Published: Wednesday, 21st May, 2008 10:30
We didn't see any street riots!
By John-Martin Fulton
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RANGERS revellers in their droves travelled from Irvine and Kilwinning to Manchester to watch their team in the UEFA Cup final - and many witnessed the riots first hand.
And since the match national headlines have clashed with conflicting reports, mostly blaming a small number of fans.
But Irvine man Ian McCallum, who travelled down with supporters from the town, was outraged that the reputation of Rangers fans had been slammed.
The 44-year-old, who was one of around 150, 000 supporters who descended on the city, insisted the problems were caused by a small minority.
He said: "I had one of the best times of my life and didn't see a single bit of bother.
"The place we were at was fine."
However, his group watched from Manchester's Cathedral Gardens - not the trouble-hit Piccadilly Gardens where a large screen failed moments before the kick-off.
Ian said: "All the reports focused on the damage that was caused but when you think that only 42 popele got arrested out of the number that went down it's not that bad.
"The number of arrests was probably the same as a normal Friday night in Manchester city and less than after an Old Firm game."
Meanwhile, other supporters from Irvine and Kilwinning have helped national newspapers with thier coverage of the showcase event.
Kilwinning's Jonathan Conway, 18, gave one newspaper his reaction as one of around 32, 000 fans watching from Ibrox.
He said: "We'll be back. But we just didn't play well enough."
And an Irvine man before the match said he thought supporters were making a positive contribution to Manchester.
David McKinley, 30, said: "This is the best final Manchester could have had. I think we have just boosted the local economy quite a lot.
"people have been really friendly, we are having a great time."
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