Rangers fan's 'utter hell'

April 06, 2009

| Submit Comments | Comments (24) | Previous | Next

A FOOTBALL fan has said his life had been ruined after he was wrongly accused of rioting at last year's Uefa Cup final.

Rangers supporter James Clark was accused of taking part in the trouble on the streets of Manchester when the Glasgow club visited last year.

But he walked free from court on Friday after he was cleared by a jury.

Mr Clark, 35, claimed he was plucked out of the crowds at random and beaten by officers.

He told the Daily Record newspaper: "I have been through utter hell because of the police. They picked me out of crowd of fans at random, beat me black and blue with their batons and set their dogs on me.

"Yet they charged me with being violent. You couldn't make it up."

He added that his lawyer said the police were trying to portray him as some sort of cross between William Wallace and Rab C Nesbitt.

He was put on trial for violent disorder alongside fellow fan Simon Toland, 19, from Belfast.

Mr Clark, of Baillieston, Glasgow, said on his arrest last year, the first thing police had to do was take him to hospital as he was covered in blood.

He claimed police dogs ripped chunks of flesh from his legs and police batons left marks on his body.

The supporter was among an estimated 175,000 fans who travelled to Manchester for the Uefa Cup final between Rangers and Russian team Zenit St Petersburg on May 14.

Rioting erupted across the city after a giant television screen set up to show the game stopped working.

This infuriated supporters, many of whom had been drinking heavily all day.

Rangers lost the match 2-0.

Mr Clark said he had hired a motorhome with a friend to travel down to the game and was at the big screen in Manchester's Piccadilly Gardens when it failed.

The case, which involved repeated appearances at court in Manchester, also cost the scaffolder his job, he said.

Police claimed he and Mr Toland taunted officers and encouraged other fans to indulge in such behaviour.

But jurors at Manchester Crown Court took two hours and 40 minutes to find them not guilty with a majority verdict.

Mr Clark now plans to lodge a complaint with the Independent Police Complaints Commission over the behaviour of Greater Manchester Police.

| Submit Comments | Comments (24) | Previous | Next

Showing comments 1 to 24 and replies | View All

Peter Bowes (06/04/2009 at 11:58)

After this verdict it would appear that the Rangers fans were not the only thugs.

JohnB, Manchester (06/04/2009 at 12:23)

Its typical of GMP to take the wrong people to court...

Is it that hard to find the people who actually caused the trouble?

Black Flag (06/04/2009 at 13:05)

"Police claimed he and Mr Toland taunted officers and encouraged other fans to indulge in such behaviour"

Even if he had, responding to taunts with extreme physical violence is completely unacceptable, irrespective of whether or not you are wearing a uniform.

PO (06/04/2009 at 14:13)

"But jurors at Manchester Crown Court took two hours and 40 minutes to find them not guilty with a majority verdict."

I wonder why all Jurors failed to agree. I don't think anybody can comment on this without the full facts!

Kris-Kross, Ashton Under Lyne (06/04/2009 at 14:26)

Our police service must respond with the minimum force required and maximum, respect at all times. Clubbing a man and setting the dogs on him is behaving as bad as the rioters themselves. Is it possible to bring those officers to trial?

We need a police force we can respect.

The stinking kipper, pinned under the table (06/04/2009 at 14:34)

You'd have thought that in this age of CCTV, finding the real offenders would have been easy peasy.

Ronky, Bowker Vale (06/04/2009 at 15:08)

I can imagine the hell he has been through for the last 12 months....

Losing the UEFA cup final, blowing the title on Helicopter thursday to his team's major rivals, failing to qualify for the champions league (or even the uefa cup again), losing in the league cup final to his team's major rivals, seeing his team fall behind in the championship race, seeing his team's board desperately trying to flog any player they can to break even, having his team's captain & goalkeeper shame his club and country and go through this ordeal!

It's been a bad year for him but at least there's the scottish cup!

Esso Blue, , Manchester. (06/04/2009 at 15:25)

I am disappointed with GMP putting this man through such punishment.

wotaboutawaterbottleweeble, north wales (06/04/2009 at 16:28)

Looks like we're going to have to get accustomed to it - it's not a Police force, not even a Police service,- Britain today is a Police state - irresponsible and unaccountable - and as far as traffic policing goes - they are simply a tax-collection department of HM Govt.

Mark, South Manchester (06/04/2009 at 17:05)

I know a few impartial observers who were shocked by the "random brutality" of GMP officers that night. Yet why are the local & national media "always reluctant" to criticise the police in such circumstances? I think as well as Rangers fans, some GMP officers need to be in the dock too.

But also, I'd like to know when the dimwits in Manchester Town Hall who organised that whole shambles, will be appearing in the dock too? Charged with "gross incompetency" for what went on that day!!

JayTilzey, m29 (06/04/2009 at 17:29)

I was in Manchester that night at another event and have never seen, nor do I hope ever to see again, anything like the amount of drunkenness and thuggishness on display in our beautiful city. 175,000 people, according to this estimate, invaded the city and most, it seems, treated it with total disrespect. Did any of you monday night quarterbacks see the city centre at midnight that day? 175,000 apparently drunken invaders, most of them carrying a case of lager on their shoulder, a relative handful of police officers, and here we are nearly a year later picking apart where the police went wrong.

