Football crazy: How a minority of Rangers fans soured a once-in-a-lifetime football memory

perfectly. I felt sick when I saw the footage of the riot on the TV in the morning. Having been at the game (I got robbed by a tout, even though I willingly allowed it.) I didnt see any actual trouble, but could tell from the police response and the mess that something had happened. A great day was to much an extent ruined. However we should try balance things with the many positive stories from that day, as no matter what certain people with an agenda might say, the overwhelming majority of the Rangers support, which far out numbered any other previous traveling support at a uefa cup final, were well behaved and in good spirits.

.....I certainly did (I could have put my house on it) and anyone who has had the misfortune to encounter the rabid ' we are the peepul' miscreants would certainly agree. Ask the people of Barcelona and ask David Murray why he had to practically hand pick those who travelled to subsequent away legs in Europe

Fact is Tony, Barcelona was ill-prepared for Rangers arrival, as such people had to urinate in the street as there were no toilets, well hang us now. Your subsequent statement about handpicking fans is just plain false......... The 5 hours I was at the City of Manchester Stadium were simply fantastic, Zenit fans and Rangers fans enjoying their day, no segregation, freely mixing, shaking hands, looking forward to a great match. At full time every Rangers fan stood and appluaded the deserved winners, a true show of sportsmanship in defeat.............. I like the author feel totally empty after trekking back to the hotel to see the news tearing my club to bits. Never mind the hundred off thousand that had a great day and showed Sporting Pride. Lets concentrate on some drunk idiots who lost the plot. A nightmare. Greater Manchester Police should be the subject of a full investigation also, their PR war reeks of an organisation on the back foot.

"Ask the people of Barcelona and ask David Murray why he had to practically hand pick those who travelled to subsequent away legs in Europe" Nonsense on both counts. The free tickets for away games went to the same people who would have got them if payment had been necessary, namely members of the Travel Club. As for Barcelona, that was one of nine European away games for Rangers this season and there was not a single arrest at any of them. Manchester was just too convenient. 200,000 (Manchester council figure) fans were there. It was all too easy for various bad elements - e.g. casuals from other clubs and neds who rarely if ever set foot in Ibrox - to get there and pour copious drink down their necks. Also, while the local bobbies were generally good, some of the riot police were heavy-handed to say the least and that didn't help the situation. As many as possible of those so-called "fans" involved in violence should be prosecuted and banned from football.

Tony McGregor we can always expect something stupid from one of the breezblock brigade short memory mob .may i remind you of the hiiting with refs with lighters ,smashing their windows .hiring of aprivate detective to find out the religion of aref before a old firm game, singin of songs about murdering scum(i.r.a) and you do still sing them doesnt matter if its not at the game BUT YOU STILL SING THEM so please dont come on here so high and mighty , make a sentence out of black, pot, kettle get my point

Like most of the people,I met during the day ,nobody would have thought something like that would have happened.The Manchester police were fantastic on the day,as were the folk of Manchester..Everybody was in the party mood,and for anyone to make excuses about a failed screen,too much to drink or any other half ar*ed reason,are complete and utter idiots.These scum emmbarresed us by pretending to be football fans.These people have to be rooted out by the Rangers support,in order for us not to go through this again. Simple. The question is,what could the decent fans do on the night to prevent it happening.I was in Cathedral gardens where the atmosphere was brilliant all night,even after the final whistle.When myself and eight other family members had said our goodbyes,I tried to make my way to the train station,as shudehill bus station had been mysteriously closed.Eventually I found out why when I turned the wrong corner,and was in between hooligans and riot police.I will never forgive those scumbags for ruining my day,and blackening our name. Shame on them. And Tony your bitterness is there for all to see,why don`t you bet your house on something you clown.

No doubt the holier than thou,mhob are loving this,and can`t wait to get their cheap tuppence worth in, There will of course be 60 less Celtic fans wellcome in Barcelona ,than there will be Gers fans.(we had no arrests you see).Not to mention the prostitutes feeling a lot safer after Celtic fans had gone home. Look out for those glass houses Tony ,you clown.

i came over from west australia,no chance of ticket great 4 days in manchester,everything brilliant,but 1 hour BEFORE kickoff all riot police around picadilly.why?they turned screen off?

The biggest disappointment for me is the fact that, because a few idiots who aren't from Manchester can't drink without turning into morons, United fans won't get the chance to watch the Champions League final on big screens OR see their team on an open top bus celebrating their title win/possible Champs League win... I don't even support United but it isn't on that these people can come to my city and ruin it in such a way that it destroys any chance another set of people had of seeing their heroes in action.

Dan - I don't disagree with you, it is grossly unfair that United and no doubt subsequent fans from other clubs will be punished. I don't know what can be done about it now other than to sympathise. Alan - Even if it was turned off it doesn't excuse the reaction to it going off. Tony - Canny resist a wee dig can you. Most of the real Celtic fans I know have been far less hard on our support than the Rangers fans have. Real football fans know what it is like when the minority spoil it for the majority. You should be careful Tony it's a long drop down from that moral high ground you think you're living on just now.

I've never seen so many people crammed into such small spaces as I did at Manchester, not even at the old Hampden before the revamp. That, and the amount of drink being consumed spelled trouble. Interestingly however, of the 47 arrests more than 35 have Manchester addresses so perhaps the Utd supporters, who are rightfully pissed off, should be asking those cretins what they were doing last Wednesday night. It'll all come out in the wash, hopefully.

Geo Funny you mention Prostitutes given Rampagers fans were arrested abroad this season for giving the girls fake money. Shame on you

this was a carbon copy of the world cup bye english thugs, as i was in manchester at the time and moved my family to albert square to watch the match..

or totally delusional. the scale of the rioting by that "small minority" was in a league all of it's own.looting shops and chemists, attacking the police like savages, destroying cars, frightening women, gratuitous vandalism, rampaging through city centre streets into the small hours and generally shaming themselves in front of a world audience. this was far worse than anything millwall, the ICT or england abroad have ever been involved in so your assertion that this unsavoury incident has been blown out of proportion is so wide of the mark as to embarrass you. you got off rather lightly in my opinion, as that sort of behaviour in italy, turkey or russia would have brought calls for a blanket ban. yet in your mind it's the police' fault? no, it's the fault of those moronic rangers fans who don't have the upbringing or intellectual capacity to be anything other than vulgar little thugs. shame on them and shame on you for attempting to excuse them.