What a diverse line-up of Irish followers the red army can muster. On a single flight from Dublin to Gerona airport outside Barcelona last week, a head count numbered Mr Johnny Rohan of Treasury Holdings, ICTU general secretary, Mr Peter Cassells, Mr Noel Murphy of the IRFU and GAA stalwart Mr Colm O'Rourke among those bound for the Nou Camp and Manchester United's clash with Bayern Munich.

But it was another member of the Irish contingent whose expertise could have proved most useful. Dublin's erstwhile Garda chief turned Dunnes Stores security supremo, Tom King, might have been able to offer some advice to his former Spanish police counterparts whose concepts of crowd control have clearly not been influenced by the experiences of Hillsborough or Heysel.