Half Time at the City of Manchester Stadium. Rangers 0 Zenit 0 on the field. Scottish fans, however, outnumber Rangers by at least four to one. But here is the really important question? Who tought Zenit supporters the bouncy bouncy? And were the Russians really singing "We are the people," as at least a large part of the Rangers' support thought. A terrific, fantastic atmosphere. The Gers support were right behind their team, despite some very difficult moments in the first half.
The Russians aren't happy. Not with the British media anyway. The largely middle-class and educated people who have come over from St Petersburg are appalled at the way they have been portrayed in the Scottish and English papers. Their gripe: the constant carping about racist elements within the support of Zenit St Petersburg. Some fans were already suggesting there was some bigotry in the reporting itself: stereotyping, they said, all Russians with the bad behaviour of a tiny minority.
I happen to speak Russian. Within a few seconds of chatting to Zenit fans, a small crowd gathered of supporters wanting to get their side of the story over.
"This stuff about the Zenit fans all being racist, it's not fair," said Pyotr Piskur, a 43-year-old manager from St Petersburg. His friend Alexei Kuplinov,30, agrees. "Of course, we have some hooligans, some idiots, unfortunately every club has.
"But do they really think they are the class of people who can afford to buy a 1500 euro airticket at short notice?"
Would the press do that with Rangers fans, I was asked.
"We have heard a lot of bad things about Rangers fans and what they did when they played Dinamo (Moscow Dynamo) all those years ago," said Alexei Semenoga, referring to scenes in Barcelona in 1972 which were widely reported in Russia and which still, to this day, define how many Russians see Scottish football fans. "They have heard lots of bad things about us too.
But the truth is this is all idiocy. Everybody has been getting on fine."
One fan - a clearly well-heeled gent - clutched a national tabloid, read out the headline about "Russian racists" and summed up the best English word he could find for it.
The fans of Glasgow Rangers have only one thought on their minds: tonight's big game. But spare a thought for the "other" Rangers. No, not the wee ones in Berwick but the even wee-er ones in Azerbaijan.
The Baku Rangers are limbering up for their end of season clash with their archrivals. That's right. You guessed it. They are playing Celtic, Sahil Celtic to be exact.
The two teams - junior sides in the Azerbaijani capital -are every bit as passionate as the Glasgow Old Firm. Not surprisingly, the two teams were set up by supporters of the respective Scottish sides, many of whom are currently working in the former Soviet republic's booming oil industry.
Neil MacDougall of the Baku Bears Rangers Supporters Club - in Manchester for the game as Zenit St Pete - stresses the two Azerbaijaini teams are pretty serious squads. The Baku Rangers, for example, are getting a whole stadium built for them by the Government after losing their original home for redevelopment.
"We have raised a quarter of a million pounds for local charities," Neil told The Herald yesterday. Fans of the big Rangers should take heart from Azerbaijan. Baku Rangers have never lost to Celtic.
There are plenty of fans of the big Rangers in Azerbaijan. More, says Niel, than on his home island of South Uist. South Uist, of course, is Celtic's Hebridean stronghold. Oil engineer Neil, meanwhile, paid £3000 to come to today's match.
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Why is every second shopkeeper in Manchester Scottish? "They have brought in translators,"explains one.
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The figure keeps going up and up. The latest unofficial estimate for Manchester's Rangers-Zenit economic boom? £25m. With at least one hotel offering rooms in the city centre for £2500, that is no surprise.
I met a guy today who must be the biggest, proudest, daftest bluenose in the world.
His name? Make a note: It's Gary Brisbane. The 32-year-old from Melbourne (yeah, Mr Brisbane from Melbourne) has come over to Manchester for the Uefa Cup Final. OK, you say. that's a fair distance. But does it really make him the biggest bluenose?
There's more. Gary's five-year-old daughter Kelsey is having a big fifth birthday party. Tomorrow. The 14th. More than 30 people are coming. Where's Gary? Manchester.
Later this month Gary has got to be back in Oz for his brother's engagement party. Gary is the best man. Where will our Rangers-minded friend be? Oh, he'll be in Glasgow. The engagement is on the day of the Scottish Cup Final..
Now Gary, like most Oz fans, usually watches his beloved Rangers in the clubhouse of the Melbourne RSC. At 5am in the morning.
"I get about 50 minutes sleep before work," he admits. Gary has named is youngest son Cooper, after Rangers legend Davie. His Australian wife Kym doesn 't quite understand. Gary put off a family holiday to Queensland to go to Manchester. But she doesn't mind. After all, her husband is the world's biggest Teddy Bear.
In Manchester the major bus companies and transport agency put in action their plans to ensure transportation across the city is as painless as possible for the legions of supporters – while keeping the regular one million-plus commuting journeys in the region also flowing smoothly.
Shuttle buses for both sets of fans will be running to the stadium from Princess Street and Piccadilly Gardens between 8am and kick-off at 7.45pm.
Regular bus services to the stadium, some as frequent as every five minutes, include the 216, 217, 230, 231, 232, 233, 234, 235, 236, 237, X36 and X37.
There will be spaces for 400 pre-booked coaches at The City of Manchester Stadium for fans with tickets and a further 400 spaces at Old Trafford cricket ground for fans without tickets.
Supporters arriving at Old Trafford are being encouraged to get the tram into the city centre and walk on to the fan zones at Albert Square, Piccadilly Gardens and Cathedral Gardens.
Signed walking routes from Old Trafford to the city centre and on to the stadium will be in place throughout the day.
As the match could finish as late as 10.30pm, 10 additional trams will run between Piccadilly and areas where fans are expected, with a six-minute instead of 12-minute service operating and every other service a double tram.
A further 26 buses will be running from 9.30pm to 4am, initially from the stadium to the city centre.
Michael Renshaw, of Greater Manchester Public Transport Executive, said: “We are doing everything we can to make sure fans can get to the city centre and the stadium as easily as possible.
“ “Inevitably bus, train and tram services to and from the city centre will be much busier than normal and I would encourage passengers to allow extra time for their journeys.”
Information about public transport services in Greater Manchester is available at www.gmpte.com , or by calling Traveline on 0871 200 22 33.
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