A HERO police officer has told how he was kicked and stamped on by a rampaging mob of more than 20 Glasgow Rangers fans during the shocking violence that marred the Uefa Cup Final in Manchester.
Pc Mick Regan, 47, was battered on the ground as he slipped after helping a colleague under attack from bottle-throwing fans.
In dramatic scenes captured by police cameras, the former Territorial Army corporal is seen being kicked, punched and stamped on by the gang of thugs.
He was lucky to escape with only sore ribs and a wound to his arm - after being dragged from the fray by a Good Samaritan.
The officer from Offerton, Stockport, who is based at Longsight, said the scenes were the worst violence he has witnessed in his 23-year career. Pc Regan's ordeal began as Rangers took on Zenit St Petersburg in the Uefa Cup Final at Eastlands. Trouble flared after a technical fault meant up to 20,000 fans in Piccadilly Gardens to watch the match on a giant screen were left with no picture.
Following the match, violent clashes continued along Market Street, Oldham Street and Newton Street, with riot squads sent into to try to control the crowds.
Pc Regan said: "We were told to go to Piccadilly Gardens and from the outset, we were bombarded with bottles and cans.
"It was unbelievable; it was frightening, on a different scale from any other match I have worked. It seemed the vast majority were drunk and they just wanted to cause trouble.
"A lot of the fans were okay and just asking for directions, but there was a large hard core." As the trouble wore on, Pc Regan and colleagues found themselves being pushed down Newton Street by a `solid mass' of snarling fans hurling missiles. At first, I thought we could hold them," he said.
"Then they overran us. The crowd was extremely hostile and made up of men and women of all ages. As we were forced back down Newton Street I saw a colleague being attacked by six or seven fans and I went to help. Then a lad with a bottle threw it at me from about 3 or 4ft and it hit me on the elbow. I remember moving backwards to try to avoid being hit again, but next thing I was on the floor.
"My initial reaction was `we're in trouble here' and I saw the other officers had been pushed back and I was on my own. I could feel the crowd kicking me in the side, but my body armour was protecting me. I managed to get up, but I'd lost my baton and had nothing to defend myself with. I tried to run, but I think I must have been winded."
Pc Regan was saved from serious injury by a fan he thought was going to attack him.
"I saw two lads coming from my right," he said, "and I thought they were going to have a go. But one of them shouted `I'm British Army, I'm a medic'. He grabbed me by the collar and he propelled me up the street.
"Then one of our vans came round the corner, he threw me in the back of it and off he went.
"Thank God."
Back at Longsight station, Pc Regan was patched up by the police doctor, then later went to hospital to have the wound dressed.
"The body armour protected me from the kicks and the arm injury is only a puncture wound from the bottle," he said.
"I feel lucky, whoever that Army lad was he deserves a medal."
He said he is unlikely to ever forget `the battle of Piccadilly'.
"The fans we met coming from the stadium were as good as gold," he said, "but the people who were kicking off were drunk and they were out for trouble.
"I know that they will say it's a minority - but a few thousand is a big minority."
What do you think? Have your say.
Tweet
Comments
Login or Register to comment
please let pc regan know many many thousands of true rangers fans are shocked and will do all we can to help bring charges against these scum who launched these attacks
to the friendly people of manchester who welcolmed us with open arms to be treated with this terrible behaviour
please except my and thousands of other apology's
on behalf of all true rangers football club fans
I know Mick Regan and his family and they are good and caring people. Our City Fathers should be ashamed of the way they allowed our city to be hijacked for the best part of two days by an invading mob of drunken scum. It must never be allowed to happen again.Perhaps the next time our Home Secretary is deciding whether to defer pay awards for heroes like Mick we should show her the video clips from Wednesday night and remind her that the only thing that stands between law and order and the kind of behaviour Manchester was forced to endure is men and women like Mick who are prepared to put their lives on the line. Well done Mick and colleagues -real Mancunian heroes.
As a Rangers fan who couldn't get to Manchester I am appalled by the behaviour of these thugs and am glad to see the Policeman is ok.
Both my son's were in Manchester on the day and received a great welcome from the locals in both Stockport, Blackpool and Manchester and had a wonderful time, never seeing any trouble at all.
My oldest boy sent me a text about 5.30pm to say that he had left Picadilly due to the sheer mass of people there as he couldn't move, get to the toilet or get a drink or food.
After repeated warnings from Glasgow, the police and the city council were just not prepared for the sheer scale of those attending and control was lost at Picadilly. The availability of so much alcohol was a key factor and the fact they were allowed to take it into the fanzone.
Those who were arrested must be named now and the tiny minority who caused trouble but were not arrested and can be identified from CCTV should be pursued and dealt with severely by the law.
I would like to offer my apologies for the behaviour of those thugs who have tarnished the name of Rangers FC and the tens of thousands of decent fans who made the trip and put millions into the local economy. Our fans have had an excellent travelling record over the last few years which is now significantly damaged by those neds who were attracted to this event
Well done lad.A true hero.It's amazing they stood their ground for so long.Well done Mick Regan.
Mick, I sincerely hope that your "mates" who left you on your own will also apologise to you, I couldn't believe the clip on the web site when I saw you isolated and without help - surely the lads you were with knew you needed help so why didnt they come back, batons drawn?
and to the Rangers fan who has apologised, it's true, this was a minority, I travelled through the city centre in the morning and the evening going to and from St Mary's Hospital, the vast majority. whilst under the influence, were good humoured and friendly. It's always the minority that bring shame on the majority. Pity about the result, would have been good for the "Gers" to lift the trophy at God's Own Ground.
