Manchester United support group call for Hillsborough respect

A leading Manchester United support group has urged the club's fans to respect the victims of the Hillsborough disaster when they face Liverpool on Sunday.

The match will be Liverpool's first home game since a panel absolved supporters of all blame for the tragedy, but it is feared that some United fans will sing abusive chants due to the rivalry between the two clubs.

The Stretford End Flags group, however, has called for the fans to respect the occasion.

"During Sunday's visit, Liverpool FC will be paying respect to the 96 victims of the 1989 Hillsborough tragedy, following the release of new evidence last week," said a statement on their website.

"Stretford End Flags support Sir Alex Ferguson's calls for Manchester United supporters to respect this occasion and to further refrain from indulging in the type of chants that have been highlighted by the media over the last week.

"We are led to believe that both Liverpool FC's own stewards and local police will be monitoring the behaviour of both clubs' supporters and anyone participating in chants of a derogatory nature run the risk of both ejection and banning from other games."

The supporter's group are echoing the thoughts of United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who has voiced his support of Liverpool over the incident.