City plea to fans on chant

Manchester City v Tottenham, 8

Manchester City v Tottenham, 8.0 On TV: Sky Sports 1: Manchester City have launched a campaign to eradicate chanting about the Munich air disaster at the derby match against Manchester United on Saturday week. An open letter will be printed in the programme for tonight's match against Tottenham Hotspur calling the supporters who sing about the tragedy an "embarrassment to our club".

The letter has been written by the supporters' club and other fans' groups. It targets the habit of City referring to United players and fans as "Munichs".

"Twenty-three men, many of them young footballers yet to reach their prime, perished on the runway of Munich airport," it says. "Among the dead was journalist and former City player Frank Swift, one of the greatest goalkeepers ever to grace the blue shirt.

"What happened that day transcends football. It transcends rivalry. Death is not a joke; loss is not a way to goad your rivals. Those who sing songs about Manchester United's plane crash in Munich are an embarrassment to our real fans. We help to kick out racism. We don't tolerate discrimination. So let's stamp out these appalling chants."

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City look likely to add new signings in the next few days. The Espanyol midfielder Albert Riera has agreed to join on loan for the rest of the season, and 18-year-old Shrewsbury goalkeeper Joe Hart is likely to be the subject of a £1.5 million offer.

Ben Thatcher could return tonight after recovering from a calf injury, but Antoine Sibierski is out after hurting his back against Middlesbrough on Saturday.