2008 UEFA Cup final riots involving Rangers FC supporters and Greater Manchester Police / 2000s
On 14 May 2008, Manchester hosted the UEFA Cup final between Rangers and Zenit Saint Petersburg, drawing an estimated 200,000 Rangers supporters to the city despite many lacking tickets. Disorder began well before kick-off: rival fans fought in a pub, fire alarms were reportedly triggered across the city, and an official inquiry found that missile-throwing and fighting by Rangers supporters had occurred as early as eight hours before the match. By late afternoon, the gates of the Rangers fan zone at Piccadilly Gardens had been forced. Fans climbed onto the roofs of sales units, urinated in the area, and overwhelmed the stalls badly enough that frightened staff fled. Police were initially unable to control the crowd's size and volatility. The immediate flashpoint came at kick-off, when the giant screen intended to show the final failed and went black. A police federation official claimed it had been deliberately switched off, but the available account also records that technicians could not access the enclosed facility to repair the fault, so the cause was never firmly established. Police attempted to stop supporters from leaving the fan zone in search of another screen, but hundreds tore down barriers as riot officers arrived. Several hundred people became directly involved in violent disorder, throwing missiles and attacking police. Officers were assaulted while trying to contain the crowd; PC Paul Ritchie received a High Commendation after rescuing a colleague knocked down by a bottle, while a police dog was injured on broken glass. Contemporary reporting and later official accounts cited differing totals for injured officers, ranging from 15 in early summaries to 39 in the fuller account, while ambulance crews attended 52 assault cases. A bank, bus stop, and sports car were damaged, and one officer, PC Mick Regan, said he was attacked by a gang of roughly 20 men while lying on the ground. Judge Andrew Blake later called it the worst night of violence and destruction Manchester city centre had suffered since the Blitz. Thirty-nine fans were arrested for offenses including violent disorder, assault, weapons possession, drug possession, ticket fraud, and alleged wounding connected with a reported stabbing of a Russian fan. Twelve people were eventually convicted of rioting in September 2010, with 11 receiving prison sentences ranging from six months to three and a half years; an off-duty Essex police officer was also arrested and charged with violent disorder. The aftermath remained contentious: Rangers executives and Scottish politicians condemned the violence but argued that only a hard-core minority was responsible, while supporters lodged dozens of complaints alleging excessive police force, including the case of a 60-year-old man hospitalized for four weeks with a broken hip and perforated bowel. Greater Manchester Police defended its tactics, and footage later caused one critic, Murdo Fraser, to retract his suggestion that heavy-handed policing had primarily caused the unrest. Manchester United abandoned a planned public celebration parade after police advice, and later reportedly dropped plans to invite Rangers to Gary Neville's testimonial because of continuing security fears. When the clubs met again in Manchester in the 2010-11 Champions League, away supporters were held at Wigan Athletic's DW Stadium to prevent another mass congregation, and the match passed with only 10 minor arrests.
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