[Lauren]

Ugh.

As you might have seen splashed all over the news, there was "riots" last night in Manchester when I slept rough. The media is reporting it all wrong so I thought I'd speak of my experiences.


I got there about 12pm, but some people had took their place in the barrier'd designated fan zone since about 6am that morning. The heat was very strong and the only "refreshments" that were provided were beer... on the other side of the square. Not to mention the apparent porta-loos they had set up magically weren't there. Nice one Manchester.

So I took my seat on the ground and began a very long wait as the square filled with fans celebrating and it was a very carnival-like atmosphere with people offering me bottles of water and beer and once even some food.

Nearer time to kick off (7.45) the square was PACKED, and people had to even stand outside of it to see the game. Around 7.40 we watched the screen in silence as we awaited the screen to come on. Bare in mind in this particular fanzone there were 100,000 of us packed in the barriers.... then the screen came on "Sorry we can not acquire a signal"... so we waited for further instructions, whether it was going to come back on, or telling us where else we could go.

It was then that the police started charging the door of the fan zone. I think their idea was to make us leave it so that the media couldn't get pictures of what a farce the whole event had been on the part of Manchester Council. Unfortunately, they didn't think through their plan of "charging" very well, since they forgot we were within a barrier! So people were being crushed against a barrier with the riot police charging us forward.

So people pushed back against the police, to let the people being crushed to be let out (including women and children). And then the police took this as reason enough to start hitting random people with riot shields. Obviously this was a small number of police and the others acted professionally, but the small number that started hitting us angered a small number of the crowd. So half of us were trying to escape the crushing, and the other were pushing the police back so we could.

Once they'd backed the police out the barriers they charged forward so the entrance was free so we could leave. A small number of fans did start throwing objects at police, but with 100,000 there, there'd bound to be a few idiots. Not to mention the police were also throwing objects.



Plus Manchester City Council didn't put on extra trains. I had to stay in the freezing cold station from 10pm to 7am, queueing, not allowed to lie down or sit down. The Council told us they'd booked more trains, but they hadn't. So they only had 1 train to Glasgow after the match. 1 train to transport 150,000+ fans? Badly organised.

[Mike]

The media love to make things ten times worse, always have done, it's like you said when there's 100,000 people in one area and something like that happens there is bound to be a minority that will cause trouble or fight back.

[Lauren]

Originally posted by Mike
The media love to make things ten times worse, always have done, it's like you said when there's 100,000 people in one area and something like that happens there is bound to be a minority that will cause trouble or fight back.

Yeah, 99% of us just wanted to not be crushed to death, and watch some football. According to Sky News, though, we're all "drunken animals, not football fans" and a gem from the policeman that hit me "Glasweigien scumbag" (at the time he didn't realise I wasn't from Glasgow).

Unfortunately a small minority from both sides have caused the negative media attention No focus on the serious serious stupidness of Manchester Council, just how they like it!

[Dan_]

It always seems to be a small minority of troublemakers but someone the media escalates this into being the majority.

Shame you didn't have a better time of things.

[Sunny_01]

Lauren that sounds awful, you really have been through the mill. I always hate it when they class all fans in the same category. Like you say you simply went to watch a football match and ended up being beaten and scared for your sins.

I hope you are feeling ok, if I were you I would send what you have written to sky news so they can look at it from another persons view.

[Tom]

Well I got a different take on things. I went out at about midnight to meet some friends who had been and there were Scottish people everywhere just generally being complete idiots, chasing and jumping on police officers, fighting, throwing stuff at eachother etc. It was a riot. There were clips on the news showing all that and one particular clip where they targetted a random car and attempted to tip it over. There were people sat on top of phone boxes making a complete mess of the place and just thinking they owned the place and just being general nobs. The Scots had the cheek to start on people from Manchester by hurling both abuse and objects at people who were just out for an ordinary night out ... some way to treat the host city after laying on these events in the fan zones! The one in Piccadilly Gardens didn't work but thats no excuse and thats no excuse to take digs at Manchester Council either. And do you know why the screen in Piccadilly Gardens didn't work? Because some idiots threw stuff at it and broke it. 2 minutes down the road either way there were 2 other massive screens, one in Albert Square and one in Exchange Square, and there were a lot of pubs and clubs in that area who were also televising the event so its not as though there were no alternatives.

There were actually about 15 trains going from Manchester Piccadilly to Glasgow Central today, and there were a good few coaches too. There was plenty of opportunities for the Scots to travel back.

I think the whole thing was a disgrace from the Rangers fans, and thanks to those ****wits who can't control themselves, United fans, who actually live in the city and just didn't travel for the sake of it, can't go and watch the other final next week in fan zones because of what happened.

I know its only a few of them and I've generalised throughout this post but the media have blown it out of proportion but only described in the OP was the actual match, not what happened after it.

