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

Just as an aside, I saw people queuing to get into the BooEFA Tat Tent and others with bags of stuff at the game and flight home. I really hope these were freebies people were getting and they weren’t filling the coffers of this sham of an organisation.

I thought about buying a match programme at City’s store on Friday but thought better of it and glad I did.
 
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.
Mirrors my previous post about a young lad in a wheelchair and the farce getting in and out, along with the wankers masquerading as taxi drivers charging prices I’ve never seen before.

Also a pint of beer in Bodrum airport, £14, that can’t be the usual price surely?
 
Disgrace. All them gypos were allowed in past security and police, a couple accosted my autistic father. Bent as fuck and totally lawless. It's been a difficult one over there with somebody with a disability, and also shocking to see other City fans hassling a wheelchair user for "queue jumping". I begrudgingly stood and waited in the same queue for this exact reason. Not all disabilities are visible but this is shocking behaviour towards a fellow City fan and one who's visibly disabled. Put the pint down lads and have some common decency. Similar reports of people not giving up bus seats to a bloke on crutches. Selfish boozed up Brits abroad springs to mind.
Tbf to the fans not giving seats up it’s a difficult one. Our group of 5 had been on our feet for around 9 hours when we got the return shuttle (stood on the 2 hour shuttle there) so we didn’t get on any of the first available buses, instead we went to a bus that had no signs of where it was going and no lights on. Our gamble paid off and we were first on and got seats. By this time we were all knackered but able bodied FOC’s, I personally have heart arrhythmia and I couldn’t have stood for another 3 hours which is what it took to get back.

There were older less mobile passengers than us but I was honestly so fucked common decency of giving up my seat went out of the window. Finally got back to the hotel at 4:30, about an hour later I was awoken by the most excruciating cramp in both legs I’ve ever experienced, I can only put that down to being stood up for a very long time. Metro, walking to and from transport, stood at the game, stood on trains and buses, a very tiring experience.
 
I s
Tbf to the fans not giving seats up it’s a difficult one. Our group of 5 had been on our feet for around 9 hours when we got the return shuttle (stood on the 2 hour shuttle there) so we didn’t get on any of the first available buses, instead we went to a bus that had no signs of where it was going and no lights on. Our gamble paid off and we were first on and got seats. By this time we were all knackered but able bodied FOC’s, I personally have heart arrhythmia and I couldn’t have stood for another 3 hours which is what it took to get back.

There were older less mobile passengers than us but I was honestly so fucked common decency of giving up my seat went out of the window. Finally got back to the hotel at 4:30, about an hour later I was awoken by the most excruciating cramp in both legs I’ve ever experienced, I can only put that down to being stood up for a very long time. Metro, walking to and from transport, stood at the game, stood on trains and buses, a very tiring experience.
I stood the entire journey both ways because I could and I didn't know who had invisible disability. I am 60 fit enough so I could but there were men of my age really struggling and they had to sit down and fans swapped with each other.
 
I’m not sure of it mate, but I’ve seen people ask about it before and sure someone will jump in with it.

My guess would be danny.wilson@mcfc.co.uk but it would most definitely be a punt.

edit…done a forum search and people say it is the one I’ve guessed at, but seen some also say it’s danny.wilson@mancity.com

Do it to both and sure it’ll get there.
I’ve emailed Danny asking the club to take up the matter with UEFA. I’ve also been contacted by Liam Bird of Level Playing Field.
 
Unfortunately I was on a flight early on Sunday morning. The fuck up after the game meant that I couldn’t go out and celebrate properly with other blues. I feel cheated by UEFA in that respect
 
we spent about 16 hours in Turkey in total - 3 hours were in the ground (included 45 mins queuing to pay to get mugged for Pepsi), 3 hours in bed in the hotel, and the other 10 hours were either walking, queuing, or sat on a shuttle bus - literally didn't have opportunity to eat or drink anything except for the aforementioned pepsis and some free hotel water - just so glad we won though, makes it easier to forget the other shite!
 

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