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Anger as Manchester to be denied celebration if United win Champions League



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MANCHESTER United fans reacted angrily to news that they will miss out on a Champions League Cup home-coming celebration in the wake of rioting by Rangers supporters.
Manchester City Council, widely criticised for its handling of the Uefa Cup final in the city, along with Trafford Council, Manchester United and Greater Manchester Police took the decision that there will be no parade should the team win.

A statement said: "Details are being discussed to organise an event which may take place during the summer." The council confirmed that the riots involving Rangers fans had been a factor in the decision. Manchester United play Chelsea in the final in Moscow next Wednesday.

Albert Scanlon, a former Manchester United player, said thousands of United fans would be "gutted" and blamed the police and council's "shambolic" organisation of the Uefa Cup final.

Mr Scanlon, who will be going to the Champions League final, said: "It wasn't the people of Manchester's fault what happened on Wednesday."

Simon Murphy, 37, a season ticket-holder from Bury, said, "Why punish us for something we haven't done? Just because Rangers fans can't behave doesn't mean United fans would do the same."





The full article contains 207 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 17 May 2008 1:14 AM
  • Source: The Scotsman
  • Location: Edinburgh
 
1

Fanling,

Switzerland 17/05/2008 03:49:08
I sympathise greatly with Man U fans, and of course with the Manchester police and public who had to contend with mobs of feral Glasgow and district uglies in Rangers tops. They are vicious criminals and unfortunately for the team they purport to follow, they are just following a well-worn path of gratuitous violence. The shouts of "UVF" and other obscenities were all too clear from audio/visual evidence.

What the populace of Manchester, and indeed the wider UK probably doesn't understand clearly is that the two "major" Glasgow football teams don't exactly represent Scotland as Scots know it. (Check the proliferation of British flags on show. I think there was a single Scottish flag in the stadium.) Rangers FC does not represent Scotland at all. I am saying this because Scotland unfairly gets a bad name because of a singular band of follow-follow psychos who perpetrate such viciousness abroad on the back of an imported sectarian stupidity which has no place in Scotland.

On both sides of that inglorious divide you have an Irish backdrop. This is the crux of the problem. It's an identity thing. The (Irish) Catholic dimension, represented by Celtic (whose following, it has to be noted, did admirably well in the Uefa final in Spain in 2003) is in permanent opposition in the hatred stakes to the morons you saw last Wednesday, whose deluded sense of embarrassed Irishness, disguised as Britishness, is masked by quantum displays of Ulster Red Hand flags - and utterly ridiculously by Union flags. (BNP, Glasgow branch?) They are always telling the rest of us they are British first, not Scottish. (We must be thankful for small mercies.) How well will that British crap sit with the part of England they trashed last Wednesday?

Citizens of Manchester, you are not alone. This is what the rest of Scotland has to put up with. I am really ashamed that these filth are permitted to return to my country. Weak apologies by Rangers FC hierarchy just do not wash. If they were
2

Fanling,

Switzerland 17/05/2008 03:56:23
contd.

... If they were serious about this they would have rooted out the malcontents a long time ago, but the problem is not just skin deep. It filters all the way through the hierarchy, for which they ought to be ashamed. The name Findlay QC should stir an uncomfortable reminder of this. I hope Uefa issue a very harsh punishment.




3

gerad,

greenock 17/05/2008 04:52:49
2#
I don't think any reasonable person in Scotland would disagree with your comment. I only hope that our English friends accept what you have written as the truth, although I doubt they will understand unless the equate them with stupidest of the BMP.
4

Indie Rep Kid,

17/05/2008 08:09:27
They DO represent Scotland....just not in a way that we would like. They are probably more representative of the Scottish booze-filled, random acts of violence mentality than the Tartan Army.

Did you say the same when England fions rioted there way through the 1980's and 1990's? Of course not, and ALL England fans were tarnished with the same brush.

