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

[west didsblue]

Turns out you were right to be concerned. And @StevieAsk had it bang on - that’s exactly what happened to us when we got a taxi to the ground on Saturday upon seeing the queue for the shuttle buses. Had to be dropped off on the hard shoulder to walk the rest of the way.

Afterwards, knowing how bad it was getting the shuttle buses to the stadium, we fucked them off and got the Metro instead. Sure, it was a couple of changes but the main leg of the trip turned out to be a dedicated journey that missed out a dozen or so stops. We were back in Taksim Square scoffing a kebab at around 2am. To say we got off lightly is an understatement.

I think you must have been on the same train as me.

 

[Pezzer2]

As I arrived at 10.20 in the morning (Planning on soaking up some of the atmosphere before the game) the shuttle was from SAW to the fanzone in town. The listed time was 1 hour 40 and it took about 3.5 hours as the driver kept getting lost and taking wrong turnings. 75 percent of the people on it ended up getting out in the middle or Istanbul not knowing where to go to but had more confidence in themselves than the driver.

Because of that shitshow and knowing things are almost certainly only going to get worse myself and somebody else fucked the fanzone in town off. Jumped pretty much on another bus immediately to the stadium. Again quoted time was one hour but was more like 2.5. There was something wrong with the bus and it ended up breaking down on the main road. Driver flagged down another shuttle some time later and forced us onto an already full one. Personally was on a bus for about 6 hours just to get to the fucking stadium with no food, water or toilets. Admittedly could have got something in the fanzone in town but didn't want to queue up for them and consequently the queues get bigger for the buses.

Everybody knows about the carnage after the game so no point elaborating on that other than it was meant to be 1.5 hours and was closer to 3 from somebody that luckily got a last seat on one. I'm thinking their 1.5 hour estimate is a misprint and was really 'Stadium to Car Park Exit' and not SAW. None of these quoted times include queuing either. So roughly 9 hours on a bus when we'd been told just over 4. Absolute shitshow. In hindsight I wish I'd waited until 1 at the airport where the shittle buses went directly to the stadium or ignored UEFA's request and gone on the metro. The reason for the earlier flight was to have a bit of time in town. Complete pisstake.e

If it was the same bus we was on . Someone tried giving the driver the directions from Waze on his own phone . He was going miles out of his way . It went from 7 mins to 57 on the Sat nav. We pulled the emergency cord and got off walked the 30 mins to Taksim square via what felt like 500 steep steps to walk up .

 

[Brightwell Bros.]

This was so predictable. Lying bastards.

Champions League Final | Useful Information

Am I missing something? Why is everyone looking at getting buses instead of the metro? I know it’s a couple of line changes but traffic is horrendous in Istanbul. Last time I was there I ended up sacking the taxi off half way and walking the last mile or so.

forums.bluemoon-mcfc.co.uk

Interesting to compare and contrast this piece as well.

Inside CL final plans for fans as UEFA bids to avoid repeat of Paris horror

Last season’s final in Paris was overshadowed by dangerous overcrowding, misleading messaging and significant errors by police - and football chiefs want to avoid a repeat in Istanbul on Saturday

www.mirror.co.uk

 

[Edghill OG]

If it was the same bus we was on . Someone tried giving the driver the directions from Waze on his own phone . He was going miles out of his way . It went from 7 mins to 57 on the Sat nav. We pulled the emergency cord and got off walked the 30 mins to Taksim square via what felt like 500 steep steps to walk up .

I had Google maps up and it was saying like 30 minutes left. Would go back on about 15 minutes later assuming it'd have gone down and we'd be near and it'd have gone back up to like 52 minutes. Really was a joke.

 

[kerem gokmen]

Interesting to compare and contrast this piece as well.

Inside CL final plans for fans as UEFA bids to avoid repeat of Paris horror

Last season’s final in Paris was overshadowed by dangerous overcrowding, misleading messaging and significant errors by police - and football chiefs want to avoid a repeat in Istanbul on Saturday

www.mirror.co.uk

yes, 9th of June friday morning, uefa announced politely(between the lines), not to use ''taxis'' in its post.

Event Guide: Istanbul | UEFA Champions League 2023/24

Europe's football website, UEFA.com, is the official site of UEFA, the Union of European Football Associations, and the governing body of football in Europe. UEFA organises some of the most famous and prestigious football competitions on the European continent including the UEFA Champions...

www.uefa.com

''“public transport for the quickest and safest journey”' they say.

we made fun of it in turkish reddit ''eksisozluk'' that day, since we hate taxis.

anyway, the situation is complicated. at least no one had serious health issues/everyone is safe now.
cheers.

 

[East Level 2]

Exactly mate. Everybody's hatred of UEFA is letting others off very lightly. As much as I'm sure the feeling is mutual I think they're probably relieved City won as this isn't getting anywhere near the exposure it should be.

UEFA hosted the final. It is their responsibility to hold it at a stadium with decent access. UEFA should have been liaising with local police and the Istanbul council to ensure fans could travel with some measurable level of progress.
The final venue was known well before City and Inter qualified and there was nothing either club could do about the abysmal infrastructure. City might have provided some stewards I suppose but it's UEFA's tournament and they should have project managed the whole shebang.

 

[incred]

As I arrived at 10.20 in the morning (Planning on soaking up some of the atmosphere before the game) the shuttle was from SAW to the fanzone in town. The listed time was 1 hour 40 and it took about 3.5 hours as the driver kept getting lost and taking wrong turnings. 75 percent of the people on it ended up getting out in the middle or Istanbul not knowing where to go to but had more confidence in themselves than the driver.

