Fans and brands lap up Manchester football fever
Thousands of football fans are basking in the Manchester sunshine ahead of tonight’s Uefa Cup final, and brands are doing their bit to keep the masses entertained.
It’s estimated over 100,000 supporters of Rangers and Zenit have arrived in Manchester, and with many ticketless, they have set up camp in designated fan zones throughout the city centre.
Carlsberg’s branding has dominated the fan zones, with giant tankers of the lager well placed to quench the supporters’ seemingly insatiable thirst for beer. The three specially designated zones are surrounded by temporary Carlsberg bars and feature giant screens on which a vast majority of fans will watch tonight's match.
Rangers' fans setting up camp in the city centre
The Manchester Evening News welcomed the travelling hordes to the city with special messages for each set of supporters on its front page.
The paper greeted Rangers’ fans with ‘Hullawrerr The Bears’ (‘hello there, Rangers’) and the Russian supporters also received a ‘welcome Zenit’ message in their native tongue.
With the vast bulk of the football supporters who have arrived in the city being fans of Rangers, Scottish brands have also enjoyed a noticeable presence.
The Scottish Sun gave away free copies on the streets of Manchester this morning and Irn-Bru was also spotted handing out free cans. The Daily Record has also had an increased presence in the city.