[Lauren]

Originally posted by Sunny_01
Lauren that sounds awful, you really have been through the mill. I always hate it when they class all fans in the same category. Like you say you simply went to watch a football match and ended up being beaten and scared for your sins.

I hope you are feeling ok, if I were you I would send what you have written to sky news so they can look at it from another persons view.

I got in touch with BBC, but they were reporting it more fairly.

I have a feeling Manchester Council may have told the media to keep the attention away from their failures and so focus on this It's a lose lose situation. Plus during the actual screen failure (before they charged us), there were no media around at all to show it, yet as soon as theres anything that looks like a riot - there they are!

I'm feeling a lot better, thank you for asking. I got back at 9am this morning and had a few hours sleep. Got a few bruises and cuts everywhere but other than that

[Mrluvaluva]

That is ridiculous. You would of thought they would have been better organised. I bet you are knackered now?

[Lauren]

Originally posted by Tom_
There were actually about 15 trains going from Manchester Piccadilly to Glasgow Central today, and there were a good few coaches too. There was plenty of opportunities for the Scots to travel back.

Yes, today. Meaning after 10am.

Still means we had to stay in the station overnight, yet weren't allowed to bed down or sleep!

Originally posted by Tom_I think the whole thing was a disgrace from the Rangers fans, and thanks to those ****wits who can't control themselves, United fans, who actually live in the city and just didn't travel for the sake of it, can't go and watch the other final next week in fan zones because of what happened.

I'm a Rangers fan. So you just grouped us all in one group, am I ****wit? Gee thanks. 99% of the people didn't cause any trouble and were actually innocent victims. But no, they're all "****wits" according to you.

Also, my OP wasn't about the match. It was about the fanzones.

Your post somewhat upset me because from what I experienced I was being beaten by a policemans riot shield, crushed into barriers whilst trying to escape (as were most people). Yet because of a few people (which every football club have, including United!!) we're all called animals who can't "control themselves".

Nice.

[Lauren]

Originally posted by Mrluvaluva
That is ridiculous. You would of thought they would have been better organised. I bet you are knackered now?

Exhausted. I've got cuts and bruises all over and all my muscles hurt from standing all night! I had a few hours sleep but can't really sleep well because I'm annoyed at what was allowed to happen and what continues to happen with the biased news reporting and general views from public (which Tom shows).

[James]

Did you get to see the game after the screen broke?

[Lauren]

Originally posted by Tom_
And do you know why the screen in Piccadilly Gardens didn't work? Because some idiots threw stuff at it and broke it. 2 minutes down the road either way there were 2 other massive screens, one in Albert Square and one in Exchange Square, and there were a lot of pubs and clubs in that area who were also televising the event so its not as though there were no alternatives.

Firstly, please don't give bad information. The council accepted the problem with the screen was that the signal from the ground was broken. There were no objects thrown at it, thank you very much - and the big screen was working, but the game wasn't being shown. Instead the screen said "The problem is at the City ground".

Secondly, Albert Sq and Cathedral Gardens also had the viewings but were also crammed with fans and the police were trying to push us down the streets away from them!!

The pubs in the area did show the game. Hence why there were thousands of people spilling out on the streets outside the pub to try and catch the game. But then the riot police started pushing us down the streets so that we were cornered by both ends. From CCTV this looks like a riot but even the police said that it was just an operation to get us from crowding one club.

No bottles were thrown at the screen, the problem was entirely the councils fault and they fully accepted that.

[Tom]

Originally posted by Tom_I think the whole thing was a disgrace from the Rangers fans, and thanks to those ****wits who can't control themselves, United fans, who actually live in the city and just didn't travel for the sake of it, can't go and watch the other final next week in fan zones because of what happened.

I'm a Rangers fan. So you just grouped us all in one group, am I ******t? Gee thanks. 99% of the people didn't cause any trouble and were actually innocent victims. But no, they're all "****wits" according to you.

Also, my OP wasn't about the match. It was about the fanzones.

Your post somewhat upset me because from what I experienced I was being beaten by a policemans riot shield, crushed into barriers whilst trying to escape (as were most people). Yet because of a few people (which every football club have, including United!!) we're all called animals who can't "control themselves".

Nice. [/quote]

Did you not read the bit at the end? I said I generalised purely because I picked out the bad points. That doesn't go to say I think all Rangers fans were the same, which i don't.

But I think the ones who couldn't control themselves have just spoiled any chances we have of getting fanzones back in this city. We had them for ages then they were taken away in the 2006 World Cup. They get brought back for one night and this is what happens. I don't think we'll be getting them again.

All clubs do have them, I never said they didn't.

And I think the treatment towards people who never even went out to watch the match and live in Manchester was horrific. A smashed glass bottle got launched down the street, and I got in the way. My left arm is currently shredded and bandaged up. Lovely that is.

