Sir Alex Ferguson is not a man you would normally associate with woolly-minded optimism.
His publicly stated hope, however, that a minority of Manchester United fans will no longer taunt Liverpool supporters over the Hillsborough tragedy seems naive.
The Premier League rivals clash at Anfield on Sunday, Liverpool's first home game since an independent review into the 1989 disaster nailed the outrageous lie - started by the police and gleefully spread by sections of the establishment - that fans were to blame for the crush which killed 96 people.
"You would hope that maybe this is a line in the sand in the way supporters behave toward one another," the United manager said. It is a noble aspiration but one based upon a flawed logic, which supposes that United fans only taunted Liverpudlians over Hillsborough because they believed the original smear campaign.
Does Ferguson honestly think that the sort of person who is happy to sing tasteless songs about children dying at a football match is also the type to be swayed by an independent review?
"Hang about lads, we can't sing that one. Didn't you hear the prime minister's statement to Parliament?"
"Yeah, good point, Dazza. Professor Scraton's damning conclusions about the deficiencies of both the policing operation and the stadium itself have certainly lifted the scales from my eyes." Not likely.
Ferguson's theory is further undermined by the fact that English football is peppered with tasteless references to tragedies for which the victims have never been blamed.
Some fans taunt Tottenham Hotspur supporters, perceived as more likely to be Jewish, with a hissing sound intended to imitate a Nazi gas chamber.
A minority of Arsenal fans sing about their wish that Emmanuel Adebayor had not survived the terrorist attack on the Togo team coach in 2010.
And, of course, there are the Munich air disaster taunts suffered by Ferguson's own club. Do the moronic Leeds United, Manchester City and Liverpool fans make those "wing" gestures at United fans and players because they believe the Busby babes were to blame? Are they awaiting an independent review to confirm that Duncan Edwards was not actually flying the plane?
No. Blinded by tribalism, they are simply seeking the most hurtful jibe available. Sadly, the review into Hillsborough will not change that culture.
Of course, Ferguson cannot say that. He was asked a straight question and gave the only answer he could: that he hoped fans' behaviour would change.
For the record, I am sure he does. However, he missed a gilt-edged chance to prove it this week when a section of United supporters sang, "Always the victims, it's never your fault" during a game against Wigan Athletic - which sounded like a thinly veiled Hillsborough jibe.
Instead of grasping the nettle, Ferguson chose to back up the United supporters' dubious excuse that this chant referred to last season's racism row between Luis Suarez and Patrice Evra. Now that really is woolly-minded optimism.
And there, in a nutshell, is the problem. Clubs can say all the right things, believe all the right things and stage all the right photo opportunities (the United captain Nemanja Vidic will jointly release 96 balloons with Steven Gerrard, the Liverpool captain, before kick-off on Sunday) but while the majority of decent fans and officials make excuses for a minority of unthinking, tribalistic louts, the sick chants will continue.
We do not need a new "line in the sand". The line of decency and civility has always been there, and is observed by the vast majority.
The challenge now is to demonstrate that those who cross it will not be welcomed back into the throng.
sports@thenational.ae
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
The Facility’s Versatility
Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket
RESULTS
2pm: Maiden Dh 60,000 (Dirt) 1,400m. Winner: Masaali, Pat Dobbs (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer).
2.30pm: Handicap Dh 76,000 (D) 1,400m. Winner: Almoreb, Dane O’Neill, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
3pm: Handicap Dh 64,000 (D) 1,200m. Winner: Imprison, Fabrice Veron, Rashed Bouresly.
3.30pm: Shadwell Farm Conditions Dh 100,000 (D) 1,000m. Winner: Raahy, Adrie de Vries, Jaber Ramadhan.
4pm: Maiden Dh 60,000 (D) 1,000m. Winner: Cross The Ocean, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
4.30pm: Handicap 64,000 (D) 1,950m. Winner: Sa’Ada, Fernando Jara, Ahmad bin Harmash.
Results
2.30pm: Dubai Creek Tower – Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (Dirt) 1,200m; Winner: Marmara Xm, Gary Sanchez (jockey), Abdelkhir Adam (trainer)
3pm: Al Yasmeen – Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m; Winner: AS Hajez, Jesus Rosales, Khalifa Al Neyadi
3.30pm: Al Ferdous – Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m; Winner: Soukainah, Sebastien Martino, Jean-Claude Pecout
4pm: The Crown Prince Of Sharjah – Prestige (PA) Dh200,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: AF Thayer, Ray Dawson, Ernst Oertel
4.30pm: Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Cup – Handicap (TB) Dh200,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: George Villiers, Antonio Fresu, Bhupat Seemar
5pm: Palma Spring – Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Es Abu Mousa, Antonio Fresu, Abubakar Daud
RESULTS
5pm: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Racing Festival Purebred Arabian Cup Conditions (PA) Dh 200,000 (Turf) 1,600m
Winner: Hameem, Adrie de Vries (jockey), Abdallah Al Hammadi (trainer)
5.30pm: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Cup Conditions (PA) Dh 200,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: Winked, Connor Beasley, Abdallah Al Hammadi
6pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Cup Listed (TB) Dh 380,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: Boerhan, Ryan Curatolo, Nicholas Bachalard
6.30pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Group 3 (PA) Dh 500,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: AF Alwajel, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
7pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Jewel Crown Group 1 (PA) Dh 5,000,000 (T) 2,200m
Winner: Messi, Pat Dobbs, Timo Keersmaekers
7.30pm: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Racing Festival Handicap (PA) Dh 150,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: Harrab, Ryan Curatolo, Jean de Roualle
8pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh 100,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: AF Alareeq, Connor Beasley, Ahmed Al Mehairbi
