More football arrests

Another result for police as UEFA tally reaches 20

TWO more Glasgow Rangers fans have been arrested in the round up of suspected football hooligans who ran riot during last year’s Uefa Cup final in Manchester.

It brings the total arrested so far to 20 — two from the North-West, one from Essex and 17 from Scotland.

Officers executed warrants at two addresses north of the border yesterday and made two arrests for suspected violent disorder.

A 19-year-old man from Stirling and 22-year-old man from Perth were taken to Chadderton police station for questioning. Eight suspects arrested on Tuesday have now been bailed until June 3, pending further inquiries. Police chiefs say they are tracking 55 suspected hooligans and have warned of further arrests in the coming weeks.

The arrests all relate to violent disorder in the city centre when an army of 150,000 Rangers fans invaded Manchester for the match with Russian side Zenit St Petersburg on May 14, last year.

Many supporters had been drinking heavily all day before rioting broke out when a big screen in Piccadilly Gardens failed shortly before kick-off.

Members of the public have been praised for their response to CCTV photographs of dozens believed to have been involved, which were printed in the Chronicle, without which the arrests would not have been made.