As the last of the daytrippers finally make their weary way home, 2 days late, the hangover has kicked in.

Some of the gracious fans congratulate AC Milan on a victory, probably as undeserved as ours in 2005. The less so, point out Ancelotti’s unkind remarks, the constant diving and cheating, and the ref had a shocker.

But for once the match has taken a back seat, and its not just a case of Liverpool fans looking for diversions.

The fact remains that UEFA failed in its single most important task: Making a Champions’ League Final special for the fans. The customers. The base that provides the atmosphere, the colour, the noise, the money for its very exsistence!

Not only was the Olympic Stadium unfit to host a football match of any size, never mind one of this magnitude, it failed to provide facilities, food, shelter, basic toilets and proper stewarding.

The Greeks must also hold their hands up and say that yes they failed in handling the volume of fans they must have surely known would come through their airport, and though they were friendly and welcoming, the facilities at the Fan Zone, and the Airport were just short of disgraceful.

I didn’t visit the square but by all accounts, it was the first time Macdonalds has been so welcomed by Liverpool fans. They had the only toilets for all the visiting fans.

The fan zones had no seating. And this was the handling area for everyone on the daytrip with our multicoloured wrist bands. Paying £550 for a plane ticket means I expect to be treated fairly. Not left for 4 hours to sleep on a carpark floor whilst the damp night air sets in.

UEFA claim liverpool fans were badly behaved. Frankly they were lucky a major riot didn’t kick off. The poor fans holding valid tickets travelling that far to be stopped in sight of the match was appalling. Yes we have some scum fans. Yes they probably think they are clever but they are mindless and twats and I have nothing good to say for them. But the fact remains that turnstiles, proper policing, proper ticket checking (how does a boarding card even begin to resemble a match ticket - can you imagine trying that on at Anfield!), and proper stewarding. Not a laissez-faire attitude that allows the aisles of the stadium to fill with fans, preventing easy exit, not one that at the last minute bars proper fans from entering.

I’m not some naive newbie to match-going. I’ll wait for hours for a bus to an airport, I’ve put up with cold and long waiting hours. But some facts still remain.

1. the stewarding, access points and policing of the entrances and ticket checks were not good enough. Sure some Liverpool fans tried to blag in. But if these measures had been put in place, then the real fans could and would have got in.

2. UEFA in blaming Liverpool fans, has deflected neatly its failure once again to treat the real fan, the one person that actually pays to get in, with any degree of respect. For Christ sake, we are the ones paying for this thing and we get the very worst of treatment. Where else in the whole world of business (for business is what football truly is these days) would the paying customer be treated the worst ?

3. the Greek Airport Authorities did not have the infrastructure nor the staffing nor the provisions to cope with the volume of people coming through their airport. The flights back and handling area there were farcical. Utter nonsense. And at time dangerous.

4. Once again, Liverpool fans, were given the short straw. The buses, not the trains that enabled the smaller numbers of Milan fans to travel quickly and easily to the main terminal where shelter, food and so on was available. We were made to wait in a cold carpark for buses, then arrived like cattle at a tennis court sized area for 4,000 at least. it was literally every man for himself, flights with the wrong people on board, flights leaving without telling anyone, reps leaving fans to fight for themselves. Unbelievable.

5. Uefa’s initial ticketing policy showed where its true heart lay. Not with the fan. But the fat cats.

And now we’re home. safe and grubby and with some fond memories. the Greek’s were friendly, er, that’s it actually…

Liverpool FC should speak to someone. But they won’t. Nor will UEFA take any notice. Because once again of course it was the fault of the Liverpool fan. Shame on ruining a great day out.

Dear Mr Platini

Your technical director has blamed a section of Liverpool fans for the tear gas, crushing and barring of genuine ticket holders from last night’s Champions’ League Final.

I have some questions for you as a champion of football and surely someone who supports the love of the game from the point of view of the supporter.

