Manchester United and Man City to Honor Those Affected of Synagogue Attack
Manchester United together with Manchester City will pay tribute to those affected of the Manchester synagogue attack before their Premier League fixtures this weekend.
However, honors will not be regularly observed throughout England's top division and English Football League regarding Thursday's incident in which two people died and three others were injured.
Specific Tributes Planned
United players are to sport black armbands along with observing 60 seconds of quiet before their match against Sunderland at their home ground on Saturday, whereas the female squad will follow suit at their Women's Super League match against Chelsea Friday evening.
Speaking at a press briefing on Friday, United men's manager the team's manager stated: "It is a crazy world currently, many significant events have occurred, sympathy to victims, we will pay tribute tomorrow."
Man Utd's youth and under-21 sides will also wear black armbands during their matches.
City will also wear dark bands when they travel to Brentford this Sunday and have agreed with the home team to hold a period of quiet before kick-off.
Additional Context
An observance had been arranged by Brentford to honor their academy goalkeeping coach Christopher Ramsey, who died on Wednesday of bowel cancer.
The club has decided to alter the honor from a minute's applause to a quiet moment given the gravity of the recent assault.
Manchester City women will also pay their respects before their WSL match facing Arsenal this Saturday.
Reports indicate the top division and EFL are backing any team seeking to honor the victims.
Past Precedents
During the opening round of the season, a league-wide moment of silence was held before all top-flight matches to remember Liverpool forward the athlete and his brother Andre Silva following their passing in a vehicle accident in Spain.
However, Premier League sources indicate the organisation has, for some time steered clear of the idea of having blanket silences for non-football issues, even though it has supported campaigns against bias.
It comes after the FA announced that Wembley's arch would only illuminate for football and entertainment per updated guidelines in November 2023.
This move followed criticism after the arch remained unlit in the colours of the Israel flag after the October 7 attacks by the group where 1,200 people were killed.
Four years earlier, England's top division, EFL and FA faced allegations of inconsistency for not observing tributes for 50 people killed in New Zealand's mosque attacks.
Top-flight clubs had worn dark bands and France's national anthem was played following the Paris incidents.
