Istanbul CL Final chaos | City Matters statement (p 133)

Silva top said:
Went to Istanbul. It was like a game of 2 halves. Got the 10.50am Turkish Airlines from Birmingham, Saturday morning . Good flight on time, leaving and arriving. Got through passport control in 5 minutes and directed out of the airport, turned right as instructed and straight onto a coach, seated, which took 70 mins to get to the fan zone.
Then the problems started. The fan zone was just an open shale covered area. People in wheelchairs had difficulty in moving their chairs. Arrived in the Fan Zone at 6.30pm to be told that the beer had all gone and the alternative was a small plastic tub of water at £5 each. A few people said that the beer issue was that the bars had been closed not run out of beer.
Watched the match. Fans were loud and supportive (except for a short time early in the second half) and the result was everything.
Then came the big problems. I watched the lifting of the trophy and then left early to catch a flight from Istanbul international early Sunday morning. There was one small sign and found the bus “stops”. There were only about 100 people at 12.30am. I missed the first bus by one person (who pushed in) and then the trouble started. Fans came by the thousands with no regard to queuing. There was one young lady asking people to go back to the line but there was no line and within seconds it was chaos. No buses turned up even though the lady said there were 120 of them somewhere.
I eventually got on a bus but had to stand the whole time (2 hours + not moving from the car park and then another hour and a half till we arrived at the airport).
UEFA should be ashamed of them selves. They have been running football matches for decades it can’t be that difficult to organise.
People say it is the result that counts and after going to Porto and losing, winning is all that matters. 24 hours later I have forgotten the bad and remember only the winning. I can always say “I was there”.
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Danny Wilson and city along with uefa don't give a flying fcuk about the fans
 
CarlosTevez'sEnglishTutor said:
My dad is a prim and proper chap. He's written a lengthy email and filled out the UEFA survey stating that they are lucky they didn't have any fatalities on their hands. Haha poor bastard still thinks they give a fuck about human life. Keep booing and doing it our way lads.
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I agree with him. That walk back with cars flying past people at 70/80 mph and lads trying to cross these roads could easily have led to a death.
 
Got the metro to and from the game. Absolute doddle - 45 mins each way. Excellent transport system and used it throughout my time in Instanbul including to/from SAW airport.

Utterly baffled why more City fans didn’t have the inclination to do the same and instead spent 3 hours each way on a bus.

Fair enough if you didn’t have a choice but thousands were heading back to Taksim square etc.

Yes UEFA are a shit show and the game shouldn’t have been played in such an obscure location miles out of the city but people do need to take responsibility for not doing their research. From the minute we arrived it was very obvious the metro system was by far the best way to get about.
 
UEFA don't give a shit as long as they get their wedge. Whether it be for dignitaries attending, Concession stands in and around official events or travel operators. They will do eff all unless they are made to look bad on TV. They have shown time and again that they are not about the general football fan just those who have the most money they can garner from.
 
I’m now stuck in terminal 5 Heathrow due to all flights cancelled British airways and UEFA must be the same owners ? Thank god we won but very expensive trip and now an another day off work! No more away trips after 42 years watching the blues , tv for me from now on with a beer and my slippers on! Although I did get metro too and from stadium and that was ok! Felt sorry for bus travellers! Any way going to sleep on floor here
 
