Phil Jones branded 'disgraceful' and 'tacky' by Man Utd fans over heavily branded Munich tribute on social media

Hundreds of fans have voiced their anger on Twitter with calls for the Manchester United defender to remove the post

Phil Jones (GETTY IMAGES)

Hundreds of fans have voiced their anger at Phil Jones after the Manchester United defender posted a Munich disaster tribute image which included his own branding and links to his social media accounts.

Jones posted the image of the 'Busby Babes' on Twitter on Saturday to coincide with the 58th anniversary of the tragic accident that led to the deaths of 23 people, including officials, journalists and a number of Sir Matt Busby's Manchester United players.

Included on the image was Jones' personal 'PJ4' logo as well as links to his Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.

Hundreds have since responded to the tweet, angry at the apparent attempt to use the disaster as a vehicle for self promotion.

"Come on, Phil. Not the time for self promotion," wrote one, with others believing he had been "poorly advised". There have also been many calls for Jones to delete the post, but 48 hours after it first appeared, it remains visible to his 2.1 million followers.

How fans have reacted on Twitter...

It was noted by more than one that this isn't the first time the Munich disaster has become entwined with promotional activities. Former shirt sponsors AIG were criticised in 2008 when a poster featuring the same image of the Busby Babes outside Old Trafford featured the company's logo.

Jones has not played since the start of January and is currently out injured.

The disaster happened as Manchester United returned from a European Cup fixture against Red Star Belgrade. After stopping in Munich to refuel, the British Airways flight crashed shortly after its third attempt to take off in difficult conditions from the slush-covered runway. Among those who lost their lives were eight Manchester United players, including Duncan Edwards. Sir Bobby Charlton was among those to survive from the 44 on board.