Because of that shitshow and knowing things are almost certainly only going to get worse myself and somebody else fucked the fanzone in town off. Jumped pretty much on another bus immediately to the stadium. Again quoted time was one hour but was more like 2.5. There was something wrong with the bus and it ended up breaking down on the main road. Driver flagged down another shuttle some time later and forced us onto an already full one. Personally was on a bus for about 6 hours just to get to the fucking stadium with no food, water or toilets. Admittedly could have got something in the fanzone in town but didn't want to queue up for them and consequently the queues get bigger for the buses.

Everybody knows about the carnage after the game so no point elaborating on that other than it was meant to be 1.5 hours and was closer to 3 from somebody that luckily got a last seat on one. I'm thinking their 1.5 hour estimate is a misprint and was really 'Stadium to Car Park Exit' and not SAW. None of these quoted times include queuing either. So roughly 9 hours on a bus when we'd been told just over 4. Absolute shitshow. In hindsight I wish I'd waited until 1 at the airport where the shittle buses went directly to the stadium or ignored UEFA's request and gone on the metro. The reason for the earlier flight was to have a bit of time in town. Complete pisstake.

I arrived at SAW an hour after you, but my story is almost identical. Our driver also missed a junction on the motorway so decided to reverse several hundred yards on the hard shoulder before then turning down the slip road from a standing start with cars flying past us on both sides.

 

[Edghill OG]

UEFA hosted the final. It is their responsibility to hold it at a stadium with decent access. UEFA should have been liaising with local police and the Istanbul council to ensure fans could travel with some measurable level of progress.
The final venue was known well before City and Inter qualified and there was nothing either club could do about the abysmal infrastructure. City might have provided some stewards I suppose but it's UEFA's tournament and they should have project managed the whole shebang.

You mean this kind of progress mate?!




Yes UEFA are at fault and it should never have hosted the final in the first place. Other people should be held to account though.... not just UEFA!

 

[tregyblue61]

We're on a bus to no where
sardines inside


My knee is really giving me grief after standing for 3 hours and 10 minutes on the bus back to the airport.

 

[Goodlove]

Every part of my trip that relied on uefa organisation was a Complete and utter disgrace.

Firstly the shuttle buses to and from the Airport. We had been bumped up to an earlier flight to istanbul from antalya on the Saturday morning, meaning we got into istanbul airport around 5am, made our way to the shuttle buses pickup for the first one at 6am, there's a healthy queue by the time it reaches 6am. No bus, geto to 6.15am by this point the second bus should be here, still no bus. by 7am 4 buses haven't shown, there's no official anywhere to give updates so we're all clueless. A few start to make their own way instead via taxi's which causes an exodus, I'd say 80-90% of the now hefty queue do the same. It had gone 7.30am before any bus turned up when 2 turned up together.

That's not the end of it though, the drivers then get off, close the bus and move away. People question them but they've limited English and claim to be awaiting instructions, we are then told the buses won't leave or even start to fill up until there's enough people to fill both buses. There was easily enough people to fill 1 bus at this point and only reason there wasn't a plenty more was because they had given up waiting. Eventually we get going, lose a couple of hours waiting for the bus but it was time we had made up with an unexpected earlier flight anyway so no real loss for us and I think to myself at least that shitshow is done with now.

Fast forward to the shuttle bus to the ground. We deliberately avoided the fan hub area all day as it looked dreadful but hastily made our way back there aboit 5pm after hearing reports of several hour queues for the buses and taxis charging £100+ jumped on a bus that was completely rammed, was stood up but worse than that I had nothing to hold on to for balance. Managed to wriggle my arm through a gap to grip a pole at a very awkward angle and had to tense and brace myself to stop myself from.being thrown across the bus with every jerk forward the bus made. Was stuck in this painful position completely unable to move for 2 and a half hours.

Hand had seized up completely, leg the same, wasn't allowed water on board when I'm fairly sure I already had heatstroke from the day before and desperately needed it. I'm a reasonably fit and young-ish man, I'm used to walking for miles daily but by the time I got off that horrific bus journey I thought I could be done in so I dread to think what people in poorer health than me were like, I'm honestly shocked I didn't see a crowd of people requiring medical attention after getting off those buses.

After the match, we stayed in the ground longer than 95% of the people, made our way back to the pitch black car parks where there was one small sign and a "queue" that seemed to be inching forward but didn't seem to be actually cutting down, we couldn't see the end point of the queue and came to the conclusion the queue was just moving forward rather than loading people onto buses. Then out of nowhere everybody behind just split and started legging it through the blocked traffic in search of a available bus and it became a total free for all. Somebody claimed one of the officials just gave up trying to maintain a queue and said just do what you want which caused it, how true that is I've no idea but doesn't sound off.

We ran around with the crowd for a good 10 minutes, every bus we saw filled to the brim then we stumbled upon a corner of empty buses all with their lights off and parked up, some were empty, but many had drivers in them hiding away, asking them why they werent in operation they suggested they didn't know and didn't know their destination either but they conveniently knew which destination they wasn't going to when I asked. We had to pick an empty bus and just wait and hope when it opened the doors it would be going to where we wanted and not the 3 other destinations we didn't want as by this point everybody still without a bus was looking to go to the same place.

Eventually we got on a bus and then proceeded to take 2-3 hours (and that's genuinely no exaggeration) to get out of the stadium car park and moving.

Every aspect of the shuttle buses were a disgrace and a real danger to the fans. If we were dippers, there would have been fatalities, im certain of that, it was complete carnage. I've never seen something so poorly organised.

The first two lines of your post are exactly what I’ve been saying when people ask me how it was. ‘Fucking class but…’

I’ll never follow a uefa instruction at a game again. Bollocks to them.