1234follow said:
Sportsworld - 32 rows of 6 people x £1080 = £207,360 per flight and then there is no crew available? We missed the flight slot - 1 hr delay - unacceptable but by all accounts that was lucky. Absolutely no reason to take a charter again from the stories I have heard from others. Shame on you sports world.
Took a taxi to sultanahmet 40euros 1.5hrs couldn't face the shuttle.
Accommodation booked myself - wonderful £150 for 2 for 2 nights triple room next to blue mosque. Absolute winner. Glad I didn't get ripped off by sportsworld accommodation package which would have cost me an additional £1000 for 2 nights - unacceptable sports world.please call it ROP (rip off package) rater than VIP package moving forward.
I tried to use fan pass via CL app to take transport to Yenikapı - didn't work. Jumped the barriers and got to Yenikapi 2.30pm. Fan Pass didn't work. Unacceptable UEFA
Drink around the corner 100TL which was selling at 30TL 1 hr previously from corner shop. Acceptable supply and demand IMO and prompt service! 50TL to use hotel toilets - entrepreneurs! acceptable IMO. still cheaper than the fan hub and fan zone and toilet q was much smaller than stadium!
Planned to spend time at Hub before getting coach but q was over 300m so went straight into q - ridiculous.
q 30mins for bus to fan zone and then 2hr transfer. We were lucky. Buses had no air con, no windows, no toilets and a major health and safety issue. Unacceptable UEFA
UEFA checks were appalling / discriminatory and the staff were either untrained or uneducated - unacceptable UEFA.
We sang for over half of the journey and spirits were kept high - again lucky
Fan park - over 1 hr q for food. From 5pm - 7pm you could get heineken from a can for 7euros. unacceptable food q's and prices.
Walk from fan park to stadium and activation of ticket was seamless for us.
Went out at 29mins to get some food in stadium - made it back at 57mins. V lucky. service in stadium a disgrace. minimal staff, minimal food and after waiting 5 mins to pay I gave up and went back to my seat. Unacceptable staffing at stadium. Who cares about the fireworks and pre game performances - was that for the UEFA VIP's?
Then it was ectasy and loved every minute - but that was down to city!
Left after all the team had left the pitch and went to join what I knew would be a q. Absolute carnage. no lighting, no signs, no toilets, no organisation. Surprised there were no injuries.
Gave up and walked down the road for a "toilet break". Realised that the traffic out of car park was extensive so decided that the shuttle was not an option.
Walked down the dirt track, no lighting, no directions until I saw a group of police. Asked the directions for the metro and I was told it was closed by one and then another pointed down the hill. Absolute disgrace. Kept walking and at that point I truly would have walked back to the city. The Uefa buses had a separate exit - disgrace. Walked on further - probably 1km onto the actual motorway where cars were strewn on the hard shoulder. Finally got to a point where I could see the motorway split for city and airport. The airport q was at a standstill and the city route empty. I couldn't cross the motorway to walk to the route to the city. Seriously it doesn't take a genius that you need to have two separate routes out of the car park for each. Unacceptable.
Ended up flagging down a taxi in the middle of the road and paying £100 to take us into the city - sultanahmet . 20mins. Back having a kebab and beer on the table at 2am. V lucky.
Sportsworld flight back on Sunday on the way back was on time. No steps at Manchester airport so extra 15mins. V lucky as I believe that happened to most flights and also there was a lack of buses from flight to airport terminal. Sadly either sports world or the airport hadn't accounted for the disabled passengers who were left on our flight ? awaiting a lift that wasn't ordered? I cannot believe to imagine how difficult this whole experience would have been in a wheel chair. Maybe those issues relate to Manchester airport? Had hand package so no idea how long it took for bags to arrive.
Overall Friday to Sunday in Istanbul was an incredible experience that we will never forget. The actual UEFA organisation + Istanbul as a venue for a CL final was carnage. Buses breaking down / going the wrong way / over 4 hr transfers were common place amongst others / 4 hours to the airport or city post match was common place. Aside the UEFA carnage I I cannot overlook the sports world profiteering and poor organisation either.
Thank god we won and thank god the next two finals are at Wembley and Alliance but you simply cannot host a CL final without infrastructure and in the end that fault rests solely with UEFA. I will definitely would think twice before going on a sports world package again either. As for going back to Istanbul again - absolutely. As for seeing city lifting the trophy - absolutely.
Cost of a private boeing for 300+ people is £15k per hour and crew max £5k with expenses plus Manchester airport fees - sports world? profiteering from city fans? surely Ethiad could have lined up 4 planes going every 2-3 hours Thurs - Sat and back Sun-Monday? and charged the normal rate of £200 - £250 return and still made a profit? God knows how horrific the day trip sports world package for £1k was. As for the shuttles - why - why not just tell everyone how to get onto the train / metro with signage - even if one train is for city and one was for for milan? UEFA have clearly discriminated agents Man City fans by advising not to use the train/metro. As for the busses into the fan zone (if that was required) - close one lane of the motorway just for fans between 5pm - 7pm on game day. After the game separate routes for those going to the airport and those going to the city and again close the motorway to non match traffic when match ends until 2 hours after. Seriously it is not rocket science. UEFA seriously.
Sheikh Mansour you have done so much for this club and we thank you greatly for everything you have done. Paying for our transport to Porto CL final was a massive gesture of good will. Being free the problem with the coaches on the way back was not an issue - On this occasion however the fans have been manipulated. They have paid x4 face value for transport via sports world and been subject to the worst transport imaginable in Istanbul. Yes we have won the CL but we should never go through this farce again. You have the power to escalate this and find a solution. Please help the fans that make this club the club it is. Champions.
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You went to get food at the CL final on 29 minutes having spent all that time and money getting there, and got back to your seat on 57 minutes!