1. Why is it Liverpool fans’ fault that many of them with genuine tickets couldn’t get in. Yes there were forgeries around but when I entered the ground my ticket was scanned 3 times and ripped a bit and scrutinised. Surely the stewards should have checked more carefully.

2. Ah you may say, but there were many hundreds of fans trying to get in and we couldn’t cope.

Well its UEFA’s job to cope. i have been to many many games in Britain and never once, even a few minutes before kick off, has the hundreds of fans been crushed, tear gassed and harrassed nor have the stewards neglected their duty and allowed any old fan in.

3. Why were the stewards inside the ground unable to control the fans and where they sat ? Why didn’t they check the tickets ? Manage the seating ? Why were the aisles full of fans. I had about 4 people trying to sit on my own seat.

4. Why, on a general note, was the Greek FA given the final when their infrastructure was patently incapable of handling a game of this magnitude. You may not have noticed, from your hospitality suite, but this is my day in locations.

Plane to Greece,

Bus to holding area (shed)

Bus from shed to stadium. No signs, no notices, no guides. walked to guess what:

A holding area.

A holding area with expensive food, no seating, and if it weren’t for the sponsors’ activities, nothing to do. This was called the Fans Zone. It was appalling.

then from there to the gates, to be held outside in…. a holding area!

Into the game, badly managed, out, and told to sit for 4 hours in the cold damp night air in the holding area with nothing to keep us warm, no information and a sleep on a concrete floor.

Then a bus. To the airport…HOLDING AREA. Where there were literally thousands of Liverpool fans herded into two rooms about the size of a tennis court with no control. We were left to our own devices and why no-one has been run over by loading buses, or trampled, or left behind (oh wait they have) is a minor miracle. UEFA knew Liverpool would bring the most fans but Milan get the train, the main terminal and better treatment.

I paid over £600 for one match and I was treated like some cattle. It is appalling and the Greek authorities were not ready, were not capable and not prepared to host the event. And for UEFA to blame a small minority of Liverpool fans for the violence and the general mis-management of the event is an insult to a set of fans who put up with more than they resonably should.

Any other event like this and the repercussions would have been massive.

It is a crying shame and you should do something about it. Shame on UEFA.

yours

Michael Hines

With more changes than a bus trip to Athens from Lime St, Liverpoo featuring some of the 2001 team (Sami, Robbie), some players who last played in 1934 (Harry) and some brand new players hired off the street (El Paz anyone ? El Lo ?) Liverpool missed several good chances to win this game. Bellamy, chief amongst culprits, played well with Fowler as he always does, but missed some blinders.

Fowler got booked as did Arblydolyarblydoa and there were 2 halves. Apart from that, some other things happened and Papa Dioup got sent off for being having a daft name.

18 days left, luckily Finnan came through unscathed but frankly a midfield start-up of Pennant, Alonso, Momo and Gonzalez should’ve done a lot better, roll on Greece. Or at least Charlton next week - playing at home ought to wake up some players.

PS Kewell did ok by all accounts and wasn’t injured. Early days mind, early days.

So we’re off to Greece. Grease round me ma to see if she’ll lend us a quid to head off to Athens. For a Champions League Final.

Champions of what?

Champions of restraint, of quiet, of grace, of doing not talking, of recognising the opponent’s current strength. not degrading them through their glorious history.

Champions of playing, not cheating; of using one’s natural and fabulous football skills for the beauty of the game, not the desperation of needing attention.

Champions of playing to win, not playing that the “End justifies the means”. It doesn’t and for once, the good guy won.

Won - nil. That’s a good way of pointing out the real aftermath of Tuesday’s wrestling match. We won the right to be who we are. Nil - the respect earnt by Drogba’s antic’s, Jose’s wabbling tosh, Joe’s histrionics, oh and we had a crowd full of paid for banners.

PS Hope we’ve found the sniper who kept shooting at Drogba the entire match, he went down like he’d taken 29 bullets.