 40 years to arrange a benefit match, and even then Eric Cantona ended up recieving more money than them players or their families did...a DISGRACE....time United got their own house in order, before looking for sympathy and the "right thing" from others.

Rocket III, Angola (07/02/2008 at 13:59)

I remember seeing Frannie playing cricket with David Sadler and David Hirst back in the late 70's early 80's in the Timperley Trios. His team, The Manchester All Stars were pretty good, and Frannie, though a tad rotund, was a useful pace bowler.

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