Thousands of English fans pack Moscow bars

There are many people in Russia who dislike Roman Abramovich, but yesterday afternoon was probably the first time that obscene songs about the Russian billionaire rang out over central Moscow. Thousands of Manchester United fans packed bars around Red Square and the Tverskaya thoroughfare, glugging down Baltika beer and singing chants in support of their side and less favourable songs about Chelsea's Russian owner.

Chelsea's fans were also present in abundance in Moscow, as the English invasion that has been anticipated with excitement and not a little fear became a reality. Dozens of planes of Manchester United and Chelsea fans touched down at three Moscow airports yesterday, with more than 40,000 from the two clubs present in the Russian capital. Some supporters were bussed straight to fan areas around the ground, while others took the opportunity to see the sights of central Moscow, and start drinking.

The Russian newspaper Izvestia offered its readers a set of English phrases to use if they were confronted with a genuine British hooligan. They included: "Sir, don't piss on the grass, please. Pushkin and Dostoyevsky used to walk here."

Russian police, patrolling the area around Red Square in Moscow and the Luzhniki stadium in the south-west of the city, had also been given a phrasebook. The authorities had found 300 English-speaking police, who were stationed around the stadium. For the rest, a guide was issued containing useful phrases, such as "What is your name?" and other "useful phrases" including, "Which mobile phone lost you", "There it is behind the building", and the frankly bemusing "You should go straight on, then turn left, then after 23rd building turn right".

But the police on Red Square seemed to have learnt enough English to take offence at a set of Manchester United fans wielding a huge St George's flag with "Red Army" on it. They were politely told by police not to pose for photos with the flag in front of St Basil's Cathedral – there's only one Red Army allowed on Red Square, and it's not the one from Old Trafford.

On the whole, however, the police were in a co-operative mood, doing their best to point fans in the direction of Red Square, the Luzhniki stadium and McDonald's. Most British fans said they had not encountered any problems and had been treated well. Before the match, a spokesman for the British embassy said there had been "one or two very minor incidents" on Tuesday night, but that on the whole everyone was behaving well.

Last night's game was also notable for being the only time when British police, flown in to patrol with their Russian counterparts, are likely to be in the same place as Andrei Lugovoi in the near future. The man, who British authorities want to speak to regarding the murder of Alexander Litvinenko in London, said that he planned to attend the game and would be supporting Chelsea. Mr Lugovoi, who is now a member of the Russian parliament, said he wished that British police were as co-operative over the Litvinenko affair as they had been over the organisation of the football match, and called on Britain to apologise to him.

The authorities reported that several touts selling tickets over the internet had been arrested over the past few days, but outside the ground tickets were being sold for £250 in the hours before the match.

The city's hotels were full to bursting point with fans of the two teams. The Izmailovo complex in northern Moscow, a set of four basic hotels built for the Moscow Olympics in 1980, was mainly occupied by Manchester United fans. A hotel employee said that fans were consuming vast amounts of beer in the bars and cafes but almost none were buying any of the Russian food on offer.

The Chelsea team was staying at the plush Ritz Carlton, while a bevy of WAGs and sports journalists were based at the Korston Hotel in south Moscow, not too far from the stadium. The Korston boasts a giant casino and a strip club.

Mr Abramovich was expected to throw a lavish party for his players and staff regardless of last night's result although his spokesman refused to give details of any of the plans. Manchester United also had a party planned.

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