POLICE DEFEND RESPONSE RANGERS TO HELP TRACE TROUBLEMAKERS

Salmond calls for probe into rampage by fans

By Kim Pilling

Published:

AFTERMATH: A street cleaner tackles the debris left by fans in Piccadilly Gardens

First Minister Alex Salmond called for a full inquiry as police south of the border last night defended their response to rampaging Rangers fans.

He told MSPs that the behaviour of a minority of fans at the crucial match in Manchester had been “completely unacceptable”.

Mr Salmond added that it was “infuriating” for Scottish football – and for Rangers in particular.

Meanwhile officials at the Glasgow club said individuals with no known history of following Rangers were among those believed to have been involved in the violent clashes that marred the Uefa Cup final between the Ibrox team and Russian side Zenit St Petersburg.

Greater Manchester Assistant Chief Constable Justine Curran said police had no choice but to act against the troublemakers, who behaved like a “baying pack of wolves”.

CCTV footage in the city centre showed a lone officer being set upon by fans, who kicked him on the ground as he faced up to as many as 200 charging supporters.

Rangers Football Club chief executive Martin Bain said: “Those scenes obviously are dreadful and I’ve seen them myself and we have been informed . . . that those scenes were caused by supporters that don’t normally attach themselves to our support.

“Therefore we’re extremely disappointed and we’ll do everything we possibly can to help Manchester police find out who those perpetrators are.”

Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the troublemakers were a “disgrace” and had jeopardised England’s chances of hosting the 2018 World Cup finals, but some Rangers fans claimed they were jostled by police before any trouble broke out and officers had overreacted.

Mr Salmond said yesterday: “Manchester Council have announced an inquiry this morning. I understand that, initially at least, it’s quite limited in its scope, looking in particular to the circumstances of the (large-screen TV) equipment breakdown.

“I would think that the inquiry should be wider in its scope. There are a number of other aspects to inquire into.”

The first minister went on: “Certainly, we will give full co-operation on all the matters under our responsibility to such an inquiry.”

Mr Salmond said the majority of fans had enjoyed “a carnival atmosphere, a festival of football”.

But he added: “There were clearly, in one location in particular, severe organisational problems.

“It should be said, however, that regardless of organisational problems and any other questions which can be legitimately pursued by an inquiry, it seems that the behaviour of a small minority of fans was completely unacceptable.”

One Russian fan was stabbed inside the City of Manchester Stadium shortly before the kick-off and 42 arrests were made after running battles in the streets.

Fifteen police officers were left nursing a catalogue of injuries and a police dog’s paw was seriously injured when it trod on broken glass.

A further eight people were detained by British Transport Police after disorder broke out at a number of train stations.

Greater Manchester Police confirmed later that 11 Rangers fans, all men, had been charged with various offences – seven for public order offences, 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.

Most of the violence was triggered by the failure of one of the big TV screens brought in to show the match to more than 100,000 ticketless fans who had descended on the city.

A technical glitch at the Piccadilly Gardens area set aside for fans blanked out pictures just 15 minutes before the 7.45pm kick-off. About 11,000 of the 20,000 fans crammed into the “fan zone” were swiftly transported to an alternative screen near the stadium but hundreds stayed and vented their fury against police.

Ms Curran said: “It was challenging and we were stretched. Our officers did come under a degree of violent attacks. I am happy we responded appropriately.

“I watched the scenes from the control room. I saw officers chased down a street by a baying mob of around 200 people acting like a pack of wolves. We had to do something.”

Dramatic CCTV pictures released by police showed seven officers trying in vain to keep the 200 fans at arm’s length as cans, bottles and rubbish were thrown at them.

Six of the officers eventually turned and ran but one of the policemen confronted the pack. He was tripped to the ground and kicked and stamped on before making his escape as a stream of fans rushed onwards, several with their arms aloft in celebration.

Police said the officer suffered bruising to both arms, sore ribs and a puncture wound to the elbow, but was now recovering.

Ambulance crews also came under attack and required police escorts to treat casualties.

A relaxed attitude to fans’ drinking in the street – normally outlawed – was adopted as supporters consumed alcohol from breakfast time onwards.

Manchester City Council leader Sir Richard Leese defended the “go lightly” policy. He said: “Do you really think we were going to stop 100,000-plus Glaswegians wanting to have a drink? It was not possible.”

Council chiefs decided to scrap plans to show next week’s Champions League final between Manchester United and Chelsea on big screens following Wednesday night’s chaos.

By early afternoon yesterday, the city centre returned to some semblance of normality as about 250 cleaners cleared the streets of the tonnes of rubbish left in the wake of Rangers’ 2-0 defeat.

The city council had predicted before the match that the influx of more than 100,000 people would boost the local economy by £25million, but a sizeable part of that may have been spent coping with the aftermath of the violent scenes.