The Rangers riot in Manchester rarely mentioned as Man Utd carnage billed 'worst violence ever seen at Old Trafford'

Rangers’ trip to Manchester on Thursday will see memories of their 2008 UEFA Cup Final shared – including the ugly scenes off the park as well as the heartbreaking defeat on it to Zenit St Petersburg.

But fans of a certain vintage will recall another trip to the city in north west England where there was similar carnage and on that occasion it was actually at Old Trafford, where Philippe Clement will take his side, rather than the home of Manchester United’s rivals City.

That match took place 34 years before Walter Smith led his troops out at the Etihad with Jock Wallace the man in charge of the Light Blues for a fixture that was a friendly in name only after both sets of fans were involved in what has been described as the “the worst violence Old Trafford has ever seen”.

Rangers won the game thanks to a late Derek Parlane penalty with legendary captain John Greig and Derek Johnstone also on the scoresheet in a 3-2 victory. But the game isn’t remembered for anything that happened on the field of play. Supporters who made the trip south from Glasgow recalled their buses being attacked on arrival but the trouble appeared to start when a group of home fans entered the pitch - only to for rival supporters to vault the fence and charge them down with police forced to break up the battles.

One newspaper reported the next day: “When United took the lead, bottles streamed on to the pitch from the Rangers end. Fans were struck on the head. Ambulancemen treated 40 for bottle injuries. United club officials called in a doctor for a young Rangers fan, who had suspected brain damage.

"After the match, more trouble broke out. Rangers buses were stoned, and three Manchester buses were put off the road with broken windows. Ibrox