I left Manchester by train from Piccadilly station in the early morning yesterday.

I’d got the tram in from Bowker Vale (on the Bury line) and I’d seen thousands of Rangers supporters in Piccadilly Gardens, with at least one enormous screen, as I passed.

I arrived back at Piccadilly about 9pm to an enormous crowd of Rangers supporters milling around the station. It was great to see that despite losing the singing crowds behaved really well.

I made my way to the Metrolink station beneath the mainline station and noticed the tickets machines all had a label on saying out of order. Anyway, we all hung round waiting for the next tram.

Eventually a Metrolink loudspeaker message informed us we couldn’t use the tram from here. Instead we were told to get the tram from Victoria for Bury or G-Mex for Altrincham. Basically the tram system wasn’t operating over the Piccadilly Gardens no-go area.

Note to Metrolink: It would have been a lot more use if there’d been a notice so we didn’t even go down to the Metro station!

I was carrying a heavy but fragile box containing two wine glasses, a bottle of wine, home-made lemon curd, home-made mincemeat and a few other glass containers with goodies in. So I didn’t relish traipsing across to Victoria. Still it had to be done!

I went out into the warm night and set-off towards Piccadilly Gardens. The litter was amazing, there were bottles, broken bottles and mashed up newspaper, paper and other debris strewn all across the pavements. The bottle fragments crunched under foot as I walked through the vast hordes of Rangers fans to get a tram from Victoria.

I got to the Gardens and was turned away by a line of police with riot shields. They were being less than helpful to people who talked to them. That said, one or two fans were just being stupid and almost daring the police to have a go. As I turned to look back I noticed one Rangers fan who’d been next to me talking to the police get “tapped” on the head with a riot shield – I bet he’s got a headache this morning.

So I had to go the extremely long way round via Waternewton Street, past the old Post Office and then down past “The Band On The Wall” and the CIS building until I eventually walked into the urine drenched place we used to call Victoria station. The station was populated by another heaving, sweating army of Rangers supporters, who were quite noisy but well behaved. Once there I joined a queue of people buying Metrolink tickets who were all having the usual problem of not being able to pay with a note – despite using valid £5 notes, and having the Queen’s head uppermost and last and not being a new note. People kept trying note after note.

Note to Metrolink: Sort out the nightmare of the ticket machine – we should be able to use debit cards!

Finally I got me a ticket and got home. An hour and a half after arriving in Manchester – normally it takes me at the most 20 to 25 minutes.

And even thought the Rangers and Manchester United match was vitally important to both sets of fans the huge majority of fans behaved very well. As I wandered the streets I kept bumping into people with my heavy box and the fans were the first to apologise. Others made way for me and gave me space to stagger down to Victoria. Yet others kept me amused with comments to each other. All in all the majority of Rangers fans were a credit to football and their club.

And by the way, I saw Zenit St. Petersburg fans too and they were absolutely impeccably behaved.

Technorati tags: UEFA Cup Final 2008, Rangers, Zenit St. Petersburg, City Stadium, Piccadilly Station, Victoria Station, Metrolink

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The Russians are coming! Are they intent on invading Manchester and the Northwest? Certainly looking at my blog statistics it looks that way. Over the last few weeks the subscribers from Russia have simply sky-rocketed.

Obviously I’m always pleased to have new readers. However, I’m a little puzzled that they’re all from the same country.

Is it our attractive motorways, more commonly known as short stay car parks? Maybe it’s the ski slope near The Trafford Centre. Or are they all keen supporters of the Swimming World Championship being held at The Manchester Evening News Arena or are they following Manchester United’s run in league and cup?

Maybe one of you would like to tell me why?

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I’m serious.

Let’s get Manchester onto the board of the World Monopoly game.

Go to the Monopoly Site and nominate Manchester (UK) to get onto the board. Be careful because the USA has a few Manchester’s too.

Manchester’s not on the shortlist but when enough of us nominate it we’ve got a chance of being one of two wild card cities that will be added onto the board.

After all we’ve Manchester United and Manchester City, both of which have huge following around the Uk. And Manchester United has a vast army around the world. So all you United and City fans getting voting.

Also all you Manchester University, Manchester Metropolitan University and UMIST graduates vote! Come on click on over to the Monopoly Site now, get registered and vote.

And everyone from around Greater Manchester too – just click on over to the Monopoly Site and nominate Manchester.

By the way the site has a pile of Monopoly trivia, including the total number of green houses built and how the sets were used during World War II to help escaping soldiers.

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Manchester United’s most recent addition, Michael Collins, is the VIP Restaurants manager.  Last Friday (12th October) I went up to the third floor VIP restaurant, called “The Gallery, to be find a large number of nicely decorated tables.

Manchester United’s ground was where a sumptuous lunch was served to selected Manchester Food & Drink Festival attendees.

After introducing myself to Michael he suggested that I might like to see the food the guests, including Andrew Nutter, had eaten.

The first example Michael brought out was a beautifully presented desert called Valrhona Chocolate Delice with Cinnamon Caramel and Milk Chocolate Ice-cream.

Then Michael produced a champagne and melon starter. The exquisite looking dish was trio of melon enclosed in a champagne jelly with a cassis sauce.

The Manchester Food & Drink Festival ends tonight with a gala awards ceremony in Manchester Town Hall.

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A few weeks ago he was reviled. And now he is a hero, well in Manchester.

It is amazing what 3 weeks does and 9 points.

I thought he was a con artist, but if he can do the double over the rags then he has something.

Of course United were without Rooney and Ronaldo who helped each other get over the defeat in their own particular way.

Technorati tags: Manchester Derby, Manchester United, Manchester City, Sven

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Manchester United’s Asia tour kicks-off on Tuesday 17th July against Urawa Red Diamonds at the Saitama Stadium in Tokyo.

Meantime back in Manchester…

I’ll be watching my daughter dance in her end of year musical show at her school on the same day.

And the good thing about her school is that it has a huge car park next to it where all us doting parents can leave our cars whilst we watch our youngsters have a great time.

I’m not sure who’ll have more fun United fans in Tokyo or me at the show!

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