Champions League Final 2007 Athens May 23rd Offical Thread

[maddog]

Was having a few beers with a mate watching the game and a mate of his texted him 20 mins before kick off to say the cops were saying the ground was full and wouldnt let people with genuine tickets in. He tried to have a word with a cop and got tear gassed for his trouble. Then they let them in.
Had a tenner on Inzaghi at 8's

[Syd]

I only saw the last 35 minutes as i had a hurling match last night. But it all sounds familiar, being on top and not scoring, how many times have we heard that? We are just missing a bit of guile and top quality upfront, this is news to nobody so they will have to get the cash out in the summer. As for that bastard Kewell, he should be shot with a pound of his own shite, all he did was dive and pull out of tackles. I think he put in a half arsed tackle, lost it and Milan scored their 2nd goal. I found it all a bit familiar as well today on Sky Sports listening to all the whining scousers, i have no doubt some of the oraganisation at the stadium was brutal but to just charge into the stadium with no tickets was a bit much, do they not remember Hillsborough? Unfortunately with Scousers it is always someone elses fault.

[High Catch]

Syd, im sure they do remember Hillsborough. 

If the authorites hadn't have let the ones with fake tickets into the stadium in the first place then there would have been no pushing from the fans with the real tickets.

[shotstopper1]

From BBC website


Uefa blames Reds fans for chaos 

Liverpool fans with tickets were turned away from the stadium
Uefa has blamed Liverpool fans for the problems before Wednesday's Champions League final against AC Milan.
Riot police in Athens used tear gas and batons outside the Olympic Stadium as fans were turned away because they were told the stadium was already full.

Uefa spokesman William Gaillard said: "The behaviour of the Liverpool fans is in the end responsible for the problems that took place before the game."

The British Embassy in Athens vowed to take up the matter.


Interview: Uefa spokesman William Gaillard

606: DEBATE
Who was to blame for the problems? 

The game ended in a 2-1 defeat for Liverpool at the hands of Italian side AC Milan, but many Liverpool fans with tickets did not get to see the game.

Disorder broke out before kick-off when fans were held back because of congestion outside the ground.

Police told fans going through the penultimate checkpoint to slow down or even stop moving, then riot police formed a line to stop other fans joining queues to move through the checkpoint.

The Milan supporters didn't face the same problems because they didn't behave in the same way

Uefa spokesman William Gaillard

They were then told they would not be allowed in as the ground was full because fans with forged tickets, or without tickets at all, had managed to get past security.

Gaillard told BBC Radio Five Live: "The behaviour of the supporters before the game made it extremely difficult for the police who didn't want to use brutal methods and they have to be praised for that.

"To control the fact that so many fake tickets were around as we warned but this was all done in Britain."

Former Conservative leader Michael Howard was at the game and he said: "I didn't think the match should have been held at the stadium.

"It's not a football stadium and is not equipped to cope with that number of people.

"Ticket checks were a joke. Many people with valid tickets were not allowed in.

"That is not acceptable and Uefa really need to look at their procedures and make sure everything is all in order.

"As far as I'm aware no-one was hurt, and that's a mercy, but it's no thanks to the Greek authorities, and I'm afraid there was a large measure of incompetence."

But Gaillard responded: "It is very easy to say it is not a suitable stadium, coming from the man that invented the poll tax.

"The Milan supporters didn't face the same problems because they didn't behave in the same way.

"The kind of pushing that was going on and the attempts to jump over barriers - imagine if we had turnstiles, we could have had a tragedy.

"More than three hours before the game there were incidents at the Liverpool end with people trying to get in either with fake tickets or jumping over the barriers.

"It is obvious that at one point the police felt overwhelmed and it is much to their credit there were no dangerous incidents.

"I am very sorry for what happened to fans who had regular tickets but at the same time there is a collective responsibility in terms of behaviour.

"This area was all for Liverpool fans and the bulk were obviously extremely honest people who had got tickets in the right way and observed the rules.

"But unfortunately because of a minority who did not they found themselves in a very uncomfortable and unpleasant position."

Gaillard defended Uefa against any responsibility for the problems, adding: "The only responsibility we could have is that we did not choose a stadium with 250,000 seats, but unfortunately they do not exist."

