Rangers fans facing potential travel chaos in Belgium as Bruges mayor calls for help from Scots police
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BRUGES' mayor Dirk De Fauw has revealed he expects a large invasion of Rangers fans for the Champions League showdown this month.
And he is hoping Scottish police will travel to his city to assist their counterparts for the second leg - due to a shortage of BUSES.
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The Jan Breydel Stadium, home of Club Brugge
Credit: Reuters
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The main square in Bruges, Market Square
Credit: Getty - Contributor
Rangers face Club Brugge in a £40million play-off with a place in the lucrative league stage of the Champions League at stake.
But the Belgian city's mayor seems concerned at the prospect of thousands of Rangers supporters arriving in West Flanders.
And he's revealed his plan to ask Scottish police for help.
De Fauw said: "The Scots will receive 1,500 tickets but we are very aware they travel in much larger numbers.
"Several of our local police officers will be going to the first leg in Glasgow next week. They'll be making the necessary contacts with the local police there and asking if some of them can come with us on August 27th because they know the supporters.
"That's always an advantage.
"There's a regulation stating that you're not allowed near the football stadium if you don't have a valid ticket. It's better if those supporters without tickets are spread out in the city centre and not all congregate near the stadium."
And the city also has an unusual problem when it comes to transporting Rangers fans to the game - they have run out of buses.
The mayor explained: "It's not as simple as just organising buses.
"During previous European football matches, those buses were badly damaged by supporters and now the bus companies no longer want to assist us.
Rangers players look terrified and exposed under Russell Martin
"So I have asked them to use their oldest buses if necessary, so the transfers can take place because it's far too labour-intensive for the police to march in a procession with 1,500 supporters to the stadium.
"It's quite a trek and there's also a risk of vandalism along the way."
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