;-)
 
I was on the day trip. Well over two hours on the shuttle bus - airport to stadium - driver was lost - no sat nav!! After the game, waited almost two hours in the gridlocked coach park before I could get on a bus. People having to carry disabled children - couldn't push the specialised buggies over the gravelled uneven terrain. Once on the bus, another two hours still in the coach park - hardly moved. People being sick, older people dangerously dehydrated and unable to stand so they lay on the floor. Arrived at the airport - luckily my 3.30am flight had been held back for over an hour - I was one of the last to board.

Why didn't UEFA ensure that bottles of water were handed out free rather than force people to queue for two hours at the rip-off food outlets in the stadium ? The bus in front broke down - fans having to walk along the edge of a high speed highway in the dark. Madness!!

UEFA - please come and explain yourselves.
 
HarrytheBlue said:
Why didn't UEFA ensure that bottles of water were handed out free rather than force people to queue for two hours at the rip-off food outlets in the stadium ? The bus in front broke down - fans having to walk along the edge of a high speed highway in the dark. Madness!!

UEFA - please come and explain yourselves.
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Because the rip off vendors most likely paid UEFA for the privilege
 
MillsyTheMosher said:
Got the metro to and from the game. Absolute doddle - 45 mins each way. Excellent transport system and used it throughout my time in Instanbul including to/from SAW airport.

Utterly baffled why more City fans didn’t have the inclination to do the same and instead spent 3 hours each way on a bus.

Fair enough if you didn’t have a choice but thousands were heading back to Taksim square etc.

Yes UEFA are a shit show and the game shouldn’t have been played in such an obscure location miles out of the city but people do need to take responsibility for not doing their research. From the minute we arrived it was very obvious the metro system was by far the best way to get about.
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If every one of the fans who fell for the UEFA lies about the buses had 'done their research', the Metro would have been swamped and would not have been able to cope and you wouldn't be here gloating.
The good natured experience with the inter fans would have been very different if all them extra blues had decided to use the metro. Don't kid yourself that it wouldn't have turned ugly very quickly when the pushing, shoving and queue jumping started.
I did my research and decided to follow the club and UEFA advice. I expected a bit of a wait after the game, not the rout of civilisation that was our car park.
 
Son of Merv said:
If every one of the fans who fell for the UEFA lies about the buses had 'done their research', the Metro would have been swamped and would not have been able to cope and you wouldn't be here gloating.
The good natured experience with the inter fans would have been very different if all them extra blues had decided to use the metro. Don't kid yourself that it wouldn't have turned ugly very quickly when the pushing, shoving and queue jumping started.
I did my research and decided to follow the club and UEFA advice. I expected a bit of a wait after the game, not the rout of civilisation that was our car park.
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Agreed.

Tell all city fans to use the bus, knowing 10% will rebel and use the metro.

Tell all fans not to use taxi’s, knowing 10% will rebel and use taxi’s.

All part of UEFA’s master plan.

Those who took metro home without problems owe us ‘bussers’ a pint !
 
