A handful of Manchester City fans were ejected from Old Trafford for allegedly mocking the Munich Air Disaster during Sunday's 4-2 derby defeat by Manchester United. Stewards threw out the group who were said to be attempting to taunt home supporters by making airplane wings in a sick reference to the 1958 tragedy. A total of 23 people perished after a plane carrying Matt Busby's talented young side crashed during a take-off attempt from Munich after refuelling following a European Cup clash against Red Star Belgrade. A handful of Manchester City fans were ejected from Old Trafford for allegedly mocking the Munich Disaster . Manchester United won 4-2, with goals from Ashley Young, Marouane Fellaini, Juan Mata and Chris Smalling . Among the death toll was former Manchester City goalkeeper Frank Swift, who was covering the match as a journalist. However, a minority of visiting supporters were accused of performing the gesture and were quickly thrown out by stewards. Police praised the 'overwhelming majority' of supporters at the clash after just eight arrests were made. Fears had been raised over the 4pm kick-off time with some concerned the extra time in the pub it allowed could increase the risk of alcohol-fuelled disorder. Police on Merseyside had previously launched a legal challenge to the Everton versus Liverpool clash starting at 5.30pm on a Saturday but their counterparts in Greater Manchester were confident they could handle a late afternoon kick-off. A scuffle described by officers as 'minor' broke out between rival United and City fans outside the stadium following the final whistle but those involved were quickly dispersed and the match passed without major incident. Young's goal delighted the Old Trafford crowd, the majority of whom were praised for their behaviour . Police praised 'the overwhelming majority' of fans, after just eight people were arrested at the derby . Of those arrested, one was held on suspicion of ticket touting, another for an alleged assault on a police officer who was kicked in the head and a third was accused of assault. One man was arrested on suspicion of committing a racially-aggravated offence following alleged comments made about Ashley Young following his equalising goal for United. Three were arrested for alleged public order offences and another was held on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly. Chief Superintendent John O'Hare hailed fans' behaviour. He said: 'I would firstly like to praise the overwhelming majority of fans from both clubs for making the derby match a safe and enjoyable environment. The disaster in 1958 saw 23 people die when Manchester United's plane crashed in Munich . 'In a stadium packed with more than 75,000 people, to only make eight arrests for minor offences without any disorder is a fantastic achievement and again is testament to the behaviour of the fans in attendance. 'There was a minor skirmish on the forecourt as fans left the ground, but this was quickly dealt with by the officers on the ground who ensured there was no disorder and the game passed peacefully. 'As we said before the game, the later kick-off was mutually agreed by ourselves, both clubs and the Premier League which is a reflection of how well the fans have behaved during previous derbies. That spirit was evident again this Sunday.' City say they are aware of the ejections and are liaising with United officials.
Small group of supporters ejected after supposedly mocking disaster . Eight people were arrested at Old Trafford in relation to Manchester derby . But police praised 'overwhelming majority' of fans for their behaviour . Manchester United beat rivals City 4-2 on Sunday afternoon .