outlaw69uk 123 Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 Thought I would put this up, nice read http://www.<No links to this website>/news/scottish...86908-20400884/ Rangers fans arrive in Florence ready for the big game May 1 2008 By Keith Mcleod In Florence THE blue and white invasion of Florence began in earnest yesterday. Thousands of Rangers fans descended on the city by plane and train for tonight's UEFA Cup semi-final with Fiorentina. They were greeted by low-profile policing with a smile on its face instead of officers in riot gear. Pisa and Bologna airports had record numbers of charter flights. Florence's own tiny airport was ill-equipped to deal with the huge number of travelling fans. They made the short journey to the Tuscan city by train. Veteran European traveller Brian Wales, 50, a member of the Bonnyrigg Supporters' Club, was at the 1967 European Cup Winners' Cup Final in Germany as a boy of 10. Rangers lost - but he was also at the final of the same competition in Barcelona five years later when his team lifted the trophy. He said: "It's a terrific atmosphere here, one of the best I have experienced. It is a beautiful city. "We heard horror stories about riot police when the Everton fans came here earlier in the season. "But all I've seen is the normal policing that you would expect in a city of this size. They have been having a laugh and a joke with some of the guys. "If the team can get the right result, it will be perfect." Steven Stevenson, 31, from Glasgow and friend Craig Gibb, 27, from Larkhall, Lanarkshire, met up with a crowd of Fiorentina fans. Steven said: "They were singing their songs and we were singing too and there was a lot of laughing and handshaking going on. "That's exactly the way it was in Glasgow when their fans were at Ibrox last week. We were all in the pub together, so it's great to get the same welcome here." One fan, Drew Aitchison, 38, travelled to Florence from his home in New Zealand. Glen Edgar, 32, from Kilmaurs, Ayrshire, said: "It's an amazing place to be but the beer has gone up in price since yesterday from nine euros (£7)to 13 (£10) today." Florence police U-turned on their plan for draconian policing following talks with Ibrox security officials. Now fans can expect to be given free bus travel to two selected "gathering points" in the city, free food and soft drinks. There will also be a huge 8000 capacity big-screen "fanzone" just 200 metres from the stadium. It is the first time the police in Florence have allowed such measures for travelling fans and the first time fans have arrived in the city in such numbers. Police chiefs and city officials listened to Rangers' security experts who pointed out that thousands of fans have followed the team across seven countries already this season, with no reports of any trouble. The police also listened to Fiorentina and their fans who said they had received a superb welcome from Rangers fans in Glasgow and wanted the same kind of reception in Florence. Rangers' head of security and operations Kenny Scott has been having nightly meetings with police chiefs in the city. He said: "The policing has been low key - that is precisely what we asked the authorities to do." Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
britishempirexi 0 Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 The police also listened to Fiorentina and their fans who said they had received a superb welcome from Rangers fans in Glasgow and wanted the same kind of reception in Florence. Excellent stuff, shame about the price of beer! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Newells Sexist Army 2 Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 Steven Stevenson Great name. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wienblue 26 Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 Steven Stevenson, from Stevenston. Akin to Sean O'Shaughnessy, son of Josef Fritzl ! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poetry_In_Blue 1,043 Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 Excellent news, this is the way I thought it would be. :bouncy: Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoff 7 Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 that is great to hear, I hope all bears have a great time and can celebrate without any trouble!!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Briton 394 Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 Veteran European traveller Brian Wales, 50, a member of the Bonnyrigg Supporters' Club, was at the 1967 European Cup Winners' Cup Final in Germany as a boy of 10. That's pretty amazing. Great article and nice to see some positive stuff about Bears (and the Italian police ). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
outlaw69uk 123 Posted May 1, 2008 Author Share Posted May 1, 2008 Veteran European traveller Brian Wales, 50, a member of the Bonnyrigg Supporters' Club, was at the 1967 European Cup Winners' Cup Final in Germany as a boy of 10. That's pretty amazing. Great article and nice to see some positive stuff about Bears (and the Italian police ). Thats the surprising part for me. I think its brilliant, poles apart from when everton went Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wienblue 26 Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 Veteran European traveller Brian Wales, 50, a member of the Bonnyrigg Supporters' Club, was at the 1967 European Cup Winners' Cup Final in Germany as a boy of 10. That's pretty amazing. Great article and nice to see some positive stuff about Bears (and the Italian police ). Thats the surprising part for me. I think its brilliant, poles apart from when everton went Everton are from Liverpool, an area synoymous for crime, scum people, benefit cheats and the rubbish of the UK, obviously a cultured place like Fiorentina had to deal proportionately with scum like that as opposed to Gers supporters who are travelled and do not have any of the Liverpudlian traits. Let's not forget that ! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
delparlane 6,001 Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 Very encouraging read. I'm sure the travelling Bears will do us all proud, and hope at the end of the day the boys will have given them a memory to treasure! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ara 154 Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 Veteran European traveller Brian Wales, 50, a member of the Bonnyrigg Supporters' Club, was at the 1967 European Cup Winners' Cup Final in Germany as a boy of 10. That's pretty amazing. Great article and nice to see some positive stuff about Bears (and the Italian police ). Thats the surprising part for me. I think its brilliant, poles apart from when everton went Everton are from Liverpool, an area synoymous for crime, scum people, benefit cheats and the rubbish of the UK, obviously a cultured place like Fiorentina had to deal proportionately with scum like that as opposed to Gers supporters who are travelled and do not have any of the Liverpudlian traits. Let's not forget that ! ...that's out of order mate!...there are plenty of great people from the area - including my wife's family... ...Liverpool and Glasgow have a lot in common ...working class roots, humour (thanks to the sharing of sea-faring docks and workers transferring between the two...) Loads of Glasgow folk have lived there for a generation or two... They definately have their problems, as do we and all similarly sized cities, but to an outsider the image challenge between Glasgow & Liverpool is very similar. I would hate to see anyone make such a generalisations like the one you have made about Glasgow...so the same is true here... anyone from Merseyside on this forum reading this post would immediately think that we are small minded assholes...so your view doesn't represent me I'm afraid... If we go to Manchester with the same attitude we will have problems...and I don't want to see that! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