Bigkecks (06/04/2009 at 17:42)

Half you people should be ashamed of your comments. Your the first to critisise the police but I bet if you are robbed or if you are a victim you are stright on the phone to them. Why dont you try living without a police force, see if you like it then.

Esso Blue, , Manchester. (06/04/2009 at 18:17)

In some respects it was pandemonium that night and the police dogs sometimes are not to sure who to bite so we can't blame the dogs. Never stand around with a static crowd just walk the other way, if you stay with them it can look bad, don't stand near people who are antagonizing.

Black Flag (06/04/2009 at 18:26)

Bigkecks, of course I would call the police if I was robbed; that's what I pay them for. That doesn't give them any excuse to behave in a criminal fashion.

Would you berate people for criticising Harold Shipman because we'd all call a doctor if we were ill?

J smith (06/04/2009 at 18:28)

Bigkecks

Ever been a victem of a crime, your lucky if the police actually turn up, 1 bloke got kicked to death outside his own house after 6 people rung the police to complain and kids making threats outside there house. All criminals are caught by security guards,cctv operators and doorstaff these days and all the police do is ferry them to the police station.

You have to goto the police station and fill out the form so its all about claiming it off the insurance not actually catching anybody, if they do catch the person he gets 3 months in a glorified holiday camp with 3 meals a day, a roof over his head and free gym facilities.

The only way you can get the police out is to say you have seen someone breaking into a massarge parlour or a pornography shop and they are there like a shot.

Growler (06/04/2009 at 21:50)

The Police did an excellent job and in my opinion should have used more force. If this had occured in any other european city then tear gas, water cannons, batton gunners would have been used. But because it's the UK lets respect the great human rights act and keep it softly softly !!

sugar n spice, manchester (07/04/2009 at 00:57)

the real culprits here are manchester city council for inviting these fans to the city with not a care for the residents of the city will they have to answer to the mistakes they made or it is just going to be forgotten about now

CorneredAllTheLuck, Tameside (07/04/2009 at 06:58)

The police do pick out random people sometimes, I've seen it with my own eyes. As long as it's not you, eh?

Bigkecks (07/04/2009 at 13:25)

The GMP were out heavily numbered against a very angry violent crowd.

What would you rather have, one person get a few digs from a policeman OR a poilceman die kicked to death by a baying crowd??

I know which i would rather have. The Police should have used more force it was a scene of complete carnage.

BTW the same police force everyone is condeming are exaclt the same ones that have just locked up 11 very iolent street gangsters.

But I suppose those guys were innocent as well eh?

Esso Blue, High Horse therapy treatment available, Real World Treatment, Manchester. (07/04/2009 at 13:51)

Bigkecks probably spends to much time holding up his kecks which is putting him off his rational process.
whoops slipped again.

nyb, ex manc (07/04/2009 at 15:59)

I don't usually have much time for the modern Police Force (it's not a service).
However I feel they are being treated harshly and unfairly by most of the posters on here.
I have been living in Scotland for 26 years, so I have first hand experience on a weekly basis of what goes on when Rangers go away on the road.
The police did a magnificent job defending the city against these "people".

FAO of the moderator on this post...I hope this posting is OK, my previous 3 attempts have failed to appear.

Trelleck (07/04/2009 at 20:04)

"Rioting erupted across the city after a giant television screen set up to show the game stopped working".

More sensationalism from the Manchester Evening News. There was ONE flashpoint involving a couple of hundred hooligans in the Piccadilly Gardens / Newton Street area.

The MEN ignores the 200,000 fans in Albert Square, Cathedral Gardens and pubs across the city who did not cause trouble, and have constantly tried to portray all Rangers fans as hooligans.

Remember the last time an England game was shown on the TV in Exchange Square? Mancuians rioted in their own city! Remember Man City's game at Middlesborough last season? City fans fought with police and stewards in the away end! Remember the last time United played in Glasgow against Rangers in the Champions League? Hundreds of United fans were causing trouble in Glasgow City Centre! Lets not forget United and Celtic fans clashing outside Old Trafford last season.

Instead of playing the victim as if 14th May 2008 was the worst football violence in living memory, Manchester (and the Evening News in particular) should take a look at how this city’s own football fans conduct themselves.

schgittor (08/04/2009 at 08:38)

i still will never forgive the council for not showing the Champions League Final last year, never mind the homecoming parade, but allow 175.000 thousand fans of rangers the freedom of the city for one night.

nyb, ex manc (08/04/2009 at 12:39)

Trelleck...you're either a Rangers fan or don't live in Scotland and see how some of these fans act on a weekly basis. A significant minority exist in a world dominated by events from the distant past. Most of us in Scotland do not even perceive Rangers FC as a Scottish club, it is a British club to us. Scan the crowd when they are flying their flags, you will not see any Scottish flags, only Union flags and the red hand of Ulster flag. I'm not a Celtic fan with an agenda, they are no better, flying only Irish tricolours. Both clubs are seen by most in Scotland as not really Scottish; and both display appalling behaviour and sectarian songs when on the road playing away or in Europe. Manchester saw the real side of Rangers FC hardcore fans that day.

Please Mr Moderator do not censor this post; it is not inflammatory, only a statement of facts

()

Report

News