This means it is a SCOTTISH problem that needs to be sorted by the Scottish government and the Scottish people (and, in football terms, by UEFA)

1) UEFA should ban Rangers fans from Euro away games for a season....any further problems and it is extended.
2) The SFA should be more vigilant on ALL sectarian behaviour which glorifies terrorism on BOTH sides (and this includes the remaining minorities at the Edinburgh clubs.
3) This vigilance should be extended to the streets surrounding football grounds, not just inside.
4) Zero tolerance. If you can't sing it in the street, you can't sing it on the terraces.
5

Boy Wonder,

17/05/2008 08:23:30
The people who rioted in Manchester should not be described as "fans", they are simply boozed-up thugs, whatever their nationality!

While I think that the police DO tend to go in hard and use their batons indiscriminately and with prejudice, that shouldn't detract from the fact that these hooligans were determined to cause trouble one way or another.

Until the message gets through that this behaviour will not be tolerated, ALL such matches should be disallowed from "celebrating" off the pitch after the event!
6

calum,

17/05/2008 08:26:07
I'm glad this is open for sensible comment before the bigoted morons get up from their pit.
Several things combined to make Wednesday a recipe for what happened.
A gross underestimation by the authorities in Manchester about what was about to descend on them which resulted in:
- clear lack of proper liaison between Strathclyde Police and Greater Manchester Police
- booze being sold from 6am on the day and all throught the day
- the abject failure of the Council and contractors to ensure that the screens were actually working properly (there is a conspiracy theory circulating in Manchester that the authorities are secretly well pleased that they have a ready made excuse for not providing the same for Manchester United). I condemn utterly the bahaviour of drunken yobs when the screen broke down but what did they think would happen? Applause?!
- the failure of Greater Manchester Police to identify and target properly the troublemakers.
- the years of acceptance by decent fans that all the comments outlined in the above posts are "normal"
- the inappropriate responses by Scottish MSPs, Ministers and politicians to provide a viable alternative in Glasgow
- the failure of Scottish society to address properly the real issues caused by sectarianism, separate education and bigotry.
The shameful sight of a police officer being savaged in the street is something which should be used a wake-up call to everyone to actually do something about it.
Glasgow, Rangers and Scotland could start by inviting the officer and his family to a week long, all expenses holiday to show that we're not all half-wits in Scotland. Come on, First Minister, there must be some cash in a budget somewhere for that.
Oh, and let's not fool ourselves with this being only a football problem.
7

Indie Rep Kid,

17/05/2008 08:30:08
On another story, Steve Purcell of the Glasgow Council gets credit for openly accepting that these people were there representing Glasgow.

Whilst I would argue that the make up of the support was drawn from all over Scotland (and beyond...but mainly Scotland) it is good he is not trying to deflect attention away from the real issue by blaming it on 'English hooligans' or 'non-Rangers fans', like RFC and the Daily Record (for example) are doing.
8

Indie Rep Kid,

17/05/2008 08:31:42
#6 The booze point is the main one and Manchester made a mistake by lifting their ban on outdoor drinking.

I keep hearing it was a 'minority' of fans.....I wonder what would happen to Edinburgh's Hogmanay celebration if a 'minority' or party-goers attacked the police. It would be shut down before you could say "Auld Lang Syne"

Football needs to be careful.
9

GeeJay,

Ugchelen 17/05/2008 09:08:47
As someone who was there I can endorse that it was a minority. As was pointed out by the asst. chief of GMP there were many people full of alcohol who still mananged to behave themselves and this small minority who actually did resort to violence cannot be allowed to disgrace a whole nation, a whole city or even a football club. I spent the whole day revelling in the hospitaliity and genuinely making new friends in the city of Manchester. The defeat was to be expected but when news broke of the violence this overtook everything else and I swear that all Rangers fans I spoke to were of a similar mind. There should be no attempt to whitewash these events but although it is undeniably football related these events fall outwith the span of control of a football club. Neds are neds. They attach themsleves to ALL football clubs. Society's problems are at the root of this outrage.
10

agatha,

17/05/2008 09:16:24
I am not a big fan of football, so this is a serious question if someone can answer it for me. I can understand that people might want to watch a match with other people - but why travel 200 miles to stand in the middle of a street to watch something you could watch in the pub? One of the fans complained he had spent thousands to travel to Manchester - why? Also I saw on TV all hotel rooms in Blackpool (50 miles from Manchester) were full - again, why?

