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I “Red Devils” ( fans in foto ) hanno dominato in lungo ed in largo la semifinale casalinga di “Champions’ League” contro l’ Arsenal ma alla fine hanno superato i londinesi con il punteggio di una sola rete a zero , risultato che, indubbiamente, costituisce un buon viatico per il ritorno ma che non chiude certamente il discorso qualificazione. Oggi in campo si è visto un accettabile grado di “fair play” ma “Setanta” ha evidenziato le fiere battaglie a suon di tacchettate e qualcosa di più che , nel passato, hanno visto i due undici in campo ergersi a fieri rivali. Infine, ha destato un certo stupore la sospensione per incidenti tra le tifoserie di una partita di rugby e, più precisamente, quella tra “Queens Amateur” e “Doncaster”. Le tifoserie delle squadre di rugby sono sempre state additate a modello di comportamento corretto ma questa volta si sono contati tre arresti e diversi feriti, soprattutto tra gli stewards. Considerata l’ inusualità dei fatti da alcune parti si sospetta la presenza di facce note provenienti dal mondo del calcio.
Man Utd 1-0 Arsenal
Manchester United dominated Arsenal in their Champions League semi-final, first leg but will be frustrated not to have earned more than a one-goal lead.
“Arsenal keeper Manuel Almunia was his side’s hero and saved superbly to deny Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez early on.But he was beaten when John O’Shea shot home from a Michael Carrick cross.Almunia blocked a point-blank Cristiano Ronaldo header before the winger rattled the crossbar with a 30-yarder as United were denied a second”
( BBC Sport )
United v Arsenal: A history of violence
by Tom Adams , 29 April 2009 (www.setanta.com )
When did Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger become the Lou Carpenter and Harold Bishop of The Premier League?The build-up to Wednesday’s Champions League tie between Arsenal and Manchester United has been a remarkably friendly affair, with both men speaking of their mutual respect and praising the opposite side for their quality and style.Yes, boring isn’t it? We prefer to remember the days when the two great managers were at each other’s throats, verbal barbs at the ready and FA charges inevitably following, with Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira ensuring a fiery display on the pitch.Despite peace breaking out in our time, the two clubs have a long history of warfare and setanta.com takes a look at the best battles…
ON A ROCKY ROAD, 1987: The first time Sir Alex Ferguson took on Arsenal, all hell broke out at Old Trafford. The Gunners were on a 22-game unbeaten run and hot favourites against a United side who were treading water. In Ferguson’s own admission, Norman Whiteside conceded “about 45 fouls” but managed to avoid a booking. David Rocastle finally snapped and lashed out at the Northern Irish hard-man, earning a straight red card. Arsenal were beaten 2-0 in the end, and six players were booked but the seeds were sown for more trouble to follow…
WINTER OF DISCONTENT, 1988: United were 2-0 down in this FA Cup fifth round thriller but raised their hopes of a replay when Brian McClair pulled one back. The Red Devils’ leading goalscorer was then handed the perfect opportunity to snatch a draw in the final seconds when Whiteside was felled inside the box. The commentary on Grandstand went something like this..”McClair has put it in…to the North Bank of Highbury!” Nigel Winterburn let the Scot know exactly what he thought of the miss to stir up some pretty bad blood.
BRAWL GAME, 1990: The simmering feud between Winterburn and McClair reached boiling point in an infamous encounter at Old Trafford as a 21-man brawl erupted on the pitch. A lunge from the Arsenal left back on United’s Dennis Irwin was the catalyst for a huge flare-up and Irwin and McClair both kicked Winterburn while he lay on the floor. David Seaman was the only player not to get involved in the following melee, with Arsenal being deducted two points and United one as a result of the scenes that shamed football.
NOT WRIGHT, 1997: Arsene Wenger’s very first season in English football witnessed a bitter dispute between Ian Wright and Peter Schmeichel after the United keeper was alleged to have made racist comments to Arsenal’s black striker. In a game at Highbury on February 19, Wright then went in two-footed on Schmeichel, much to the fury of Ferguson, and the two clashed in the tunnel. The rift was smoothed over when they later reunited as pundits though.
