Rangers' appearance in the UEFA Cup Final this evening, I mean. There are a number of concerns about this match, and not all of them are to do with the football. It would be a great shame if the sectarian bigots among the 'Gers support and some racists and ultra-nationalists in the Zenit St Petersburg camp stole the show. Both clubs are on warnings about the behaviour of their followers. Then there's the issue of the large army of travelling fans who haven't get tickets to the City of Manchester Stadium, because a combination of the relative smallness of the venue and the number of seats gobbled up by the corporates means that the allocation to Rangers, in particular, was way, way below the demand. So far the two sets of supporters are mingling OK. But it could be touch and go.Above all, it would be good to get a decent game of football. Zenit are clear favourites and the 'Gers have scored only 5 goals in 8 matches to get to this Final. They have seen off superior teams like Fiorentina and Sporting Lisbon through a combination of sound tactics, grit and determination - with more than the odd flash of skill, to be sure. But I fear tonight could be another story. Zenit took apart both Beyer Leverkusen and (much more impressively) Bayern Munich. The real danger man is Pavel Pogrebnyak - but he's out, I gather. Though I wouldn't normally be cheering the Blues (I agree with Kenny), it would nevertheless be a great night for Scottish football and for the deserving Walter Smith if they could pull off a win. Provided it's done in the right spirit.
[Pic: (c) BBC]
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1 comment:
You forgot to mention luck! Rangers have been somewhat jammy at times!
from TV tonight, I understand that a large contingent of Teddy Bears have set up camp in Blackpool. That's home ground for many of them.
In the background as the interviwer set the scene, the Sash was being belted out in Manchester. Oh Dear! Will these guys never learn?
Lord, what will I blog about when the season is over????
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