11

lulach mac gille coemgain,

17/05/2008 09:28:57
Thank goodness this truble was caused by Union Jack Flying British Football supporters and not Saltire sporting Scots - it could have damaged Scotlands football reputation
12

lulach mac gille coemgain,

17/05/2008 09:31:31
Gordon Browns test of Britishness ?
13

ConnorD,

17/05/2008 09:31:42
#10 - Your question have baffled psychologists and sociologists for years. As a rugby fan, I can sit with the "enemy" at the game, enjoy more than a good few beers with them after and have some right good craic with other fans from all over the world.
Even at work I know guys who are bright, intelligent, funny, qualified and respected but as soon as football comes into the conversation they turn into some raving maniac with tribalism, bigotry and no sense. What is it that causes this effect? Why is it that football seems to be the vehicle for all that is unreasonable about a person?
14

Jimmy the Pie,

17/05/2008 09:34:27
The sectarian disease has spread everywhere. Why do people in Buckie or Oban 'support' either Old Firm team? Why not support their local team??
I think it is all part of the 'pack' mentality. Most of the people who spout their religious bile could no way ever be described as being religious.
I read a book a while ago called (I think) The Firm Called the Old Firm, which shows how both sides are happy to perpetrate the 'rivalry' in order to make money. This is why the clubs will not change.
Most of the half wits involved in Manchester won't be football fans, just idiots who have attached themselves to Rangers (in this case). They are the scum you see staggering about town and city centres all over Scotland fired up on cheap wine and cider. I don't know what the answer is but I think it has to be the courts.
15

Chaplin,

Edinburgh 17/05/2008 09:35:38
These maggots have brought shame on all of us in Scotland. Reports have circulated worldwide showing the rioting, police attacks, sectarianism, vandalism, drunkeness and massive clear up of booze bottles and litter.
There can be no allocation of blame, the Scots fans were the ones who could not responsibly hold their booze and resorted to mob mentality.
An apology to the people of Manchester from Steve Purcell is a welcome start and he should be congratulated on it.
It will also be interesting to see if the rival fans at todays FA cup final feel the need to get rat *rsed and trash the place.
16

ConnorD,

17/05/2008 09:40:41
#15 - Careful what you say, Cardiff's fans have something of a reputation, especially away from Wales. Now there's a thought...
17

Iain's,

Barcelona 17/05/2008 09:40:53
The same thing happened here after Rangers 'fans' messed up town.

The council sent the Celtic mob to a controlled area out of the town centre.

The council assumed that their plan worked because there was no trouble. The fact is that Rangers camp followers are not very nice people and spoilt the fun of the Celtic supporters.

The Barcelona team tradition is to go to the Ramblas to celebrate a win. The street was full of supporters after the world cup.

If Rangers fans cannot behave, they should be better controlled by not letting them out of Glasgow.
18

The Former Mr. Angry,

Perth 17/05/2008 09:48:04
Let's face it the heady mix of 100,000 Rangers fans, a day of booze and losing the game is not a recipe for civil behaviour. Even if a "small minority" misbehaves as we are led to believe, even a small percentage of 100,000 is a large mob whatever gloss is put on it.

