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Uefa Cup final 'good for the economy, bad for police'

15/05/2008

Uefa Cup final fans may have boosted the Manchester economy by as much as £20 million but the city centre was scarred by rioting and violence.

According to Manchester city council, all the hotels in Manchester were full and fans snapped up beds as far afield as Blackpool, Liverpool and Wigan. Councillor Pat Karney said that up to 100,000 fans without tickets may have descended on Manchester yesterday to watch the match between Zenit St Petersburg and Rangers.

However, the Telegraph reports that up to 175,000 Rangers fans were in the city - a third of the population of Glasgow. Despite the good-natured fun displayed by some fans, there was severe trouble in the Piccadilly area as Rangers fans threw bottles and cans at riot police after a screen due to show the game malfunctioned.

Police chiefs have since expressed their disappointment over the behaviour of some Rangers fans, who abused the hospitality of a city that had done its best to make the fans welcome. As well as attacking officers, the fans left the streets strewn with broken glass and rubbish.

Rangers lost 2-0 to Zenit St Petersburg after the Russian team scored two late second-half goals.