Not impressed with Glasgow fans at all

It's sad to see those images of fans chasing the police, it's a throw back to the dark days of British footie hooliganism that's now a growing problem in many other parts of Europe. But cup finals away from home turf are always an excuse for a piss-up and rowdy behaviour however much you may dislike it, and the authorities in Manchester should have been better prepared, especially when Rangers were always likely to get beaten.

Expectations should be based upon experience, not a fanciful ideal of happy human behaviour. I doubt whether you'd like football more if the fans on both sides all held hands and sang happy songs to each other, you either enjoy watching a game of footie or you don't, it's nowt to do with the bother, that's just an unwanted distraction.

 

As a consequence of last night the big screens in the City centre planned for next Wednesday's European Cup Final have now been cancelled
And that guy from Rossendale must have been amazed at things like electricity, lighting and smooth uncobbled streets.

 

Manchester looked like a right ole tip this morning, last night the train station was full of de-evolved drunken excuses for people. I passed a totally ratted female rangers fan desperately hauling herself up the escalator, like something out of Rab C Nesbitt, shouting to her 7 year old " Go on son, I'm F****d" - charming. Any attractive women on the platform it seemed were fair game and looked very worried, my girlfriend got a lot of very nasty comments and attention on the way to meet me, there were hardly any police in evidence, but a hell of a lot of tension. It was a pack instinct of the lowest common denominators throughout the night. The train was misery, I'd like to thank Manchester City Council for lighting the fuse... Just glad I eventually got home. God knows why a train full of them was headed towards Blackpool last night...

 

That's where Scottish people holiday. Have you never heard of the legendary Scots week in Blackpool.
On the train front Network Rail, or who ever run the trains these days put on no extra trains and after the match the first train back to Glasgow was at 4 am!

 

Why 1998?

 

I remember a lot of riots going on around that time.

 

That year and every other year before 2005/6. It's a bit of a speciality with some people over there you see.

Aside of that, shame that all the trouble happened. I had enjoyed the sight of the Russians winning at a canter before I saw that on the TV.

Educationally subnormal drunks engaging in abusive 'banter' and goading riot police and doesn't exactly present the most edifying view of our country (Scotland). Still, It'll have provided hours and hours of footage for Police! Camera! Action!

 

I do realise that the people causing this trouble do not represent Scotland as a whole but the the people causing trouble by shouting anti catholic/Manchester/anything chants, vandalising buses were in the 1000's and the police just ignored as they did not want to ignite a riot.

 

Perhaps 100s, not 1000s.
Glasgow - is friendlier (from my experience) than most other large UK cities, especially for the lone traveller.

 

Good to see Smeagol talking sense, and, from 1st hand experience. Its not good when women feel threatened by scum in packs. The English disgust me when they cause trouble abroad and then moan that "foreigners" are all miserable when they go abroad to holiday. No shit! I suppose we had a taste of our own medicine. I still think that footy violence should always organise itself away from innocent people who dont wish to get involved. Rubber bullets would have been better used on these lot.

 

Would they not be better sighting the screens in large grassy areas away from the centre? Places where they are not going to have much to damage if they do go ferel.
Agree with Banpe's comment about organising away from those who don't wish to be involved.
It is sad for the real fans too. They get tarred with a big brush and the vast majority are not the thugs that do this. I bet an awful lot of good people who would like to watch the football are not there becuase they fear just this sort of thing. Small minority spoiling it as usual. And sickenening the way they set on that poor policeman. Plus wanton damage to people's property. The destruction of someone's sports car, not sure but last time I checked, insurance often excludes riot damage - someone could have worked hard for years and just had his/her pride and joy wrecked. Even if insurance covers it, we all pay increased premuims and tax to repair the damage. Perhaps huge water cannons are the way.

 

The reason it was not held in one of the cities large parks was that research suggested that Glasgow fans did not want to travel. That is another major failure as far as I can see.

They can organise 100,000 rock fans in Hyde Park in London (which I have been to) so I don't see what the difference is here.

Hosting in a busy working city centre on a work day was just a huge mistake, worst still 12,000 people live in the city centre.

 

they should have left all the big screens in the highlands...