[Lauren]

Originally posted by James
Did you get to see the game after the screen broke?

Nah, they were pushing us down the streets away from pubs. Still haven't seen it LOL.

[Tom]

Originally posted by Lauren

Firstly, please don't give bad information. The council accepted the problem with the screen was that the signal from the ground was broken. There were no objects thrown at it, thank you very much - and the big screen was working, but the game wasn't being shown. Instead the screen said "The problem is at the City ground".

Secondly, Albert Sq and Cathedral Gardens also had the viewings but were also crammed with fans and the police were trying to push us down the streets away from them!!

The pubs in the area did show the game. Hence why there were thousands of people spilling out on the streets outside the pub to try and catch the game. But then the riot police started pushing us down the streets so that we were cornered by both ends. From CCTV this looks like a riot but even the police said that it was just an operation to get us from crowding one club.

No bottles were thrown at the screen, the problem was entirely the councils fault and they fully accepted that.

Obviously I wasn't there because I didn't go out until later but thats what I heard off quite a lot of people that I know who went. Apologies if the information was bad.

[Lauren]

Originally posted by Tom_
But I think the ones who couldn't control themselves have just spoiled any chances we have of getting fanzones back in this city. We had them for ages then they were taken away in the 2006 World Cup. They get brought back for one night and this is what happens. I don't think we'll be getting them again.

Yeah, so the one night you get the fanzones back the screen breaks. Nice one Manchester.

There was no violence in the actual fan zone anyway, so your point about us "ruining them" is void.

Sorry about your arm, but to blame it on a football club?
I know there were some trouble makers, but there were only 10's of them, the riot police in the station was explaining to me that, and they were on the frontlines.

[Lauren]

Originally posted by Tom_
Obviously I wasn't there because I didn't go out until later but thats what I heard off quite a lot of people that I know who went. Apologies of the information was bad.

No problem.

[Tom]

Originally posted by Lauren
Yeah, so the one night you get the fanzones back the screen breaks. Nice one Manchester.

Usually its the BBC screen in Exchange Square that is used so it doesn't mess up because its always on anyway.

There was no violence in the actual fan zone anyway, so your point about us "ruining them" is void.

Sorry about your arm, but to blame it on a football club?
I know there were some trouble makers, but there were only 10's of them, the riot police in the station was explaining to me that, and they were on the frontlines.

But its not just the actual events on which they judge whether they do them again, its the aftermath. There wasn't 10's of them where I was about, there was more than that just charging down the street, but out of the 100,000-150,000 that were there you are right in saying it was a minority. But considering my arm got messed up where these fans were when randomly attacking people, I'm not blaming it on the club but on the small section of fans belonging to the club but it wasn't the only thing that happened that night because nothing like that has happened before and other stuff that went on has never happened either.

[Lauren]

Originally posted by Tom_
I'm not blaming it on the club but on the small section of fans belonging to the club but it wasn't the only thing that happened that night because nothing like that has happened before and other stuff that went on has never happened either.

Ever? Are you saying small pockets of football hooliganism has never happened?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_AS...nited_conflict

What uncontrolled animals MUFC are.

[Tom]

Originally posted by Lauren

Ever? Are you saying small pockets of football hooliganism has never happened?

I'm saying not on that scale. Of course its all happened before but it seems that most people who were out last night (both for the match and not for it) had something bad which happened to them which is not something which usually happens.

[Lauren]

Originally posted by Tom_

I'm saying not on that scale. Of course its all happened before but it seems that most people who were out last night (both for the match and not for it) had something bad which happened to them which is not something which usually happens.

I refer you to my previous link.

[Tom]

Originally posted by Lauren

Ever? Are you saying small pockets of football hooliganism has never happened?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_AS...nited_conflict

What uncontrolled animals MUFC are.

Thats irrelevant. I'm on about on the streets affecting people who weren't interested in the football and weren't out for that purpose. And I never said nothing like that ever happens, and I agree that United fans can be some of the worst when they want to be. But that link is still irrelevant.

[Lauren]

Originally posted by Tom_

Thats irrelevant. I'm on about on the streets affecting people who weren't interested in the football and weren't out for that purpose. And I never said nothing like that ever happens, and I agree that United fans can be some of the worst when they want to be. But that link is still irrelevant.

If you think that this was the worst street "riot" then you're gravely mistaken.

I could give examples but I imagine you'd pass them off as irrelevant.

[GiRTh]

Typical Police behaviour. Its a good job you're OK.

[Lauren]

Originally posted by GiRTh
Typical Police behaviour. Its a good job you're OK.

Thanks

The police in the station were very nice, despite telling me I had to stand up all night ! But it was just a couple that were on the front lines pushing us back. Clearly had a power rush and decided that the best thing they could do was beat me with a shield LOL.