This kind of madness has to be stopped by draconian penalties on the club as there would have been no unrest had the match not taken place and this would include paying for the cleaning up and extra policing if this was not already paid for by the cliubs concerned. Then there might just be a wee bit of moderation on behaviour from the top down. Meanwhile at numpty level, drinking in any public street should be cracked down on hard and enforced with large penalties and the labour used to tidy up the disgraceful mess and use of the place as a public toilet. It's all very well having a "carnival atmosphere" and if that's the case fine, but to have what was essentially a feral display of aggression and drunken behaviour does not class as this.
19

Iain's,

17/05/2008 09:48:36
p.s

I feel most strongly that the Manchester police has a duty of care towards their employees. They did not show even the most basic concern for their own officers in relation to the risk presented by a mass influx of Rangers fans.

Surely a risk assessment was carried out? If not, the matter should be reported to the Health and safety Wallas.

Someone could have got badly hurt.

Negligence without a doubt.



Mind you the Manchester police have their reputation for stupidity to maintain. They have suceeded.
20

,

17/05/2008 09:57:24
Comment Removed By Administrator
Reason:
21

roughrider,

Glasgow 17/05/2008 10:35:52
The Manchester police should be investigated for enticing a riot with behaviour like this.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7402817.stm
22

GeeJay,

Ugchelen 17/05/2008 10:46:48
In my opinion the Manchester police should be exonerated from any blame. They were excellent throughout the day and if something happened to change their mood then we can all imagine why that was. Some of the folks on here however clearly have an anti-Rangers agenda and are of no help in this debate.

They might feel intellectually superior but their intolerance of all things Rangers makes them no better than the sub-human element of our support who disgraced us all.
23

roughrider,

Glasgow 17/05/2008 10:54:18
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7402817.stm

The police officer in the above clip is as guilty of assault as Ubendy is of accepting illegal donations.
This kind of behaviour should not be tolerated,in no way should this behaviour be exonerated.
24

GeeJay,

Ugchelen 17/05/2008 11:05:41
Okay I agree that cannot be exonerated but it pales into insignificance compared to some of the things our 'fans' were up to.

Many people are loving the fact that this can all be blamed on Rangers but there is nothing Rangers FC can do to cure society's ills. There are yobbos in every support and we have the bad luck that our lot picked a world stage to show how bad they can be.
25

uno.who,

Scotland/England 17/05/2008 11:14:31
Ah, so the cops were supposed to do nothing about the baying morons waving sticks and other weapons?

However, as a non-partisan commentator, I have to say that Manchester City is highly culpable in all of this. They were happy to take all the profits from supplying drink to fans all day, herding them into a relatively confined space, then expected them not to react when confronted with police in riot gear ! Stupid ? Definitely !
26

subrosa,

17/05/2008 11:36:56
# 24 Many people are loving the fact that this can all be blamed on Rangers but there is nothing Rangers FC can do to cure society's ills.

Of course Rangers can do something. They can start by telling their fans they are Scottish when supporting their team and represent Scotland. They can bann anyone singing sectarian songs anywhere in Scotland.

As someone stated earlier Rangers and Celtic just perpetuate the problems because of money.

This type of behaviour doesn't happen in the east - Dundee wouldn't stand for it. I should perhaps say Dundee women wouldn't stand for it. They would make sure their men knew the score.

Now before you think I'm stupid, yes I am concerning football. But I'm one of those Dundee women of a certain age who has observed Scottish football from the sidelines for more years than I care to remember (under duress you understand) and the Glasgow teams have never changed. Plenty talk but little action.
27

Bob Christie,

17/05/2008 11:48:50
I agree with most of the foregoing, especially #1 and #6.
Much of the responsibility falls on Rangers FC. It was quite happy to wallow in ALL of the (largely positive) pre-match hype stirred up by the media. It CANNOT distance itself from the aftermath. If the WILL was there Rangers FC could do an awful lot more to stamp out the pernicious sectarian bigotry displayed every time this club plays. A start could also be made by the authorities closing down every outlet purporting to sell Rangers ephemera but which are actually a cover for selling sectarian " we the proddies" merchandise. One such is the stall in the Falkirk Indoor Market about which I wrote a letter to the editor of the Falkirk Herald last week (before the game). I don't know yet if it was printed.
28