[Norf Tyrone]

I only saw the last 35 minutes as i had a hurling match last night. But it all sounds familiar, being on top and not scoring, how many times have we heard that? We are just missing a bit of guile and top quality upfront, this is news to nobody so they will have to get the cash out in the summer. As for that bastard Kewell, he should be shot with a pound of his own shite, all he did was dive and pull out of tackles. I think he put in a half arsed tackle, lost it and Milan scored their 2nd goal. I found it all a bit familiar as well today on Sky Sports listening to all the whining scousers, i have no doubt some of the oraganisation at the stadium was brutal but to just charge into the stadium with no tickets was a bit much, do they not remember Hillsborough? Unfortunately with Scousers it is always someone elses fault.

! !


Syd I don't know what's wrong with you today, but I agre with the last statement! At the same time I hope the media pick up on the tones of Guillard's comments which are general and sweeping, and dangerous.

This is the same man who called José the 'enemy of football' prior to his dsciplinary case therefore prejudicing the case or what!

[Syd]

Syd, im sure they do remember Hillsborough. 

If the authorites hadn't have let the ones with fake tickets into the stadium in the first place then there would have been no pushing from the fans with the real tickets.

I ahve no doubt there was blame on both sides but to come onto the TV with the usual scouse persecution mentality is a bit hard to take.

[full back]

Good 'oul Slim. He has been away for a month - comes back, doesnt read the posting rules & gets nailed for it!!

Have to say the Scousers did have the lions share of the play, but as has been the case for quite a while they have no cutting edge up front. No point in having the best chances if you cant put them away.
Defence was steady as per usual, but Carragher looked dead on his feet in the last 10/15 & was playing Inzaghi on for the second goal.
Pennant got plenty of the ball & fired in crosses, but they were to no one in particular, maybe because of the lack of support for Kuyt.
Holy fcuk, how does Bolo Zenden continually get on that team? What a dud. Djimi got his medal 2 years ago & is a sh1te player but Zendon makes him look like f**king Pele.
As for 'Arry fcukin Kewell Pure sh1te, all he did when he came on was dive or lose the ball.
Benitez waited far too long before throwing on Crouch, but to be honest it is one of the few times his tactics in Europe has let him down.
Overall, the 'Pool are still a few short out wide & up front. If they get the big kitty during the Summer they have a chance of challenging for the title next season.

[Norf Tyrone]

Apparently Liverpool are being sponsored by AIG next season......

Ain't Inzaghi Great 

What's Olivia Newton John and Liverpool got in common?
Both got ****** in Greece :-)

[T Fearon]

How dare anyone blame Liverpool fans for causing trouble. Don't you know rightly it was the fault of the Police as usual. Cue another book,film,play and campaign for justice from the Mersey mopes. I was in Glasgow last week for the UEFA Cup Final and the behaviour of the Spanish fans from both teams and the Glaswegians (including the local Police) was exemplary, I witnessed not one hint of trouble either in the City Centre or the stadium itself

On a further note, is there anything to beat the feeling of seeing English teams getting duffed in Champions League Finals

[maddog]

How dare anyone blame Liverpool fans for causing trouble. Don't you know rightly it was the fault of the Police as usual. Cue another book,film,play and campaign for justice from the Mersey mopes. I was in Glasgow last week for the UEFA Cup Final and the behaviour of the Spanish fans from both teams and the Glaswegians (including the local Police) was exemplary, I witnessed not one hint of trouble either in the City Centre or the stadium itself

On a further note, is there anything to beat the feeling of seeing English teams getting duffed in Champions League Finals

or getting duffed in that other mickey mouse competition. What's it called again?

[man in black]

In fairness, I think Slim breached all of the topics mentioned in the posting standards with that one

In fairness, Slim should have gone ages ago for his frequent abusive tone. Well done admin.

[magpie seanie]

Slim was not the worst though. Far worse has been posted than what he was banned for.

[The Real SlimShady]

Correct Seanie, why hasn't anyone else been banned for mentioning Hillsborough?

[AZOffaly]

Not since the rules were posted Seanie. This thread, and the United one, has been fairly well behaved since then.

[The Real SlimShady]

How dare anyone blame Liverpool fans for causing trouble. Don't you know rightly it was the fault of the Police as usual. Cue another book,film,play and campaign for justice from the Mersey mopes. I was in Glasgow last week for the UEFA Cup Final and the behaviour of the Spanish fans from both teams and the Glaswegians (including the local Police) was exemplary, I witnessed not one hint of trouble either in the City Centre or the stadium itself

On a further note, is there anything to beat the feeling of seeing English teams getting duffed in Champions League Finals

and what of this?