It's not very often you get the opportunity to sample a Rangers end on a European night but I've been fortunate to be part of two wonderful evenings in this season's Europa League.

Like in Malmo, what unfolded on the pitch at the Allianz Riviera was fantastic and it was a joy to be amongst the Rangers supporters who had made the journey to Nice for a truly memorable experience.

And while Philippe Clement's men had us all in raptures it was in stark contrast to the police behaviour encountered prior to kick-off.

As instructed, the travelling support congregated in a vast car park several hours before the match with buses laid on to escort everyone to the ground. The mood was upbeat and jovial and it was terrific to mingle with so many fans.

As time wore on, we were herded towards a gate which would open to allow the fans to board the buses. There was a wait before the transport turned up with many fans squeezed together before bottlenecking through. This in itself felt unsafe, particularly given there were several children in amongst the crowd.

What was to unfold shortly afterwards was French policing at its ugliest. As the buses drove underneath the stadium before allowing the fans to depart, we were greeted by lines of police dressed head to toe in black body armour armed with batons, riot shields and dogs.

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We were kettled into a narrow passageway to be met by the Robocops who proceeded to posture towards us, crushing some fans in the process. It felt dangerous and completely unnecessary.

Directly in front of me, a man was dragged out of the crowd by two officers who proceeded to pin him up against the wall violently, twisting his arm and forcibly searching him, much to the dismay of his young son who was visibly shaken and concerned at this horrifying spectacle.

He was treated like a hooligan and in no uncertain terms deserved to be manhandled and forcibly frisked in the way he was.

In the heat of the moment, it very much felt as if the police were spoiling for trouble needed to give justification to use force - so it was a welcome relief to make our way up the stairs and into the concourse.

Afterwards, as expected, we were kept within the stadium for some time after the full-time whistle. Again, we were directed towards one exit which was blocked by several police officers. The instruction was to allow small pockets to enter which, again, created a bottleneck and some crushing. Once more, it seemed all very unnecessary.

The magnificent display on the pitch is what will rightly make all the headlines, however, this standard of policing simply cannot go unchallenged. Rangers should seek an explanation for what the fanbase was subjected to. 

A police presence is understandable at football matches but the actions of the officers created an unnecessarily volatile situation which could've turned nasty had it not been for the restraint of the Rangers fans.

Those in attendance were a credit to the football club but the supporters deserve an apology at the very least for having the misfortune to encounter such an unpleasant experience. We keep being told that the fans are the lifeblood of the game. It's about time authorities on this continent backed this rhetoric with their behaviour and make sure away trips are safe.

This was a group in high spirits, simply out for a good time and to watch their beloved football team. It shames UEFA they were treated so poorly.