Champions League, the hangover.
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.