United have also pointed out to the City fans that Busby, who died in 1994, was a longtime player for their club and that Frank Swift, one of eight soccer reporters who died in the crash, was formerly a City goalkeeper considered one of England's finest.
Manchester City manager Sven-Goran Eriksson and team captain Richard Dunne also wrote to the 3,000 City fans who have asked for tickets to the game to uphold the club's good name.
But whatever they say may well be forgotten when the whistle blows before the game at Old Trafford to start the minute's silence.
For many of the fans it could just come down to United versus City. The "silent" memory of the Busby Babes could be drowned in violence and hate.
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