Eleven out of 12 rioting football fans who took part in a night of violence during a Uefa Cup match in Manchester have been jailed.
They were among hundreds of Rangers fans who caused "mayhem" at the final held in the city two years ago.
Police were attacked and property damaged in the hours of violence in the city centre, and two police officers - Mick Regan and John Goodwin - were caught by the mob, surrounded and battered.
Several defendants put thumbs up to weeping relatives in the public gallery as they were led down to the cells.
Passing sentence at Manchester Crown Court, Judge Andrew Blake said: "The riot police were deployed in full riot gear and struggled to contain the trouble and restore order.
"What followed was the worst night of violence and destruction suffered by Manchester city centre since the blitz. What came afterwards, the damage, the filth and litter was apparent to all who arrived in Manchester the following day.
"Many more than these 12 were involved. It had nothing to do with football rivalries but everything to do with drink. The anger of the mob was directed at the police doing their best to restore order."
There were audible gasps from the public gallery as he jailed Scott McSeveney for the longest period, of three and a half years, for violent disorder and the assault on Pc John Goodwin.
Pc Goodwin was separated from his detachment, outnumbered by tens of fans and attacked.
Brought to the ground he was stamped on and kicked and said later he thought of tragic fellow officer Keith Blakelock and thought he was going to die at the hands of the mob.
He was only saved after a Rangers fan, Sharon Gibson, lay across him and her boyfriend shouted: "You are letting the team down."
Up to 125,000 fans of the Scottish club, most without tickets, drank pubs and supermarkets dry as they descended on the city centre, Manchester Crown Court heard earlier.
But trouble erupted after a giant screen in Piccadilly Gardens in the city centre failed shortly before Rangers were about to take the field against Zenit St Petersburg in a game they lost 2-0.
Police chief
Outside court, the match commander for the game, Chief Superintendent Gerry Donnellan, from Greater Manchester Police, said: "Today's results are for the people of Manchester and for genuine football fans everywhere.
"The city of Manchester has never forgotten what happened that night. May 14 2008 is a night when shameful violence marred what should have been a wonderful football showcase.
"A number of supporters and officers were injured and many innocent members of the public were concerned for their safety. It must have been terrifying for anyone caught up in it."
He added: "All of these defendants took part in that violence and must share some of the responsibility for the disorder in our city that night.
"I must pay tribute to both the investigation team and to members of the public who helped us identify these people - without the great response of the Scottish public to our publicity campaign we may not have found these hooligans."



























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