MANCHESTER EDUCATION COMMITTEE PLAN MORE

Last updated : 08 February 2004 By Editor

This from The Observer:

Their next move will be codenamed 'Operation Emily Davison' after the Suffragette who grabbed the reins of the king's horse during the Derby in 1911, was trampled and died as a result.

The MEC claims it is ready to bring 'hundreds' of disgruntled United fans to disrupt a high-profile race meeting, as 30 did at Hereford last Friday. Next month's Cheltenham Festival, which Magnier and McManus usually attend, is the likeliest target for the group's threatened 'spectacular'. 'That's where we could cause them the most embarrassment, where they'll be among the cream of the racing world,' said one fan activist.

On Friday 30 United fans delayed the start of a race at Hereford by unfurling banners. A spokesman for the fans said: 'We can get any number of lads, hundreds potentially, who are up for a good day out and who will go anywhere and do anything. Hereford was peaceful, and our tactics are peaceful in nature, but if this escalates in any way, there's no guarantee that it will always pass off peacefully.'

A source close to the Cubic duo said they were not worried by such threats. 'Everything in racing security-wise changed after the kidnap of Shergar [in 1983]. Security is a big issue.'