Forgiveness Isnt as Much Fun as Holding a Grudge

It's a sure sign you're getting old when you start believing in the past as some sort of golden age, "the good ol' days." And there seems to be a bit of that creeping into this, from Sir Alex, when he's talking about the reception that Tevez is likely to get:

Tevez said he thought he would be applauded for his efforts during two years at Old Trafford, just as he is given an ovation when returning to his first English club, West Ham. "I expect a good reception," he remarked. "While at United, I always gave my best and had good relations with the fans."

Ferguson responded: "He will get a surprise. It is a different culture nowadays; it is all very emotional. I remember seeing film of United and Leeds players back in the 1960s having a full scrap involving all 22 players with Denis Law getting his shirt ripped off. The fans were just watching it, showing no emotion at all. It is a different world today."

I was given The Man United Miscellany by Andy Mitten recently and today, coincidentally, read this, which sounds like the match he's probably referring to, the FA Cup Semi-Final of 1965:

In front of 65,000 at Hillsborough, Jack Charlton and Denis Law wrestled like two schoolboys as players swapped punches. The game finished 0-0, with the referee, both managers and players all being criticised for their conduct.

Nothing about the spectators there. The important bit comes in the replay:

The replay was in Nottingham four days later where players fought again. Rival fans followed, with one running on the pitch and knocking the referee to the ground, and there were disturbances on the terraces with stories of fans being thrown into the River Trent.

So there you go. Things weren't so different back in the "good ol' days..."