Copied this off a Facebook mate, goes every single match home and away including all European aways so we’ll versed in travelling to European aways;
ONE WHEELCHAIR USER AND HIS CARERS MATCH DAY ACCOUNT OF A CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL.
Well the celebrations are over after a fantastic hectic six days, apart from a total disgusting 12 hours in the hands of Uefa and adhering to their requests and advice, around pre and post match transportation from the centre of Istanbul and return journey.
Barry and myself arrived at the designated bus transportation hub at 4:10pm and joined a very lengthy queue which people were saying was at least 1-2 hours before getting on a bus, asked if there was a designated lane and access for wheelchair users, one young lad walked down to the front and came back and informed us that there was, and so we walked down the side to the gate with a wheelchair sign on it, the amount of abuse we got whilst pushing my mate in his wheelchair to it from other city fans, calling us all sorts for “pushing in” was heartwarming to say the least, hope none of those ever end up having to use a wheelchair, on second thought I probably do so you know how it feels.
Anyway got through the cordon expecting to be put on designated buses for wheelchair users, in the hope that it makes things easier for the able bodied, but no, just squeezed on along with everyone else. Then set off to the stadium which took 2 hours 20 minutes to do 19KM, one road in one road out, thankfully we’d bought some small bottles of water. Finally got to the dirt track leading to the stadium where the bus just pulled up halfway up the hill and told everyone to get off, got of onto a so called car park made out of loose building rubble that had not even been rolled flat, tried pushing the wheelchair forward, front wheels just dug into rubble nearly causing chair to fall forward, easiest way was for me to walk backwards dragging chair backwards for a good 500 metres to where the supposed adapted bus was waiting to take you to the stadium entrance, the bus had a wheelchair lift but depending on size of wheelchair would only fit one chair in at a time, bearing in mind City had been allocated around a hundred wheelchair bays which were all sold as far as I know, anyway we were able to get ours in along with Stephen Lane and his chair. Arriving at the stadium we were dropped off and told bus would be there after game had finished. Entrance was ok two searches before a final show of phone with mobile ticket, which when I went to turn it off was only my screen saver and not the electronic ticket, then another search where they grabbed the two small bottles of water from the back of the chair, I explained they were needed for taking medication, told to buy it inside if we needed it. Then as we went past them there was several scruffy looking locals with obvious fake lanyards and passes selling bottles of water and sandwiches along with pyro flares which were on Uefa’s banned list for stupid amounts of Euros.
Luckily we had a great position in the ground to enjoy seeing us win the trophy.
Exited the ground back to the point for supposed transport back to buses, to be told bus had taken four wheelchairs back and won’t be back now because of amount of traffic, so had to push Barry back to the car park of rubble up a hill that was akin to reaching Everest base camp.
Once back on the car park of rubble absolute chaos not a sign or steward in sight directing people to buses to airport or city centre and pitch black only lighting from cars and minibuses, again having to drag the chair backwards.
Eventually saw a so called steward about 16 years of age telling people buses back to city centre keep walking down hill, so set off dragging wheelchair backwards down through rubble dodging in and out between taxis and minibuses literally risking our lives, then saw another person in a wheelchair tip over and onto the floor, thankfully he was helped back into his chair, another lad his front wheel buckled then had to be wheeled backwards just on the back wheels, along with numerous others on crutches and walking sticks, all heading down the hil as instructed, finally got to the bottom approx quarter of a mile to find no buses only to be told by coppers who couldn’t care less about what was happening all around, that the buses were back up at the top of the hill at the furthest point at the back of the car park, yes we had to set off back up the hill to locate the buses, again people tipping out of chairs, seeing one lad literally crawling and another ending up having to be carried on someone’s back, we luckily arrived at the bus again lucky not to have been hit by cars and buses and a few threats being made to taxi drivers, glad they never wanted a fight as I was too knackered to have done anything.
Finally back on a bus for another 2 hours back to the centre, dropped off nowhere near where we we’re supposed to have been, metro had shut by time we got there, then had to try and locate a taxi with thousands of others, finally got one who first wanted 150 euros to take us back to apartment just past Taxim Sq, politely told him he was taking the piss and he dropped the price to 50 which we took just to get back, finally arrived back at our apartment at 04:20am.
Now that’s one small reason we fucking hate and boo Uefa.
Around the city the locals could not have been more polite and helpful as we negotiated ourselves around the metro and city centre.
I know of the horror stories of the numerous people that had their pockets and bags done, also one lad stabbed in the kneck and having his back slashed by locals.
Did not hear of any trouble whatsoever between City and Milan.
Istanbul you will never be forgotten unfortunately for the shitshow organisation, but most of all for our first Champions league trophy win and completing the treble.
