Fans forced to go to Moscow "Gulags". No alcohol...

[Iceman]

How the hell can they (UEFA & The Russians) treat CFC and Macs fans like that. esp, when the trip is costing pretty much a £1000 per person (which most can pretty much ill-afford), for pretty much sitting in jail for 8 hours!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/a ... to=newsnow

Think there will be carnage if the above is true...

[bennyboy1976]

What about the people that are there until friday, how they going to ship them straight back to the airport after the game.

[coco]

What about the people that are there until friday, how they going to ship them straight back to the airport after the game.

Its only for those that are flying back on the night.

[Enrico]

Hehe, 'even for a bunch of penguins'.

[BLUENUT]

They did the same thing in Belgium when we first qualified for Europe a few years back.

They kept Chelsea fans their all night with no food or drink and it was freezing. Standing in nothing more than a cattle pen.

I was lucky enough not to be carted away to 'the pen' but was told about it on the ferry on the way home. Apparently the police started spraying water at some |Chelsea fans who got a bit rowdy after being locked up all night for no more than being English.

Chelsea fans relatiated and the old bill really didn't know what sort of bee's nest they'd poked a stick at.

Chelsea fans legging it across a field at dawn, arms aloft because of the platstic hands-cuffs and the old bill left with a smashed up cattle pen would have been a sight for sore eyes.

We were treated like f*cking animals!

[bjd]

first things first, its the daily mail.

i saw this the other day too.

Moscow confident of final success

For days, the British media has been filled with doom laden stories about what a disaster the UEFA Champions League final in Moscow on 21 May is going to be. Even the BBC has not been immune.

To believe the reports, thousands of British fans face a series of seemingly insurmountable hurdles to getting to the match.

Visas will not be issued in time, there will be no flights available, Moscow hotels are full, and prices are astronomic.

As it turns out, Moscow does actually have a plan.

This being the biggest sporting event to hit the Russian capital since the 1980 Olympics, officials here have been putting quite a bit of thought in to how to get 50,000 football fans in and out of the city quickly, safely and reasonably cheaply.

The man in charge of that plan is Alexei Sorokin, project manager at Moscow City Council's international department.

He is young, speaks fluent English with a vaguely Canadian accent, and he is supremely confident that his plan will work.

We want English fans to come here and enjoy Moscow

Mr Sorokin expects more than 90% of the English fans coming to Moscow to do so as a day trip.

They will fly in from the UK on charter flights in the morning, be met by a fleet of more than 900 buses at their designated airports, and taken directly to the Luzhniki sports complex in the heart of the capital.

Once there, Mr Sorokin says they will find restaurants, bars, and entertainment of all sorts. "It will be a festival of sports," he adds.

Once the match is over, the fans will return to their buses and be taken straight back to the airports to board their charter flights on a first come, first board basis.

"We want English fans to come here and enjoy Moscow," he says. "But there are simply not enough hotel places for everyone to stay, so it's better we do it this way."

Logistical headache

One cannot help feeling the other advantage from Moscow's point of view is that putting the fans straight back on their charter flights will avoid any possibility of groups of drunken fans stumbling around Moscow all night, and getting in to trouble.

Russian police say they are prepared for the invasion of British football fans

The one big issue that remains is visas. Even there Mr Sorokin is optimistic.

"I hope that in the next few days we can announce a new plan to make it even more simple for English fans," he says.

The plan, which has not yet been approved by the Kremlin, is that those with a ticket in their name will not need to get a visa. The ticket will, in effect, become the visa.

It all sounds wonderful in theory. But to pull off Mr Sorokin's plan will be a huge logistical operation.

It will require a fleet of at least 250 aircraft, nearly a thousand buses, and a great deal of good luck.

[coco]

It's going to be very tight security around the complex, its a bit like Cardiffs Millenium stadium in the way the river runs around half of the ground, you can see why the build these stadiums next to rivers, makes security easier.

e2a: Tha stadium is approx 6.6 miles from Red Square.

[glory55]

I hope this isn't true.

[glory55]

They did the same thing in Belgium when we first qualified for Europe a few years back.

They kept Chelsea fans their all night with no food or drink and it was freezing. Standing in nothing more than a cattle pen.

I was lucky enough not to be carted away to 'the pen' but was told about it on the ferry on the way home. Apparently the police started spraying water at some |Chelsea fans who got a bit rowdy after being locked up all night for no more than being English.

Chelsea fans relatiated and the old bill really didn't know what sort of bee's nest they'd poked a stick at.

Chelsea fans legging it across a field at dawn, arms aloft because of the platstic hands-cuffs and the old bill left with a smashed up cattle pen would have been a sight for sore eyes.

We were treated like f*cking animals!

In Bruges??

My dad was given the same treatment.

I hope the media hacks get the same treatment,that would be fun!!

[loz]

I heard this being discussed on the radio today and the point that was being made (whether it is true or not is another matter) is that the main motivation for doing this is because there local police think that traveling fans are at risk from the local thugs rather than there being a perceived risk from the traveling fans.

If this is the case it does beg the question that if this is the only way the local authorities feel they can ensure the safety of traveling fans then why was the venue ever selected in the first place.

[Alan]

I hope this isn't true.

Same. I'm not too bothered if there isn't any alcohol in the fan parks, I just hope that it's spacious and we arent herded like cattle. I wish UEFA would release pictures or something of what the fan park looks like. They make it sound like it's pretty big but UEFA corrupt and incompetent so who knows.

[BLUENUT]

They did the same thing in Belgium when we first qualified for Europe a few years back.