KEOWN GETS RUUD, 2003: Depending on your allegiance, Martin Keown’s attack on Ruud van Nistelrooy was either one of the most outrageous acts ever committed by a footballer or one of the most amusing. Arsenal had already been angered by the striker’s role in Patrick Vieira’s dismissal at Old Trafford and, with the scores at 0-0, saw United awarded a late penalty. When Van Nistelrooy’s shot cleared the bar he was confronted by the beaming visage of Keown who leapt on the striker and shoved him, sparking another brawl between the two sets of players. Keown was banned for three games, Lauren for four, Ray Parlour and Vieira one and Ashley Cole was also fined. Arsenal were fined £175,000 as a club but Van Nistelrooy’s miss proved priceless as The Gunners went on to finish the season unbeaten.
PIZZAGATE, 2004: A year on from the Keown/Van Nistelrooy dispute, Arsenal returned to Old Trafford and saw their 49-game unbeaten run brought to a controversial end. Angered by a penalty award following a Wayne Rooney dive, and with the Neville brothers’ victim Jose Antonio Reyes complaining: “In all my sporting life, I have never received so many kicks as I did in Manchester”, Arsenal’s players got involved in a dispute in the tunnel which resulted in Fergie getting pelted in the face by a slice of pizza. The culprit in the ‘Battle of the Buffet’ has not been publically identified but Ashley Cole wrote in his autobiography: “The culprit wasn’t English or French, so that should narrow it down.”
TUNNEL VISION, 2005: A quite astonishing row between Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira in the tunnel at Highbury was captured live on television as the two teams prepared to emerge for a game that ended 4-2 to United. Keane went after his long-term rival, accusing Vieira of trying to bully Gary Neville and asking him why, if he loved Senegal so much, he didn’t play for them. Referee Graham Poll had to restore order but not before a bout of finger jabbing and verbals, particularly from the wide-eyed Keane as he ominously shouted “I’ll see you out there!”. And as for those Senegal accusations? Vieira responded thus: “For someone who leaves his team in the World Cup, I think he should keep this kind of remark to himself.”
Slideshow of shame: Police hunt 12 rugby fans
Yorkshire Evening Post
28 April 2009
By Bruce Smith
“Stewards and security staff were injured in the violence at the game between the Queens Amateur Rugby League Club and Doncaster Rugby League club.
The game at Keepmoat Stadium Doncaster was stopped on Saturday March 7.
Three people have already been arrested including a 23-year-old Leeds man and a 43-year-old Doncaster man who were both issued with fixed penalty notices for public order offences. A 17-year-old Leeds man was detained for suspected assault and is on police bail.
Doncaster were leading 16-12 when referee Bob Everitt took the decision to abandon the fixture. It is believed to have been the first rugby league game abandoned due to fan violence since 1944.
The trouble in the crowd flared at about 4.10pm – 20 minutes into the second half.At most rugby matches the two opposing supporters are not segregated.
Det Insp Vicky Short of Doncaster CID, said that it appeared there had been some barracking during the half-time break, but it was not anticipated that it would lead to serious violence. But after the start of the second half the trouble escalated and it had been a referees decision to finally abandon the game.
Now police are keen to trace the men as they may have information about the incidents, said police.”
Exposed: Faces in the crowd when rugby violence flared
Yorkshire Post
28 April 2009
“Police today issued CCTV pictures of men they want to question about crowd violence at a rugby match in Doncaster last month.
Trouble flared on March 7 during a Challenge Cup match at the Keepmoat Stadium between Doncaster and Leeds amateur outfit Queens.
Fighting between supporters broke out 20 minutes into the second half. The game was stopped while stewards and security staff intervened. Some were injured, with one suffering a broken cheekbone.
Police later arrested three men. A 23 year-old from Leeds and a 43 year-old from Doncaster were given fixed penalty notices for public order offences, and a 17 year-old from Leeds is on police bail for assault.”