If the UEFA champion’s league draw is fixed then I think it is fair to say that the Great Manchester Police aren’t in on it.
That night in May 2008 some of their number thought that their number was up as packs of feral Rangers supporters kicked and clawed at them on the ground.
Asbo FC was in town.
If any social policy analyst or politician was in doubt that Glasgow had spawned a dangerous underclass then viewing the CCTV images from central Manchester put those questions to bed.
This pageant to British dignity and the Dunkirk spirit ended up with PC Mike Regan on the ground being battered and stamped on.
Thankfully he escaped.
Now for the rematch.
The opening match of Group C game on 14th September 2010 will see Rangers travel to Old Trafford to take on Manchester United.
Only the most deluded Rangers supporters can think that the people of Manchester and those entrusted with maintaining the Queen’s peace there will be pleased to see them.
The 5,000 ticketed fans will, no doubt, be closely trailed, surveilled and herded to and from Old Trafford.
The operation to render thousands of Rangers fans harmless will resemble a military operation.
I’m sure if the GMP had their way there would be more draconian measures employed. However some responses are not available in a democracy.
No matter what transpires on September 14th in Manchester the reportage will be markedly different in Scotland than in the rest of Britain.
On the night of the riots in 2008 one news journalist sent there by a major Scottish title was on the spot.
He called in copy as the riot was in full flow.
He was disbelieved by the news desk in Glasgow.
The voice at the end of the phone in Glasgow challenged him that he was “exaggerating”.
He told them he was witnessing a riot between Rangers fans and the police.
He filed thousands of words of copy over the phone to a copytaker.
None of it was published.
Only when the CCTV footage became available the next day was it undeniable. Some of the Rangers fans in the city of Manchester had rioted. Several police officers had been beaten and at least two were lucky to escape serious injury.
The London based titles reported the riot for what it was, a riot.
Rangers fans rioted. They destroyed property, attacked police officers and shamed their club.
Does this look like a riot to you?
British Prime Minister called the scenes “ a disgrace”.
The Scottish titles went into the defence attorney mode.
The spinning the next day was relentless and ridiculous.
It was Chelsea fans, only a few fans involved; it was because the big screens failed.
The police were “heavy handed”.
The subsequent arrests following the CCTV footage on Crime Watch have all been in Scotland.
The official report on the riots said that public disorder broke out BEFORE the match.
Anyone viewing the scenes of disorder would not have been surprised if the GMP had used baton rounds.
Manchester 2008 was yet another nasty chapter of crowd violence associated with the Ibrox club.
Now they are to return to the scene of the shame.
This time, hopefully, it will be different.
Perhaps this time they can all behave.
They do, after all, profess a love for Britain.
If only 5,000 (those with tickets) travel then the numbers will be more manageable for the police.
However the 5,000 will still be Rangers supporters and as the denizens of Pamplona, Barcelona, Vila-real and Manchester can testify that often means trouble.
These people who think they are “the people” are, as the GMP stated earlier this year, “the least desirable.”
They really really are.
On September 14th they return to the scene of the shame.
I’m supporting the police.
DanDansDaddy
Just blame the Catholic schools, they do exist in Manchester after all.
That’s just looking for trouble really.
I mean, if inflammotary things like that didn’t exist, the
descending hordes would have partaken in museum visits,etc.
Wouldn’t they?? naughty Catholic schools, tut tut..
December 31, 2010 at 11:48 am
Ethel Cardew
Come on Phil! it was only a wee bit of physical banter caused by the screens failing. Let the fans have a wee bit of fun, I mean, if the police hadn’t been there there would not have been 39 police injured – it’s their faulty really!
September 12, 2010 at 8:51 am
Pee
Scotlands Shame.
September 12, 2010 at 8:30 am
Gerry
Nice one. Only point is you say “they shamed their club”. But Rangers football club knows no shame.
September 12, 2010 at 7:33 am
Jobo Baldie
Phil,
Always enjoy reading your very honest and forthright articles. keep them coming.
J
September 10, 2010 at 2:18 pm
Dave
It would be interesting to see those 1000s of words of copy. I wonder where they have been buried, and by who?
The denial, and obfuscation continues though, with certain journalists, presumably having to report this fixture through gritted teeth, referring to the ‘Old Firm’.
Not Rangers, but the ‘Old Firm’.
Avoiding naming themselves – and dragging into their stinking, festering, mire of purulent hatred, another team whose fans, let’s remember, have won awards for their good behaviour from both UEFA and FIFA (ooooh how much that must hurt the baying hordes from the South side) – appears to be their only, and last line, of defence.
September 7, 2010 at 6:43 am
bring back the thunder
It’s generally accepted in scotland that “our” media will never criticise Glasgow rangers. A large proportion of their rival fans (myself included) have long since stopped buying a daily newspaper such is the extent of the slight towards the ibrox club. A club that’s been run to within an inch of bankruptcy after years of financial doping, for some reason never has to answer any difficult questions from the press???
Their supporters attempt to laugh it off as conspiracy theory nonsense, but too many questions never get asked north of the border. Too many honest mistakes favour one club.
Why was a club, who’s intentionally delayed accounts which eventually showed they were infact insolvent, granted a uefa license two years running by the sfa giving them access to millions in champions league revenue which by the laws of the game they had no right to. Real mallorca were removed from this years Europa league under the same circumstances. This story never saw the light of day in scotland.
There are other circumstances of lazy / dishonest journalism in scotland, the fans spend millions and don’t get the simple courtesy of a level playing field with the press or officials.
Jim farry, once head of the sfa, was forced to leave his post after Celtic proved he’d intentionally delayed the transfer of jorge cadete to stop him playing in an old firm game. Surely a scandal that would rock the Scottish game to its very core??? Not really, we’ll never know why Mr farry took it upon himself to handicap Celtic for one of their biggest games that season.
Rev mike mccurry a protestant minister is allowed to officiate an old firm game at ibrox where he takes it upon himself to book 9 Celtic players, rendering them impotent in any challenge for fear of being sent off. Sections of the Scottish media act quickly in keeping a lid on rev mccurry’s profession and hold him up as a man of integrity. It is later revealed in an English tabloid that Rev mccurry had been filmed singing a rangers anthem to his congregation and was leaving his wife for a younger woman he’d been having an affair with. Not once did any one ask why a protestant minister was allowed to referee the most religiously volatile fixture in European football!!!
There is something seriously wrong with the Scottish media and the Scottish football association, our game is littered through time with vital questions that were never even asked, if only we were important enough for a proper journalist to finally investigate what are rangers fans alluding to when they sing “we are the people”, what is going on behind closed doors???
September 6, 2010 at 5:44 pm
Celticender
Lies damned lies and the Scottish media
September 2, 2010 at 11:39 am
davy watt
spot on Phil truthful & honest unlike the laptop loyal here in scotland.
September 1, 2010 at 6:54 pm