It promised a 'carnival atmosphere'. Instead it was Manchester's worst night of violence

The Manchester Evening News dubbed it the 'Battle of Piccadilly'. An experienced police officer described it, simply, as 'frightening', whereas for then Prime Minister Gordon Brown it was a 'disgrace'.

On the morning of Wednesday, May 14, 2008, some 150,000 Glasgow Rangers fans flooded into Manchester for the UEFA Cup final. It was their club's first European final in 36 years and spirits were understandably high.

But what should have been a day of celebration would descend into what a judge would later describe as the 'worst night of violence and destruction suffered by Manchester city centre since the Blitz'.

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Behind the scenes the authorities had been making preparations ever since Rangers booked their place in the final against Russian side Zenit St Petersburg a fortnight earlier. Initially Ibrox officials expected somewhere between 60-70,000 fans to make the trip south.

But within days that estimate was being revised upwards. With the Etihad then having a capacity of around 43,000, fans were urged not to travel without a ticket. The plea fell on deaf ears.

By May 9, police were being told up to 100,000 supporters could turn up. But even that figure was dwarfed on the day itself.

As workersmade their way into the officeon the morning of the final, the city centre was already beginning to fill up with football fans. By midday Albert Square and Piccadilly Gardens were seas of blue.

As chants rang out, the 'tartan invasion' of Manchester got into full swing. Supermarkets were emptied of alcohol as thousands of fans turned the city centre into a huge beer garden.

Legend has it one particularly inebriated supporter, carrying a crate