Rangers icon Derek Johnstone relives moment Brondby thugs set on older Gers fans in VIP areas in call for Uefa sanctions
RANGERS legend Derek Johnstone has hit out at Brondby's thugs after revealing he was caught up in trouble which flared as Danish hooligans set upon Gers fans in a VIP area of the Brondby Stadium.
The 1972 European Cup Winners' Cup winner with the Gers has called for Uefa sanctions to be put on the Danish side, after calling the incident the WORST he has seen following the club on the continent.
The Ibrox men drew the match 1-1 on the night - but there were a number of ugly scenes before and after the match with police making a total of four arrests.
Police blamed Gers fans 'without regulated tickets' for exchanges before kick off which saw them draw their batons and use them.
But many fans claimed that they were victim of heavy-handed treatment from the Danish riot police with only TWO turnstiles open to accommodate Gers fans.
Pictures showed Brondby hooligans causing chaos in the stands before the match and Johnstone claimed that around two dozen had entered an area housing 120 Rangers VIP fans, many of them older, and started "smashing everyone in front of them".
He told Go Radio: "It was frightening - these people just came from nowhere and started smashing everyone in front of them.
We were in the city and having a coffee in the city in the afternoon and Copenhagen is unbelievable - they are lovely, lovely people to talk to then you go to a football stadium and all of a sudden you have got them in front of you, absolute animals they were on the night.
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"By the time the police came they had all gone down the exit and out the front door.
"It was frightening. I have never really been frightened going to football but at that moment in time I just wanted to get out of there and get away on the plane.
"And a lot of people felt the same way.
"We have read and heard about outside the ground they were waiting on the Rangers fans coming out.
"You wonder where the police are. Rangers spoke to the Uefa official, because he was outside watching it, and that will be reported no doubt about it. There's no doubt sanctions will be taken against the club.
"The majority of the fans for 90 minutes were really good, but there was just this small element which is ruining the reputation of this football club.
"Never mind if it was VIP fans or not, you have to ban them from the ground, make them play behind closed doors. They can fine them all they like and it won't stop, the only way it will stop is by not allowing them in the stadium.
"There were maybe two dozen of them but they were all big lads who knew how to fight.
"There is no doubt in my mind it was organised, because they knew where people were sitting and things like that.
"I know there was more trouble outside too - the Rangers fans are penned in behind the goal. There are a lot of them [Brondby fans] who hang back and that is when the trouble starts.
UGLY SCENES Brondby fans charge at Rangers supporters prior to Europa League tie after tense stand-off with Danish riot polic
"The police were there for that but there was none where we were at the start. And it is probably the worst I have seen.
"I was shaking for the start. I can't believe I was doing it but that is how frightened I was.
"I was sitting in the row behind where it finished, they were down maybe ten rows just hitting eveyrbody. Had I been sitting two rows behind then I would have been involved in it.
"And a lot more of the VIPs would have been as well.
"There were people injured, some of them had cuts on their eyes and stuff.
"You are talking about older men. People say you shouldn't fight back but sorry, if you are being hit you need to try to defend yourself.
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"That is what all the lads tried to do. Eventually the more they fought back they started to retreat a little bit and when they saw the police came in they just sprinted out the door."
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