Sports

Rangers fans angry after big screen in Manchester fails

by amyjudd | May 14, 2008 at 02:16 pm

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UEFA Cup Final 2008 - Struggling through the crowds

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uploaded by stillperplexed

Thousands of Rangers suuporters in Manchester were left feeling unimpressed with their city after a big screen set up in the city centre to watch the game on broke down and they couldn't see the rest of it.
They were watching the Uefa Cup final.

Bottles and cans were thrown at the police after the screen in Piccadilly Gardens failed.

An estimated 100,000 fans descended on the city to see the match which Zenit St Petersburg eventually won 2-0.

A Russian fan was taken to hospital after being stabbed outside the City of Manchester Stadium.

The supporter's injuries were reported as non-life threatening.

Greater Manchester Police said six men, all believed to be Rangers fans, had been arrested on suspicion of serious assault.

Police said the trouble has been very minor and only involved a handful of people.

Hastily-arranged screen

The council had set up three special fan zones with big screens for ticketless fans to watch the match.

Although the TV in Piccadilly Gardens failed, others in Albert Square and Cathedral Gardens did show the game.

However, they were already full and supporters were offered buses to take them to a hastily-arranged screen outside the velodrome at Sports City, near to the City of Manchester Stadium, where the match took place.

Fans who had been waiting in Piccadilly Gardens all day were unimpressed.

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terry6082 Books

at 22:39 on May 14th, 2008

Both days I was there in the build up to the match the Rangers fans were very good humoured, great at singing, impressively colourful and always friendly and helpful to me.
I am very sorry the screen at Piccadilly failed. To me Rangers and Zenit fans are welcome to Manchester anytime.

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stillperplexed

at 00:48 on May 19th, 2008

I left work at 5pm last Wednesday, had two days holiday, and only just got back today (Monday 19th), so all I saw were happy Rangers fans and police getting on fine. It's a shame small pockets of trouble flared up, but it was inevitable I guess, what with people drinking all day in the sun.

stillperplexed has contributed a photo to this story.