United slam protesters after Munich tribute is hit

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Protesters targeted the poster of AIG, the American insurance giant, after complaints that its presence in the poignant memorial was "vulgar".

Security will be stepped up at Old Trafford after the poster, featuring the 1958 team which lost eight players in the air crash, was vandalised.

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Club spokesman Phil Townsend said: "A couple of paint bombs were thrown at the Munich tribute on the East Stand last night.

"It's just a group of mindless idiots who have vandalised a tribute to the Busby Babes."

Anti-Glazer protesters have already attacked the AIG offices as well as the home of United chief executive David Gill this month.

But Townsend also defended the presence of the AIG logo, saying: "It's not an advert. It's a tribute by one of our major partners and we are entirely comfortable with it."

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The banner has already had to be altered once after the club got the wording wrong.

Some supporters criticised the club for omitting the word 'Busby' from the enormous tribute, which features the words to the United calypso terrace chant and covers the front of Old Trafford's East Stand. The blunder was spotted by fans and later rectified by the club.

The huge tribute, to mark the 50th anniversary of the Munich air disaster, features a picture of the Babes' final line-up against Red Star Belgrade, along with the words to the calypso chant. The wording was changed from 'bouncing Babes' to 'bouncing Busby Babes'.

Reaction was mixed from fans on the Red Issue website.

One said: "A can of spray paint is totally appropriate."

But another said: "This is a disgrace if true. Defacing a tribute is defacing a tribute whatever the intentions may be."

While one read: "Anyone who's taken the time and risk to get that aberration off the tribute deserves our thanks and respect."