Decades on, amid the rise in hostility, it’s also worth remembering the simple, no-nonsense solidarity shown between the two sets of supporters in the days after the disaster: the following weekend, more than 200 United fans from all around the country made the trip to Anfield to pay their respects.
Both men would like to see our fierce rivalry with the Merseyside club endure, but alongside an awareness that some issues should unite every single match-going football fan, whatever their allegiances.
“There’s absolutely nothing wrong with the intense rivalry,” says Edwards, “and it couldn’t have been better illustrated by the recent league match, where the two teams were slugging it out, giving it absolutely everything, and the supporters were giving it absolutely everything. But I didn’t hear a single offensive chant this time out.
“You have to separate the rivalry from the tragedy; you have to understand that the tragedy was a terrible event in football’s history that should never repeat itself. And we should be united in that attitude.”
“A lot of people just go with the flow, because their mates are doing it, and it’s peer pressure, to a degree,” suggests Nigel. “But learn your history and take a moment to think before you speak…
“The animosity will never disappear, and there are many reasons for that – historical as well as football-wise. But, ultimately, it could have been us.”