Eccles Blue said:
I hope that all the people who suffered in the heat without water and proper facilities makes sure they let the club know, either by telling their OSC leaders or writing direct to the customer service people at the Etihad or direct to someone in the hierarchy of the club. It sounds absolutely disgraceful.

Thank goodness you all got home safely or as safely as you could.
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@Eccles Blue I love your innocent outlook on life. It makes a very pleasant change from my cynicism that sees greed and corruption everywhere.
Istanbul was the venue 3 years ago but then covid struck. It has meant to have returned every year since. During those 3 years no one thought to ask if the car parks had been built. No one asked how the disabled would access the stadium and the biggest question was never asked. How are 80,000 people getting there.
Do you honestly believe an email to City will have the slightest meaningful effect ? They will answer it and say all the right things but in truth, absolutely nothing will be done by anybody.
 
Blue Mist said:
@Eccles Blue I love your innocent outlook on life. It makes a very pleasant change from my cynicism that sees greed and corruption everywhere.
Istanbul was the venue 3 years ago but then covid struck. It has meant to have returned every year since. During those 3 years no one thought to ask if the car parks had been built. No one asked how the disabled would access the stadium and the biggest question was never asked. How are 80,000 people getting there.
Do you honestly believe an email to City will have the slightest meaningful effect ? They will answer it and say all the right things but in truth, absolutely nothing will be done by anybody.
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The reason it should be done now is so that the organisers are aware of the risks so they have the option to address or ignore them. If it happens next time and someone loses their life because of it then European law (under which UEFA operate) will enable a route to potential charges, prosecution and more. The organisers at Hillsborough ignored earlier warning signs too.
 
If any City Matters reps were there and suffered like the rest of us then perhaps they could raise our concerns with the club.
Then the club can either ignore our concerns or pass them to UEFA and they will ignore them.
I said on the tickets thread a few weeks ago: The stadium capacity, airport capacity and hotel accommodation capacity are the only things considered when deciding where to stage major finals.
They might also consider how recently the city has staged one, but that's another that doesn't involve fan concerns.
We need more finals in western Europe as that is where around 95% of recent finalists have come from. It might indicate a degree of arrogance but it will also reduce miles travelled and hence reduce atmospheric pollution.
London may have issues and we know escaping from the car parks can be a nightmare, but there are several train and tube stations in the area and lots of parking via various web sites. Attaturk Stadium had nothing for miles around and only one Metro line. Chaos (for fans) was guaranteed.
 
Henry Winter has done an article somewhere today about the poor treatment of fans by Eufa. Reading through examples of peoples’ experiences there should be an enquiry.
 
MillsyTheMosher said:
Yes UEFA are a shit show and the game shouldn’t have been played in such an obscure location miles out of the city but people do need to take responsibility for not doing their research. From the minute we arrived it was very obvious the metro system was by far the best way to get about.
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With all due respect, as fans in a foreign land, at a major event, with unfamiliar Policing and stewarding, in a place without language clarity and likely barriers of culture, following the advice of CITY and UEFA is probably a good idea. If I had researched the maps, I would have hired huskies, a sled and a vanguard of Sherpa guides to get from an airport to that stadium, and fanzones.

The metro at Istanbul SAW was labelled as Inter and wasn't even clear where it was. Getting past the first wave of taxi drivers haggling to a bus labelled CITY and Yemikapi seemed a simple option. In hindsight it...
 
Not read the whole thread yet but an absolute shambles getting to and from the ground . Our shuttle bus early doors from SAW to fan park got lost and we was trying to give him directions . We all pulled the emergency cord and jumped out and did the 20 min walk to Taksim and had to climb about 500 steps (which was funny watching blues climb) . Got the metro to fan park and had a great couple of hours , went to queue for shuttle bus and turned straight back to get Metro to the ground , a little mishap with Turks jumping on and attacking City fans.
After the match it was carnage on that car park , we walked it straight back to the metro for about 2am and got back to Taksim at 03:30. Thank god for that Metro otherwise we was screwed
 
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