Manchester United have written to the Russian ice hockey team Lokomotiv Yaroslavl to express their condolences about the plane crash that has brought back memories of the Munich air disaster.

The Premier League champions felt compelled to act because of their own history as another club to experience a major tragedy, in their case when the plane carrying Sir Matt Busby's team crashed on the runway at Munich in 1958, killing 23 of the 44 people on board, including eight players and three members of United's staff.

Thirty-six players and officials from the Russian club were killed, along with seven crew, when their flight to Minsk crashed on Tuesday, shortly after taking off from an airport near Yaroslavl, about 160 miles north-east of Moscow.

United have expressed their sympathy in the form of a letter from the chief executive, David Gill, telling the Russians they are in the thoughts of everyone at Old Trafford.