McWeedy 28 Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 Veteran European traveller Brian Wales, 50, a member of the Bonnyrigg Supporters' Club, was at the 1967 European Cup Winners' Cup Final in Germany as a boy of 10. That's pretty amazing. Great article and nice to see some positive stuff about Bears (and the Italian police ). Thats the surprising part for me. I think its brilliant, poles apart from when everton went Everton are from Liverpool, an area synoymous for crime, scum people, benefit cheats and the rubbish of the UK, obviously a cultured place like Fiorentina had to deal proportionately with scum like that as opposed to Gers supporters who are travelled and do not have any of the Liverpudlian traits. Let's not forget that ! Originally from Glasgow and currently living in Liverpool. Out of everywhere I have been in the UK these two citys are the closest in their nature. People are friendly, have a great sense of humour and look out for each other. Sure there are social problems but statistically Glasgow is actually far worse for violent crime. To call them the rubbish of the UK is grossly unfair, they are more similar to us than you know. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dummiesoot 16,278 Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 "....lot of laughing and handshaking going on...." The masons made it then! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimenez 1 Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 The regulars who watch Rangers abroad deserve nothing but praise. Fuck knows how they can afford it but superb stuff WATP Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricksen_da_best 2,034 Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 Tenner a pint? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trueblue87 0 Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 That's great to hear as I was a bit worried when I read the reports from Everton fans. Hope all the bears in Florence have a great time and that they will be celebrating after the match. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poetry_In_Blue 1,043 Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 The Glasgow/Liverpool comarison is out of order every major city all over the UK has their problems with crime etc. I think part of the problem might be historical, at one time British fans were classed as being trouble makers abroad, in time this was finally split between English fans causing trouble and never too much trouble with Scottish fans. To this end any English fan going abroad isn't necessary classed as a hooligan but foreign police are more cautious due to problems in the past with organised hooligans giving football a bad name. When Everton were over there, the police probably looked at them in a general view point that they're English they might cause trouble and so were a bit too heavy handed with their tactics even though there wasn't any trouble. A part of it could also be that foreign police aren't exactly used to Everton fans being abroad for competitions and as there wasn't necessary any great liaison between Everton's security and the local police, the police were over cautious. With regards to our fans, we are in Europe every season, we actually have a decent security chief who has liased very closely with the local police and the club, also the local police will have the advantage of speaking to other clubs and police forces in Europe and learn about our brilliant fans and the lack of trouble. This will have been an influence in their decision making, we also had the advantage that the fans who came over to Ibrox will have mentioned what a brilliant friendly time they had, so it is good that our good name travels well and that police in other countries are now willing to listen. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wienblue 26 Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 Veteran European traveller Brian Wales, 50, a member of the Bonnyrigg Supporters' Club, was at the 1967 European Cup Winners' Cup Final in Germany as a boy of 10. That's pretty amazing. Great article and nice to see some positive stuff about Bears (and the Italian police ). Thats the surprising part for me. I think its brilliant, poles apart from when everton went Everton are from Liverpool, an area synoymous for crime, scum people, benefit cheats and the rubbish of the UK, obviously a cultured place like Fiorentina had to deal proportionately with scum like that as opposed to Gers supporters who are travelled and do not have any of the Liverpudlian traits. Let's not forget that ! ...that's out of order mate!...there are plenty of great people from the area - including my wife's family... ...Liverpool and Glasgow have a lot in common ...working class roots, humour (thanks to the sharing of sea-faring docks and workers transferring between the two...) Loads of Glasgow folk have lived there for a generation or two... They definately have their problems, as do we and all similarly sized cities, but to an outsider the image challenge between Glasgow & Liverpool is very similar. I would hate to see anyone make such a generalisations like the one you have made about Glasgow...so the same is true here... anyone from Merseyside on this forum reading this post would immediately think that we are small minded assholes...so your view doesn't represent me I'm afraid... If we go to Manchester with the same attitude we will have problems...and I don't want to see that! I realise you have to defend Liverpool, understandable when you have family ties to the area and I'm sure they are good people like yourself. However, there is no denying that the scousers are the scum of the UK, if not, why is it that they are pilloried and thought of that throughout the British Isles. wake up to the facts...it's scum city and if I was from there, i'd be ashamed and embarrassed and I know many (decent people) who are. Sometimes, the truth hurts, however, this is by no means a slight on your kith and kin. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace 3,645 Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 That is a sweeping generalisation ... akin to saying all bears are sectarian. There was a very recent report that stated there is now more chance of being mugged in Glasgow than there is in New York. I've been to Liverpool more than a few times & i've never had a problem. The media can paint a picture that is not strictly true (surely we know this already). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
J_RFC87 766 Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 £10 for a pint! feck me Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
followfollow21 0 Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 good news! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wertp72 0 Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 this is actually in the daily rebel? Shockaroony! :footballew: Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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