Naisy warns of hostile night in heat of Athens

THE last time Rangers faced Panathinaikos in Athens, Steven Naismith had to sprint up the tunnel to avoid being hit by coins and glass bottles.

- By Scott McDermott

And that was just in the warm-up.

As a wet-behind-the-ears 21-year-old, Naismith was blown away by the atmosphere at the Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium.

There were only 14,452 inside the ground that night in February 2008 as Walter Smith’s side drew 1-1 to progress in the UEFA Cup.

It was the start of their memorable run to the final in Manchester, which ended in defeat to Zenit St Petersburg.

Now, 17 years on, the Gers are gearing up to take on the Greens again — this time in a Champions League qualifier next month.

This second leg will be played at the Olympic Stadium in Athens, which will house just short of 70,000 fanatical fans.