MANCHESTER was bathed in sunshine and a sea of Rangers blue ahead of tonight's thrilling Uefa Cup final, as tens of thousands of football fans drank up the party atmosphere - if not a few bevvies.
Fans without tickets were converging into three designated areas for ticketless supporters to watch the match on big screens. The sound of chanting, horns tooting and drums beating filled the air and groups of fans could be seen hopping up and down across the city, a trademark ritual for supporters of the Scottish side.
Spirits were high and the atmosphere was friendly ahead of the Cup final between Rangers and Zenit St Petersburg, which kicks off at 7.45pm.
The sunny, hot weather and alcohol had already got the better of a few supporters who were lying stretched out in the zones.
Greater Manchester Police estimated there were 80,000 fans in the city centre at around 2pm today. Officials expect 100,000 Rangers supporters to have reached Manchester by game time.
In Albert Square next to the town hall, the party was well under way as fans bopped to the music of a brass band and supporters clambered up the side of a monument and draped red, blue and white flags over it.
Small groups danced under bright sunshine around crates of beer and thirsty supporters flocked to a tent selling drinks on the edge of the zone.
Among the revellers was Dave McKinley, who had travelled from Brussels in the hope of watching his side lift the Uefa Cup. The 30-year-old, originally from Irvine in Ayrshire, said: "This is the best final Manchester could have had. I think we have just boosted the local economy quite a lot. People have been really friendly, we are having a great time."
Alex Croall, 35, who had travelled from the Castlemilk area of Glasgow, said: "This is a brilliant welcome, I can't fault it. You walk up the road and everyone is beeping their horns for Rangers."
Mr Croall got a ticket for £55, as he is a member of the team's travel club, but said he had been offered large sums for it. "I got offered £1,000 in Glasgow for the ticket but I knocked it back. It might be another 35 years until we get another final and we might not be here."
A group of flag-wielding fans chanted "we are the people" as they danced down a city centre street to another fan zone, Piccadilly Gardens, hindering the progress of passing buses and trams.
Stephen Martin had travelled from Glenlyon in Perthshire to support the team. Draped in a Rangers flag in the Piccadilly Gardens fan zone, the 33-year-old said: "If this is heaven then I am looking forward to dying. It is a blue heaven."
Also: Read scotsman.com's Rangers' fan blogThe full article contains 485 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
