Prime Minister Gordon Brown says the British government will review measures to stop violent public drunkenness after clashes broke out before and after Wednesday’s UEFA Cup final between Rangers and Zenit St. Petersburg in Manchester. The fear is that more trouble like that which took place Wednesday could hurt England’s 2018 World Cup bid.
Fighting between Scottish fans and riot police took place in the center of the city after Zenit St Petersburg’s 2-0 win over Rangers, resulting in 42 arrests with 15 police being injured. A Russian fan was stabbed in the back at the stadium before the match. The wound was not life-threatening. The fighting erupted when a giant screen showing the match to thousands of ticketless fans, many of whom had been drinking all day, broke down. Most fans left to view the match at other sites across Manchester, but a hard-core element remained and began pelting the broken screen with bottles before turning their attention to police when they arrived.
“We do have laws that enable us to control drinking in public places where there is a risk of disorder and we will have to look at these laws for the future,” Brown said. “I want to do everything to avoid us being put in a position where we might be at risk of an application, for example, for the 2018 World Cup not being acceptable because of this.”