2008 UEFA Cup Final riots
| 2008 UEFA Cup Final | ||||||||
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| Part of the history of Manchester and the 2008 UEFA Cup | ||||||||
 Officers of the Greater Manchester Police keep Rangers and Zenit fans apart |
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| Belligerents | ||||||||
| Zenit hooligans | Rangers hooligans | Greater Manchester Police | ||||||
The 2008 UEFA Cup Final riots was a serious public disorder incident that took place in Manchester, England, on the day of the 2008 UEFA Cup Final.
The match between Rangers and Zenit Saint Petersburg was preceded by scuffles between fans. Serious disorder was allegedly sparked by the failure of a big screen erected in Piccadilly Gardens to transmit the match to thousands of Rangers fans who had travelled to the city without tickets. In addition to property damage, fifteen policemen were injured and ambulance crews attended 52 cases of assault. A Manchester City Council inquiry into the events estimated that 150,000 Rangers fans visited Manchester for the match, 39 fans were arrested for a range of offences across the city and 38 complaints were received about Greater Manchester Police officers' conduct. The report concluded that the 37,000 Rangers fans inside the City of Manchester Stadium were well behaved.
The rioting was widely condemned, particularly by politicians and media commentators.
One early incident occurred when fighting between rival fans broke out in a pub, resulting in its closure. The evening before the match, a Rangers fan had set off fire alarms in the city, a criminal offence. An official report found that missile-throwing and fighting by Rangers fans occurred as long as eight hours before the match began. Around late afternoon the Piccadilly fans zone's gates were forced. Large numbers of fans were jumping upon the roofs of sales units and urinating. The sales units were "overrun" and frightened staff had to flee. Police were called but were powerless in the face of large numbers of supporters.
Serious civil disorder began when a large screen, erected to broadcast the game at the Zenit fanzone in Piccadilly Gardens failed. Chris Burrows, chair of the Manchester Police Federation, claimed the screen was deliberately switched off. The technicians who were brought in to try to rectify the fault were attacked with bottles and had to withdraw. Rangers fans then tore down railings, fighting amongst themselves, as the riot police arrived en masse. Several hundred people became directly involved in disorder and "considerable violence" was directed at the police. Thirty-nine police officers were injured, including one incident in which hundreds of fans isolated and attacked a riot officer. PC Paul Ritchie received a High Commendation for saving a police officer knocked to the ground by a bottle thrown by a rioter. A police dog was injured when it stood on some broken glass.
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