Liverpool v Manchester United: cruel chants have got to stop, insists Steven Gerrard But, on the other hand, it still brings back the memories. It's all over the news, all over the papers. When you're a Liverpool fan and Liverpool player and you've got family who were affected in the disaster, it brings back the memories so it was sad at the same time. He also knows that he could, if fate had dealt a different hand, have been among the victims himself. I've stood on the terraces and been involved in games like that. So it could have been anyone, it could have been any Liverpool fan," he said. Gerrard will respect and support the families and campaigners" continuing drive for justice - and bringing to book those responsible for the disaster. It's not in my control. I hope so," he said of whether he felt charges should be brought. I think everyone thinks - I'm sure you guys are the same - if there's people out there that should be punished and deserve to be punished, of course they do. Gerrard issued the most heartfelt of pleas for both sets of supporters to behave, to stop the chanting and respect the Hillsborough victims - and also those who lost their lives in other tragedies including, of course, the Munich air disaster which so affected United. "There were two big disasters, both United and Liverpool were affected," Gerrard said. The game's on TV, everyone's waiting to see what kind of reaction it gets and it's a great opportunity for Liverpool and United fans to send a message across the world that they're two great sets of supporters and this is the chance to stop that kind of chanting. His message to Liverpool fans who have chanted in the past is, therefore, simple. It's got to stop. It's got to stop," Gerrard said. This is the perfect chance to put a stop to it but also to send a message to all the other supporters round the world who may be singing about the wrong things. These are not the only two disasters that have happened, there's racism going on, there's all kinds of different chants coming from supporters which need to stop and if two big clubs send out that right message that it has no place in football, then I think everyone else will take note. Let's have it right, it's not every supporter out there, it's a minority - and people do jump on the back of it I'm sure the Liverpool and Manchester United fans know what the right thing to do is. Let's hope this game's remembered for the right things on the pitch and off it. Gerrard will help lead the commemorations at Anfield - releasing 96 balloons along with United captain Nemanja Vidic - and said he had been overwhelmed by the reaction of the football world to the release of the Hillsborough report. "It's been unbelievable," he said. First and foremost, across the park, at Everton. Everyone knows the rivalry we've got, the banter we have, the banter the two sets of supporters have around the city. The tribute they did was fantastic. Manchester United, as well. I think it's brought football together and puts football into perspective. Not that Gerrard wants the healthy rivalry to stop as he hopes Liverpool will gain their first Premier League victory of the season to "kick-start" their campaign. "That's fine," he said. Liverpool players and United players are not all of a sudden going to start liking each other. There's a big game of football and a lot at stake at the weekend but this is more important than football, what we're talking about. That's why we all love football, that's why it's the best league in the world, because of these rivalries. That can't stop. But there's a line.