A LIVERPOOL fan from Amlwch, Anglesey has detailed the dangerous, distressing scenes that occurred as Reds fans attempted to enter the Stade de France on Saturday.
Liverpool fans encountered difficulties entering the stadium for their Champions League Final game against Real Madrid, with the gates closing and large crowds being stranded in between checkpoints, with reports of tear gas being used on fans, including children and the elderly.
Alan Gray, from Amlwch, explained that chaos ensued as soon as fans arrived on the metro.
“As soon as we got off the train there was police with shields,” said Mr Gray.
“As we walked closer to the ground there was three checkpoints.
“The first checkpoint they searched fans for pyrotechnics and checked their tickets.
“At the second checkpoint, 20,000 fans had to go through and the French police made it into a bottle neck and it was under an underpass – it was very intimidating.”
Mr Gray had travelled down with other friends on a bus from Denbigh, and despite attending more than 300 Reds games, including away trips to Spain, Serbia, Germany, Italy and Greece, said this was a “frightening experience” that would “stay with him forever”.
“People were becoming distressed and one bloke collapsed in front of me – he was claustrophobic and was struggling being crowded tightly for nearly an hour.
“As the police were charging people back I found myself being pushed closer and closer to the closed gate and within minutes I was up against it and I was in agony.
“There was police just through the gate looking at us. I panicked and I shouted to one “open the gate or do something there’s people here struggling to breathe”.
“He came over and sprayed us with tear gas through the fence.
“As I was trying to get to the turnstile I could feel someone squeeze my arm and it got tighter and tighter – it was a girl who didn’t look too great.
“As me and this girl got to the turnstile we showed our tickets, the bloke scanned them upside down and the light wouldn’t go green and accused us of having fakes. I said to him scan it the other way, so he did and it went green and we got through.
“I sat this girl down so she could get her breath back and went to get her a bottle of water – she was starting to come round when a steward came over and said you two in that ground now.
“So I said she’s not feeling well give her two minutes. Soon as I said that a police officer came and sprayed us again. I couldn’t believe it!
“As I got in the ground I wasn’t bothered about the football – I can’t even remember the game I was just so shaken and taken aback by what happened.
“After the game there was a row of police and as I was walking down the underpass there was children crying and women getting hit by batons.
“As I walked past the line of policemen I was sprayed again and hit by a baton 3 times. I was in agony.
The French police did nothing – they were just insistent on causing trouble with Liverpool and Real Madrid fans.
“It was a frightening experience and what will stay with me forever is seeing kids sprayed and crying. It was disgraceful.
“Thankfully, there are photos and videos of everything that goes on and it backs this up.
“UEFA have said they are conducting an investigation but I wouldn’t listen to a word they say.
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The French authorities criticised Liverpool fans in the aftermath of the events, despite eye witnesses (including journalists) corroborating the supporters’ views.
French Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera claimed the chaos was caused by the “mass gathering of the British supporters of the Liverpool club, without tickets, or with fake tickets”, while UEFA firstly blamed the late arrival of fans before claiming fake tickets were the cause of strife.
“They said at first fans arrived late – the photo I’ve provided is two hours before kick-off as the gates were shut.
“They’ve also now tried to blame ticketless fans – that is impossible as you cannot get through three checkpoints with no tickets! There was nothing over the tannoy, no communication or nothing. It’s a miracle someone didn’t die that night. I heard someone say on the train it reminded him of a certain place in Sheffield that he was at back in 1989.”
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