Rangers in Manchester

[xcj]

What a total disgrace, im embarrassed. I wasn't there, but as my mates are all Rangers fans I was going to go with them for a pi*s up but couldn't.

Everyones going to have their opinions but heres mine.

It was a tiny minority that were causing trouble (fair enough it was quite a lot of trouble). My brother and my mates were all in a different fan zone and most of them didnt know anything about it until this morning - and thats with 5 of them sleeping in a renault clio in the city centre overnight

The local big wigs made a big mistake allowing people to drink in the fan zones - and probably turning a bling eye on the street as well. If they'd done their homework they'd know that old firm games are 12:30 kick offs so as to limit the drinking time of fans as there is too much trouble otherwise. All evidence shows that a percentage of the fans get drunk and turn violent (not saying its an excuse) but the screen not working is going to set them off. I spoke to my mate in the fan zone at 1pm and by that time he could hardly speak he was so drunk.

Finally, I don't think the police should have gone in quite the way they did. Maybe it was so bad they had to, fair enough I wasn't there but as soon as the police go in to push their weight about then the fans who are looking for it have someone to fight and it goes from there.

All in all, what a shambles. Anyone here from Manchester?

[jm745]

Well maybe the police did go in a bit hard, but like you said, they probably had to.

I think this country is in a bit of a mess when football hooligans chase the police, shouldn't it be the other way round?

And I think it's bang out of order that no other coppers went back for that one that had the balls to stand up to 'em, they just left him to get his head kicked in then pick himself up and get out of there.

Like you said mate, shambles.

Joe

[LostandFound]

A good mate of mine is a copper in Manchester and was working that day. He said to me that the threat of rioting by such a large number of drunken fans warranted a quick and decisive response from the police. They knew it could antagonise other fans but they simply had no choice, such was the level of violence (ie missles being thrown, acts of aggression etc) and potential for the situation to deteriorate.
Another mate of mine who works in city centre said when he was walking to the office at 8am there were fans who were finishing 3ltr bottles of cider already. Doesnt make for a quiet day really.

Personally I think it could have been a lot worse. 40-odd arrests from 100,000 fans isn't bad at all really. There'll always be a few nutters amongst the fans, no matter which club it is.

[misterpurple]

Got this in a text the morning after:

"News just in: 70,000 dead, 20,000 critical. Rangers hats, scalves and shirts everywhere. Carlsberg don't do terrorism..."

[xcj]

According to papers up here, the actual number of fans was nearer 175,000. Thats with another 28,000 or so in Ibrox watching a big screen.

Another mate of mine who works in city centre said when he was walking to the office at 8am there were fans who were finishing 3ltr bottles of cider already. Doesnt make for a quiet day really.

I know thats partly the problem but forgetting about the trouble for a second, thats quite funny

[AJtothemax]

Police went in a bit hard???
Ever seen what the police do to rioters the over side of the pond??
They f*cking smash em!

Too right, knobheads shouldn't have kicked off like that in the first place.

[quirk]

To be fair though you do have to see it from their point of view. They spend thousands of pounds to come down and watch their team in the final. They wait there all day then right before the match the screen fails. You HONESTLY telling me you wouldnt be angry? Not condoning the violence displayed but anyone here who says they wouldnt get annoyed is lying through their teeth. Now what do you get with thousands of angry football fans.....

[flighty]

Tesco on Market Street opened at 6 am. The press were there all morning giving it large about the ''party atmosphere.'' Yeah, right.

It mattered not that the big screen gave up the ghost 12 hours later. 100,000 jocks on the piss was always going to be a nightmare.

I saw the devastation Thursday morning. City centre was full of empties, piss, shit, and chip papers. I waited for my bus trying not to chuck up.

And I am disgusted that the match on Wednesday will now not be shown on the big screen in Manchester.

Jayne

[misterpurple]

You're being a bit hard on the Scots there flighty. I remember in 2003 when Celtic lost the Cup in Seville they were given the key to the city for their good behaviour. It's not all jocks, just Rangers fans.

[flighty]

Not being hard, PurpleBloke ..... just making an observation. If 100,000 odd Mancs went up to Glasgae on the piss and the screen went down the outcome would have been exactly the same. Carnage.

I just think the knee-jerk reaction from the city council re the big screens on Wednesday stinks.

Jayne

[Stokey_14]

You're being a bit hard on the Scots there flighty. I remember in 2003 when Celtic lost the Cup in Seville they were given the key to the city for their good behaviour. It's not all jocks, just Rangers fans.

To be honest as Flighty said, any group of blokes that large drinking all day and then seeing there team lose is going to end in tears 99% of the time.

Following stoke (who them self are not known for there good behavior) my self I see it at most away and some home games, no matter what the result there is usually some form of trouble be it in, near or away from the ground.

I went Sheffield, Burnely, Cardiff, wolves, Coventry away and at all sore some form of football related trouble hell there was even a mass missile throwing at the Big screen when stoke played Colchester 2nd to last game of the season (there again due to stewards being heavy handed on one bloke who ran on the pitch)-bare in mind there was only a large screen on the field at this time- and started to moon walk... every one was in good spirit laughing and even some stewards had a laugh with him. Then two big boys came over and dragged him needlessly out of the grown, all the fans, normal and hooligans begin protesting by hailing the two stewards with beer bottles

Then Last session. The stoke fans (Men, women and children) where meet outside of the wolves ground by a barrage of house bricks (one missing my bonce by about 15 cm ) and rioting wolves fans... there again the stoke fans get all the flack for retaliating!

Not saying its right to do so but if you're attacked it is only natural in some cases to retaliate.

Now I’m not saying that Rangers where the ones being attacked but I’ve seen it far too often certain fans being blamed when it is in fact the Police or opposing fans fault.

That number of fans in a small area (especially a club as passionate as rangers) doesn’t need a nuclear scientist to figure out what was going to happen.

Sorry for the long story’s and babble just trying to get some form of point across... I think

Basically bad planning, bad responses, doesn’t excuse bad supports but it sure doesn’t help

Stokey

[daz89]

I was there in piccadilly when the screen wasnt working and I knew there was going to be a riot. Fans waited all day to watch the game there and 15 mins before kick off the screen f**ks up .. What made it worse was the police who tried to stop everybody getting out to another tv!

I still havent heard anything in the news about the the Russians either!.. they started more trouble than the Rangers fans but not a bad word has been said about them!