Manchester United have revealed that over 1,500 Rangers fans managed to infiltrate home sections of Old Trafford during January’s heated Europa League tie – with security chiefs opting against mass ejections to avoid further escalating the situation.
The cross-border clash, which saw Rangers push the English giants to the limit before falling to a narrow 2-1 defeat, was marred by violent scenes after travelling supporters celebrated their side’s late equaliser.
But despite the clear presence of Rangers fans across home stands, stewards were instructed not to remove them en masse due to serious safety concerns, according to details shared by The Daily Mail.
United’s internal investigation uncovered that a staggering 1,523 Rangers supporters had entered the home areas of the stadium, predominantly due to large-scale ticket touting.
Among them, 567 had seats in the official members’ section, 105 gained access through tickets allocated to away team friends and family, 367 occupied hospitality seats, and 493 entered using United season tickets sold on by home fans.
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Following the game, United received over 400 complaints, with home fans frustrated that they had either been forced to sit elsewhere or stand after discovering their seats had already been taken.
The issue worsened when Rangers found the net through Cyriel Dessers in the dying moments, triggering furious clashes with United fans.
“There is no safety or security operation that could effectively eject over 1,000 people during a fixture,” a club statement to supporters' groups read.
Instead, security staff opted to monitor the situation rather than intervene, believing any large-scale attempt to remove Rangers fans would have only inflamed tensions further.
While there had been minor tensions throughout the game, United’s report highlighted that trouble truly escalated when Rangers striker Dessers expertly found the net on 88 minutes.
“A number of significant incidents occurred simultaneously, primarily because of Rangers fans celebrating and then being confronted by United supporters,” United officials stated.