They kept Chelsea fans their all night with no food or drink and it was freezing. Standing in nothing more than a cattle pen.

I was lucky enough not to be carted away to 'the pen' but was told about it on the ferry on the way home. Apparently the police started spraying water at some |Chelsea fans who got a bit rowdy after being locked up all night for no more than being English.

Chelsea fans relatiated and the old bill really didn't know what sort of bee's nest they'd poked a stick at.

Chelsea fans legging it across a field at dawn, arms aloft because of the platstic hands-cuffs and the old bill left with a smashed up cattle pen would have been a sight for sore eyes.

We were treated like f*cking animals!

In Bruges??

My dad was given the same treatment.

I hope the media hacks get the same treatment,that would be fun!!

Thats the one mate!! Talking of media hacks we came back on a ferry with Johnathan Pearce and Alan Mullery working for capital gold at the the time they were appalled by our treatment. They recorded interviews and were one of the only media outlets to voice their disapproval, between Pierce running to the bog to throw up

I haven't been to a Europen away game since. Althought on reflection we were the 1st English club to play in Belgium since Liverpool played 'that game' at the Hysel stadium.

Another thing to thanks the scousers for!

[glory55]

Think we were poorly treated at Zaragoza that year,and of course some years later Marseille.

[Maksimov]

I'm not too bothered if there isn't any alcohol in the fan parks

Say that again when you're there.

I reckon you'll be mighty thirsty on the day!

[Alan]

I'm not that much of an alcoholic

[wicksy]

I'm not that much of an alcoholic

You're an exception then mate.

The tension of such occasions normally makes even lifelong teetotallers feel the need for a skinfull.

[Maksimov]

I'm not that much of an alcoholic

You're an exception then mate.

The tension of such occasions normally makes even lifelong teetotallers feel the need for a skinfull.

Especially when everyone around you seems to attempt to calm their nerves by drowning them senseless!

[Enrico]

I'm not that much of an alcoholic

They might not have Ribena there either.

[just]

Think we were poorly treated at Zaragoza that year,and of course some years later Marseille.

Also Vicenza away in '98. There wasn't a huge number who travelled for that one but we weren't exactly welcomed with open arms by the Italian police.

Anyway, If I go to Moscow I don't want to be bused straight from the airport into some cruddy "fan's park". I want to do what I always do when I travel abroad. Have a look around the city. Try a few bars or a restaurant. Maybe chat to a few of the locals. Have a bit of a laugh and enjoy the experience of being somewhere new. In short, be free to do what I want to do.

Moscow was always a sh*t choice for such a big game. But what else do you expect from UEFA?

[glory55]

When I get off the plane were going to try to get into town,I'm not interested in being f**ked about by a bunch of goons!

If everybody is trying to get away and the police try to heard us up,there could be trouble,dont they realise this??

Maybe they just want to throw their weight around.

I'm certainly glad I dont live in a heavy handed police state like Russia....

.....Oh hold on......(only joking)

Why dont they just let us get on with it??

What sort of a f**king idiot would cause trouble in Russia anyway??

I'm going,I have spent super stupid money,I have waited all my life for this day and i'm going to f**king enjoy it!

[rayc]

"Also Vicenza away in '98. There wasn't a huge number who travelled for that one but we weren't exactly welcomed with open arms by the Italian police."

that was a funny one. they took us out to some place in the mountains straight off the plane. when we got there blokes were making a bolt for it all over the place.

a couple borrowed a 3 wheeled moped that must have been built in 1900.

it was by a lake and some piled into this leaky old row boat and off they went.

it was hilarious.

the O.B. decided to open the bar while they still had some "guests" to look after.

sh*t treatment but we made the best of it.

[just]

"Also Vicenza away in '98. There wasn't a huge number who travelled for that one but we weren't exactly welcomed with open arms by the Italian police."

that was a funny one. they took us out to some place in the mountains straight off the plane. when we got there blokes were making a bolt for it all over the place.

a couple borrowed a 3 wheeled moped that must have been built in 1900.

it was by a lake and some piled into this leaky old row boat and off they went.

it was hilarious.

the O.B. decided to open the bar while they still had some "guests" to look after.

sh*t treatment but we made the best of it.

When we got near the town they closed off a slip road onto the motorway and held the coaches there while the Italian police boarded them with guns on display and everyone had to show their passport and match ticket. Then when we got to the ground the coaches pulled up right outside the turnstiles and once through the gate they were taking people's belts and boot laces off them. And it pissed down all night.

[Maksimov]

The Italian police has to often deal with all sorts of nutters in their domestic matches, so when the notorius English "hooligans" come to town, they're bound to take some pre-emptive measures. Many of them aren't used to handling foreign fans, so they're not taking any chances. Especially with the reputation the English fans have.

[coco]

Those experiences are a long way from a few of mine, most memorably in Munich 2005.

The Beer festivals, singing all day/night in the town with no police audience, friendly hosts, a clean and pleasant city. Barcelona much the same.

Lets hope Moscow will join them ?

[glory55]

Those experiences are a long way from a few of mine, most memorably in Munich 2005.

True never any trouble in Germany....Bremen,Stuttgart,Munich and in Gelsenkirchen (both with England and Chelsea)

But the German Police are really good,they let you have a laugh and dont have a serious attitude problem.

Maksimov,I hear what you are saying.

Some of the violence that occurs in Italy is very serious.

But we shouldn't be judged on a reputation and a myth we should be fairly treated and the Italian,Belgian and French Police have treated our supporters badly in the past.

All they want to do is cause mayhem and crack a few English skulls,cowards in armour....

....and thats a fact.