True Blue !
terrible scenes and dispicable actions from those louts, but can someone lease explain to me how this guy is "A HERO police officer"
Fortunate not to have a murder inquiry on GMPs hands.
Scottish Parliament/Rangers FC: still waiting on an official apology to Manchester citizens.
I hope GMP take a good look at their training and tactics and learn some lessons. Left alone, did or would PC Regans fellow officers have known he was missing? Lucky a soldier took control of the situation. It could have been a different story reported today.
Surely people dont mean that britain is out of control? And our police are finding it more difficult by the month of controlling the streets?We once again need real laws and real control of our streets.The police need arming with guns and stun guns and they need more numbers to patrol the streets.There should have had water cannons.Why do we expect our police to patrol the streets without proper kit,just like our soldiers who fight wars without body armour etc."britain expects?" It expects to much from its forces and police/fire/emergency services.
I heard on the grapevine yesterday off a very reliable source who was in attendance at the event/riot what is not disclosed here is that the police were strongly outnumbered and they were forced to work a 17 hour shift its no wonder they were overrun so easily
Im surprised in the circumstances though the army lad was not nicked for assault on an officer for putting his hands on him so to speak
he may have shouted "im british army" but normally that will not stop them nicking you
I also Know Mick Regan well, after working with him a few years at Gorton Nic. When I read the article today, I was sickened and shocked to find out that he was the Pc who was attacked on wednesday night. He is a credit to the force and must be recognised for his bravery. I also after to agree with his comments about the numbers involved, this was not just a few beered up lads having a go - it was upto 2000 (possiblly more) glaswegian idiots running riot!
I'd to say a big thankyou to Mike and wish him a speedy recovery.
it would be fun to see the rioters being chased down Newton street by about 20,000 police!
For the information of RED FERRARI, I'll tell you why this guy is a "real HERO".
When every instinct in this officers body was probably screaming at him to turn and run he remained standing firm out of a sense of duty to defend his colleagues and the streets in general despite being terrified. Had that mob got him to ground we could easily be morning the death of a fine officer. Would you have acted with such bravery?
Ex Bus Driver, save your comments for the policy makers such as the femail senior officer who would have returned home that night without so much as a hair out of place. PC Regan deserves praise instead of being used as a political football.
Give your dictatorship fantasy a rest Ace.
Stop hijacking every article for your 'more power to the authorities' fetish.
Sounds like the soldier involved deserves a medal.
Interesting to read the Daily Record, Scotland's tabloid equivalent of the Sun, laying the blame squarely at the feet of the police.
I'm just delighted those thugs are back over the border and back in their pond. They will never be welcome in this, or any other, civilised city.
Come-On-City. Manchester, formerly of Brooklyn.
People like you make me sick.While our emergency sercices and the police are under threat you see arming them and helping them protect themselves and the community while doing their jobs as a dictatorship? i call it protecting the public ,while being safe themselves. Our forces and our emergency services do a great job with limited resources at their hands its time that the government/councils backed our emergency services etc. This policeman deserves a medal.
Come-On-city, more power to the police doesn't necessarily mean that we're living in a dictatorship. If nothing else, Wednesday night proved beyond all doubt that the police certainly needed more power on that occasion. What would you prescribe under those circumstances - dish out a few ASBO's?
I Noticed on the Film when Mick was on the Floor getting kicked and beaten his colleagues ran off and left him, why did they not come back and rescue him, Mick is Brave guy, but really he had the chance to go with his colleagues but never, he basically stood his ground and done his job, and so he should, he probably thought , why should these drunken scumbags do what they want in our City.
I am a Scot and have lived in Manchester for 8 years. I was disgusted at what I personally witnessed on Wednesday. Manchester is a wonderful vibrant city which is now also my home. I know many Scottish people living in Manchester who are as ashamed as me.
Frank K, here here. Very well said.
People of Manchester,
As a Scot, I am deeply embarrassed by what happened in your city this week. I hope you don't think that we're all like that. Know that all of Scotland is immeasurably ashamed by the riots and mess caused by some of the Rangers fans. Please accept our apologies. Regards
I and my four friends were in shock when we had heard what had happened in the city on Wednesday, we were in Cathedral Gardens and had entered there after being told at about 1pm that Piccadily Gardens were already closed to fans. We proceeded on to Cathedral Gardens and had a great time, we were down by the Nicky Clarke hairdressing salon, and were all having a laugh with the staff there and customers. We sensed at the time in Piccadily Gardens that the atmosphere wasn't the greatest, and I couldnt believe the amount of alcohol being carried about and being allowed to be taken into the fanzones, we were allowed to take in four cans of beer each, I didnt even touch a drop all day as I was driving. There should have been a booze ban on the day, I personally dont see the point of being drunk and then no idea what happened in the game.
I love Manchester and have visited several times for concerts over the years and always found the people very friendly and welcoming, and all the police we spoke to on Wednesday were the same.
I noticed from alot of pictures though that alot of the 'fans' were in plain clothes and not wearing colours, I hope the names and places where they are from should be published. True Rangers fans have been policing themselves for the past year or so especially in Europe, this is our 19th game in Europe this season, and this was the first time there was trouble and arrests. We were also first in Europe to launch fanzones for visiting fans to Glasgow and again were welcomed with open arms, hopefully one day we may meet either Man City or Utd again in Europe and you will come and see a different us.
Thank you once again for all those that were nice, and please dont tar us all with the brush that those animals deserve.
was in Manchester with my son and had a fantastic day out.Everyone we met was great and have to mention everyone at the jazz club where we watched the match .We never witnessed any trouble but like all true Rangers fans we are sickened with what happened.As an ex soldier myself i wish PC Regan a speedy recovery and look fwd to another visit to your wonderful city sometime in the near future.