PC recalls football fans' violence

4:25pm Friday 16th May 2008

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The police officer attacked by Glasgow Rangers fans after the team's defeat in the Uefa Cup Final has said the violence was unbelievable and frightening.

Pc Mick Regan said there was a hardcore minority of "a few thousand" troublemakers among the 100,000 fans who watched Rangers' 2-0 defeat to Zenit St Petersburg in Manchester on Wednesday.

Violence broke out when a big screen due to broadcast the game to 20,000 fans in Piccadilly Gardens in the city centre failed before kick-off.

Pc Regan said: "From the outset we were bombarded with bottles and cans as we tried to contain and disperse the crowd. It was unbelievable when we got there, it was already in motion. It was frightening, on a different scale from any other match I have worked in my 23-year career.

"It seemed the vast majority were drunk and they just wanted to cause trouble. A lot of the fans were OK and just asking for directions but there was a large hard core."

CCTV images show Pc Regan and six other officers retreating down a city centre street at about 10.15pm as fans hurled cans, bottles and rubbish at them. Pc Regan confronted the pack and is punched before one of the mob trips him up and he falls to the ground. A gang of about 20 fans kick and stamp on the 47-year-old before he escapes.

Fifteen officers were injured. One Russian fan was stabbed inside the City of Manchester Stadium.

Eleven Rangers fans, all men, were charged with various offences - seven for public order, one with assault, one with being drunk in a sports ground and one for throwing a missile. 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.

Manchester City Council is to hold an inquiry into its handling of the day. The council relaxed its street drinking ban on the day of the game and fans were seen drinking on the streets from 7am.

Council leader Sir Richard Leese said banning alcohol would have created a "public order problem".

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