Rangers fans descend on Manchester for Man Utd clash despite ‘do not travel’ warning

Thousands of Rangers fans have descended on Manchester despite train companies warning people not to travel on lines north of Preston.

Rangers face Manchester United in the Europa League on Thursday, as Storm Eowyn approaches the mainland UK, bringing heavy rain and gusts of wind up to 100mph. A red ‘danger to life’ weather warning has been put in place across the central belt in Scotland.

While Manchester itself is expected to only have lighter winds, much of the north of England is under an amber alert. The incoming weather led to several train companies, including Avanti WestCoast and TransPennine Express, urging passengers not to travel.

Normally, there’s a regular direct service between Manchester from Glasgow Central, while it’s also straightforward enough to change at Preston and continue the journey to either city. But on Friday there will be no trains running north of Preston.

Any fans looking to use the East Coast Line have also been warned there will be no services north of Newcastle from 11am tomorrow morning. With Thursday’s game not kicking off until 8pm, fans would not be able to get a train home that night.

And both TPE and Avanti are warning travel will be severly disrupted on Friday. An Avanti West Coast representative said: “We’re advising customers not to travel north of Preston or on our North Wales route on Friday, January 24, due to the expected disruption by Storm Éowyn.”

A TransPennie Express spokesperson added: “The Met Office has issued multiple weather warnings for high winds across the UK on Friday, January 24. The arrival of Storm Eowyn is expected to cause widespread disruption across the rail network.

“Due to predicted gale-force winds across the North of England and Scotland brought by Storm Eowyn, we are urging customers not to travel between the following locations on Friday, January 24.”

Network Rail have defended the decision to close a huge section of the railway. Their Industry Weather Response Director Lisa Angus said: “The decision to close parts of the railway is never one that we take lightly, but the safety of passengers and our staff is our top priority.

“We have been preparing for the severe impacts of Storm Éowyn all weeko and will have scores of workers ready to deal with any incidents which occur, such as flash flooding or fallen trees and other items blocking the tracks.

“We ask residents living by the railway to tie down loose garden items, like trampolines or gazebos, which pose a risk of blowing onto the railway and could cause further unnecessary delays for passengers and freight services.”

Around 3,768 Rangers fans are expected to be inside Old Trafford for Thursday’s game. Meanwhile, a further 2,000 ticketless fans are expected to attend a special screening of the match at a fan zone, with thousands more expected to descend on the city.

Ahead of the game, they have been enjoying themselves in Manchester’s city centre. Pictures show fans drinking beer, letting off flares and chanting, while being closely watched by officers from Greater Manchester Police.

Rangers have not beaten English opposition away from Ibrox since defeating Leeds in the Champions League qualifiers back in 1992. They currently sit just behind United in the Europa League table, with boss Phillipe Clement keen to end his side’s long drought.

“I am only busy with getting the best out of the team and trying to win every game. They all love to play football and we put our hunger in every single game. This game is massive and one we are looking forward to,” he said.

“This is another big challenge, all the spotlights are on them and the club. It is a massive opportunity to play teams of this size, with the budget they have and top-quality players. We know what to expect.

“But we have to focus on ourselves and not the noise around Manchester United. We need to show our qualities and get the best out of each other. It has been a long time since Rangers won in England, so we have to go for the challenge.”

The official programme cover for Manchester United v Rangers has been revealed, and it is paying tribute to ‘The King’, Denis Law. As well as the cover, there will be special features inside dedicated to the Manchester United and Scotland legend. Copies will be available at Old Trafford on matchday or online.

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