NorT,

Edinburgh 17/05/2008 11:54:59
I think you will find those invovled were not the true die hard fans who follow their team every week but used it as an excuse to be a "supporter" for the day.
However it does not say a lot for the Manchester Council and police allowing them to drink in the streets. Anybody with any sense should have known this would only lead to trouble. An dth epolice are not without criticism. From what i saw a lot of the violence was started by the police with their threatening behaviour and appearance.Being in riot gear as they were only leads to violence.
29

Bert Kwok,

Northern England 17/05/2008 12:02:56
11 lulach mac gille coemgain
Is that a satirical comment? We heard and saw rioting Scots. The fact is we know they do not represent Scotland, but they are from Scotland.
I believe your comment was tongue in cheek but sure enough Scottish football has indeed been damaged, just like when a few hundred English imbeciles rioted some years back.
30

Bert Kwok,

Northern England 17/05/2008 12:17:33
28 NorT,Edinburgh
No, the scum element among the supporters started the trouble three hours before the police cracked down, i know, i was there.
The screen at Picc was crap and when the technicians got no joy with it some of the crowd began throwing glasses and bottles at them. That was a long time before the horse boxes and the shield and baton men were deployed.
31

Bert Kwok,

Northern England 17/05/2008 12:24:54
Oh and you are all welcome here at any time. A population of 5,000,000 is sure to have a few numpties and strangely a lot of those find themselves wearing football colours.
If you could stop the prats bearing IRA flags and red Hand flags coming down it would be nice but hey we live in freeish countries.
32

Neil Waugh,

Old Strathcona 17/05/2008 13:59:31
Typical English response. Blame the Scots for all their problems.
From the video I saw it looked like the Manchester tac team was enjoying having a go at the Rangers fans.
They were a hostile foreign country and the screens went black. Nuff said.
33

roughrider,

Glasgow 17/05/2008 16:03:08
"Anger as Manchester to be denied celebration if United win Champions League".
This is a typical response from a liebour infested council, punish everyone for the acts of a minority.
Reminds me of Joke Mcflannel and the bunch of lib/lab executive nunpties.
pathetic.
34

happy english,

London 17/05/2008 17:15:42
Well done Portsmouth and Cardiff, I am sure you will go home peacefully and will not run riot on the Streets of London for not winning, and the two English managers who should both be proud of there teams and supporters. I noticed Davey Jones saluted all the fans that came from Wales, England and Ireland, I noticed he left the Scottish out but who can blame him.
35

happy english,

London 17/05/2008 17:19:36
#32 'Nuff said' I take it your from the school of Rangers fans.
36

Neil Waugh,

Old Strathcona 17/05/2008 17:24:25
We Are the Persons!!!

(Err, did I get that right?)
37

Fanling,

Switzerland 17/05/2008 17:43:04
#34
Agree with your first five words, but the sour note in the rest of your back-slapping is just petty points-scoring. Maybe it makes you feel better or superior. The next time English "fans" stir it in another country (Russia on the immediate horizon) please return to this forum and share your wisdom with us.

Law-abiding Scots people (i.e. the overwhelming majority) distance themselves from the low-life who committed mayhem and near-murder in Manchester. High time you and others of like mind learned to differentiate between the fag-end of Glasgow Rangers' support and the rest of us. And BTW it's "their teams ..." not "there teams ..." Learn English spelling while you're mulling over your next cheap shot.
38

Neil Waugh,

Old Strathcona 17/05/2008 17:54:47
What I saw were a few selected CCTV edits used by the Manchester cops as a propaganda tool to justify their actions.
It looks like they caught a few of the usual hatchery trout. Including Le Idiot Brown.
Before I pass judgement on the Rangers fans I'd like to see the entire tape. I'll suspect there's some stuff on there that the Manchester polis may not like us to see.
It takes two sides to riot.
Same thing happened here when we had our Stanley Cup go a couple years ago.
39

