THE chairman of Rangers yesterday said he "deplored" the violence of fans in Manchester as police revealed the details of supporters charged in the wake of the running battles.
Sir David Murray spoke out after Glasgow City Council leader Steven Purcell admitted the riots had left him "ashamed" as a Glaswegian.
And despite claims the drunken, marauding fans had been English, it emerged that many of those arrested lived in
Scotland's biggest city.
In the battle following Wednesday's Uefa cup final clash with Zenit St Petersburg, 15 officers and one police dog were hurt. A Russian fan was stabbed inside the City of Manchester Stadium.
Eleven male Rangers fans were charged with various offences. Three were under 18 and have not been named. Three were homeless, one lived in Fife and the remaining four lived in Glasgow.
A further 11 Rangers supporters were bailed pending further inquiries and 12 were given cautions. Seven men, including one Zenit fan, were released without charge.
Sir David said the club had been working "non-stop" since Wednesday night, "analysing the disturbances which occurred in Manchester".
He said he was grateful that Manchester City Council, Greater Manchester Police and many locals recognised the majority of fans behaved well and were a credit to the club.
And he added: "We deplore the actions of a small minority who were involved in the disturbances and support the severest action taken against them.
"We are continuing to liaise with the police and city councils in Manchester and Glasgow and will be assessing all relevant information over the coming days."
Rangers chief executiveMartin Bain said earlier the scenes were caused by "supporters that don't normally attach themselves to our support".
Yesterday, a spokesman for the club said he did not know yet if this was true of those who had been charged, as their details would be passed from Manchester to Strathclyde police then on to Rangers.
Those convicted will be banned from any association with the club. In an open letter to the people of Manchester, published in the Manchester Evening News, Mr Purcell wrote: "I, as a Glaswegian, am ashamed of the behaviour of some people on Wednesday night and I know there are many other Glaswegians who feel the same way."
He claimed that planning for the event was "spot-on", included discussions between the two councils and police forces, as well as Rangers, as soon as the club won its semi-final.
"Everything that could have been done in advance was done," he added. "Manchester is not to blame for what happened, Rangers Football Club is not to blame for what happened, the vast majority of Rangers supporters are not to blame for what happened. The only people to blame are the mindless minority who acted in irresponsible, idiotic and violent ways."
Scottish FA chief executive Gordon Smith also attacked the "mindless minority who have so shamed our country".
EYEWITNESSA POLICE officer stamped upon by a gang of more than 20 thugs at the peak of the Uefa violence yesterday said it was "frightening and on a different scale" to anything he had witnessed in his 23-year career.
Constable Mick Regan, 47, a former Territorial Army corporal, was captured on police cameras coming under a hail of bottles and being pushed to the ground and battered. The terrifying scenes came after thousands of Rangers fans flocked to Manchester without a ticket for their team's clash with Zenit St Petersburg. Troubled flared when a big screen set up to show the match in Piccadilly Gardens failed.
Mr Regan, from Offerton, Stockport, escaped with sore ribs and a puncture wound to his arm, after being dragged from the fray by a mysterious rescuer who said he was a medic with the British Army.
He said: "Never in my career have I been in a situation like that. The people who were kicking off were drunk and out for trouble. I know they will say it's a minority but a few thousand is a big minority."
