they came from the north.......

It was a beautiful sunny day in city centre Manchester today. & it was the day that Glasgow Rangers played Zenit St. Petersburg in the UEFA cup final at the Eastlands stadium.

Manchester decided to open up the city to become a football stadium, with large screens set up for those who could not get match tickets.
I got on the train this morning and it was packed with blue shirted Rangers fans having their breakfast..... Tennants Extra (ewww it wasn't even 9.00 am. I believe, however, that Tesco on Market Street was selling beer at discounted prices at 6 am this morning)

As I walked to work I smiled to my self as I watched convoy upon convoy of cars pass by me all adorned with Union flags and Rangers scarves. People peeping their horns, waving and shouting.
It was all very light hearted and unusual to say the least.
I certainly had never seen so many people carrying crates of beer on their shoulders before.
It was reckoned that approximately 100,000 fans were to descend on the city.
I may not have seen 100, 000 but I could hear them through the day.

By 10.00 am Manchester was gridlocked as parts of the city's roads were sectioned off for the showing of the game.

The fans were certainly enjoying themselves and the pubs and off licenses did a roaring trade.
The photographs on here are courtesy of the Manchester Evening News On-line.
Earlier this evening I logged in to see the events of the day ... apart from 8 arrests and Tesco getting in trouble off the City Council, all seemed to be going swimmingly.

Alas not so the case a few hours later.
One of the massive screen failed to work, a Russian chap was stabbed and riot police have been out on the streets .......... why does it always seem to end this way?
It couldn't have anything to do with the 24 hour drinking could it??


Tomorrow I will walk to work, hopefully the sun will be shining but I will be kicking my way through rubbish and probably stepping over a few hung over bodies (I have also read that there is only one post match train leaving Manchester for Scotland.... don't you just love good organisation all in the name of sport!!)