Gorgie_Tony,

Edinburgh 17/05/2008 18:43:50
The Rangers fans should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves - they have denied Manchester United a parade - the Rangers fans should hang their heads in shame. They have brought a lot of shame on Scotland. UEFA now needs to take tough action on Rangers - no European football for the club for the next ten years and a huge fine amounting to many millions. The Scottish football authorities should also take action - ban them from playing games at home next season - along with another very big fine. Perhaps Murray will then realise he needs to take responsibility for the morons that support the club and sort them out, once and for all. The misery they have caused the Manchester people is unbelievable. As usual you have the Rangers numpties on here blaming everyone else except themselves - shame on them!
40

Jock Wilson,

17/05/2008 18:46:45
38,

Neil Waugh,like many people I have been following the threads in a number of similar sites over the past couple of days without commenting, as this particular problem has been with us for ages and appears beyond resolution and I have nothing really to add.

However, you plumb new depths with your comments and I can only conclude that you are just winding us up with your particular brand of post-modern irony.

If not, then you are simply an offensive jerk.
41

Fanling,

Switzerland 17/05/2008 20:15:31
#4 Indie Rep Kid
Since you don't qualify your response with a reference to whose post you are replying to (why do people persistently do this?), your opening wording suggests it was mine #1.

We could argue for ever and a day over the "who represents who" aspect of this thing, but limited space forbids this. You say "They DO represent Scotland....just not in a way that we would like. They are probably more representative of the Scottish booze-filled, random acts of violence mentality than the Tartan Army."

As you like. I might agree or disagree with that opener, or at least discuss its merits as an argument but aforementioned space limitation puts the kybosh on that. What I do not like is your explicit assumption that you know my (past, or present come to that) thought processes vis-à-vis the topic of English supporters which you cite:

"Did you say the same when England fions rioted there way through the 1980's and 1990's? Of course not, and ALL England fans were tarnished with the same brush."

Apart from "fions" (whatever they are), it's that rhetorical question and the self-righteous "Of course not" to bolster your pious indignation that I find repugnant. You attempt to know the mind of somebody on the strength of a fragment of comment which you tailor to fit your view of the matter. As a matter of record, I did make make my disgust known throughout that infamous period in English football history (in my then English household, where it went down like a lead balloon). The Heysel disaster in 1985 just about summed up that lot for me. Satisfied?


42

Fanling,

Switzerland 17/05/2008 20:18:41
PS to previous: Oh, and Italians were also involved in that carnage.
43

yoric,

17/05/2008 20:44:50
Ithink if Manchester City Council had imposed a booze ban the rioting would have started 12 hours earlier.
Out of an estimated 100,000 fans it was only a few hundred that misbehaved, which represents a tiny minority.
Dont shift the blame though, whatever flags they were flying, or colours they were wearing, they were Rangers fans.
If Rangers fans can't behave "abroad" then Rangers should be banned from Europe.
44

livilion,

livingston 17/05/2008 23:15:44
43 yoric
After 18 European games this season without a single arrest we might just look at Manchester and ask what was so different this time to spark this behaviour?

Essentially in my view the team has been supported by football supporters who have been willing and able to self steward that instant-idiot-just-add-alcohol historical re-enactment fringe attatched to either side of the Old Firm.

In Manchester we saw every kind of Rangers 'supporter', some crawling out from under rocks to emerge in the sunshine of Manchester, just to be able to say that they were there.

Everything from former Irish paramilitaries, their sympathisers and fellow travellers, Glesca Neds, Scottish and English casuals, political extremists and the slow witted all ready for the first chance of 'defending Old Derry's walls' or paddling in some f*****n(sensored by the cyber polis) blood, plus mebbes 100,000+ actual football fans out for a celebratory party.

I would be curious(bearing in mind the average Rangers home gate let alone their travelling support)if the stats could somehow ever be made available to look at how many of this 100,000-200,000 from a city of 600,000 had ever been to a match at Ibrox or at any game involving Glasgow Rangers and who was the manager if and when they ever did.

I am quite happy to be self righteously indignant at the behaviour of English fans during football internationals. Looks like what goes around comes around. Something about Union Jacks and football do not appear to mix.

I do feel sorry for the Man Utd fans who look like missing out on the chance to celebrate their team's success next week, perhaps Steve Purcell should offer them the services of Glasgow Parks Dept and diamond screens on Glasgow Green to make up for their inconvenience?
45

livilion,

livingston 17/05/2008 23:49:15
btw Even letting a dozen old firm 'supporters' drink and sing 'partysongs' in a public place is a sure recipe that anyone with even half a braincell knows is going to be trouble. Multiply that by tens of thousands and what are you expecting?

So long as we tollerate institutionalised sectarianism in this country, whether it be in schools or in the constitution there will always be a festering undercurrent ready to drag us down to these depths.

Mind you, call me the old cynic, but having the natives in Scotland divided amongst themselves in this way doesn't half fulfill the requisites for divide and rule from say Whitehall doesn't it?
46

Wee Pal Joe,

18/05/2008 00:35:52
The trouble last Wednesday should not of itself prevent a Man U parade although I note that it was only "a factor" in the council's decision.

The nearness of Wednesday's game let vast numbers of people who do not usually (maybe never in some cases) attend Rangers matches to swarm into Manchester including, I'm sure, an element for whom drunken hooliganism is a pretty regular occurrence. As many of them as possible should be identified and convicted. They should also be banned not only from Ibrox (as they will be) but from all football.
47

Big Stevie,

Sydneyside 18/05/2008 05:32:24
The football violence that permeated the English game in th 80's and 90's was only tackled head on after the tragedy of Heysel provoked the British government and football authorities to take real action. The banning of English clubs from Europe until evidence was provided that real progress was being made.

The result is a far better enviroment for all genuine football fans to go and watch the match.

I sincerely hope that it doesnt take a similar tragedy before someone, be it the football authorities or the government, take real action against Rangers and their fans.

For all the soundbites coming out of Ibrox and denials and blame shifting from their friends in the tabloids it will almost certainly take a European ban before the club and fans really get the message.

I would suspect Rangers are already considering the possibility of banning their own fans from away ties.
If they arent then they shouold be.
48

Alliz,

18/05/2008 09:30:01
Sorry Indie Rep Kid there were drunken fighting problems in the early days before they put a limit to the numbers by selling tickets. I was there in the early days and it could have got totally out of hand had they not limited the numbers.

And if anyone thinks that given the same scenario that there would not be the same problems with the tartan army or celtic fans you are living with your head in the sand. The tartan army trips to Wembley were legendary - but no cctv.

All we can hope for is that a lesson will be be learned from this.

Rangers went to Barcelona there was a fan zone but few facilities. Most newspapers made much of the mess left by the fans after the game. Barcelona City Council learned from that therefore when celtic went there were plenty of facilities laid on in the fan zone.
49

United, Rangers, Coleraine FC 'Til I Die,

Articlave, Coleraine. (Ulster's North Coast) 19/05/2008 17:11:37
Did my last comment not publish or does it just take time?
50

United, Rangers, Coleraine FC 'Til I Die,

Articlave, Coleraine. 19/05/2008 17:15:27
Obviously my comment wasn't published. I'll type it up again when I get time later. I was basically saying that I'm a Manchester United and Rangers fan so am stuck in the middle of this debate, which means I can comment objectively - although United are being punished unfairly because of the violence, the Greater Manchester Police and Manchester City Council are the real villains and not Rangers FC and their amazing fans...
51

Fanling,

Switzerland 19/05/2008 22:27:07
#44 livilion,livingston

Why hide behind that fake and obviously transparent ID (Indie Rep Kid)?

 

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If you remain dissatisfied with the response provided then you can contact the PCC by clicking here.