BBC Home

Explore the BBC

New visitors: Create your membership
Returning members: Sign in

13 comments

user rating: 2 star

Moscow. European Champions League Final

Competitors:
Chelsea v Man. U
Date:
21 May 2008
Venue:
Moscow
Competition:
European Football
Star of the show:
The Supporters of Chesea & Man U
comment on the article

A logistical nightmare is about to unfold 21st May.
42000 Chelsea & Man U fans making the trip to the Luzkniki stadium from the UK. Say 200 bods per plane this will equate to over 200 aircraft heading for Moscow. This will be the biggest airlift since the 2nd world war.Have the UEFA gnomes given any thought to this? Clearly not. Do they care. Clearly not.
Thomas Cook is the "official" travel agent charging in excess of £750 per person for both Chelsea & Man U. fans. How much commission is being paid to both clubs? Why can these 2 "rich" clubs not waive commission & put pressure on carriers & Thos. Cook to reduce fares?
I've just returned from St.Petersburg. Flew BA £280 return. I know it's all about supply & demand. But what about the genuine football fan. He/she will pay in excess of £1000 for the privilage of being treated as cattle.
I would not put up with this treatment as a paying "customer" from any other provider of a service. But for football I & many thousands of others do.

When (if) we get to Moscow some 12 hours before kick off where will go. A "holding" area? Uefa is apparantly responsible for the transfers from airport to stadium.

Despite all this & feeling completely ripped off I'm going. Why? Because it's my team playing in a European Cup Final. The Uefa gnomes, Messers Kenyon & Gill all know this of course.

To cap it all we need a visa to watch a European Cup Final. The clue is in the title. European! A visa should not be required to watch a game of football. Forethought in Geneva. Nah! They really couldn't give a toss.

It'll be interesting to see how many empty seats there are. The pundits will be bemoaning the decision to hold the game in Moscow. Too late.

Let's hope & pray the whole event passes without major calamity.

Finally.... Come on my lovely Blue Boys!

Latest 10 comments

Read members' comments or add your own

posted May 2, 2008

I think the point is the game has been given to a country that doesn't appear to have the infrastruture to support event, there are no hotels anywhere even before football fans knew they were in the final.
And if they can't see fit to allow ticket holding football fans into the country without an expensive visa that carries all the extra hassle of trying to obtain, then they should not have been considered for the ocaision.

add comment | complain about this comment

posted May 6, 2008

I'm confused. Russia has waived the obligation to produce a Visa for three day period yet you must also produce a valid match ticket, passport and immigration form. If everyone's rushing around trying to get a ticket from ebay or in Moscow from a tout then fair enough. Also running the supposed minimal risk of arriving the stadium without having the identity of the ticket checked is fair enough too. But if entry in to the country is dependent on having a ticket in addition to a passport rather than a visa then surely the identity of the ticket and passport must be identical. So surely on this occasion it's impossible to enter the country with a ticket that has a different name. It might sound like a stupid quetion but i've not seen this confirmed anywhere. only that you might be refused entry at the stadium. Can anyone confirm yes or no because my common sense instincts say it's a "no go".

add comment | complain about this comment

posted May 6, 2008

Ossieliveson - I see your point entirely, but wouldn't that be the same wherever you go? Milan, or Madrid (who would have to take more judging by the size of the Bernabeu) taking in 42,000 Englishmen would be just as bad, and now that Visas is a non-issue, what is the difference? Carriers put up prices based on demand, and that would happen no matter where the final was held. The 12,000+ Zenit fans will have exactly the same problem - high flight prices, immigration issues, and high hotel prices. The powers of market forces!

I just think that you have to say that UEFA is UEFA, and you can't selectively chose small parts because they're easier for the powers that be - that would be discrimination. Give Russia the chance - if they screw it up, then don't use it again! But you have to give that chance... Remember, Moscow is hosting the next winter games, something that is bigger than the CL final.

add comment | complain about this comment

posted May 13, 2008

It would seem like the government is buckling if it is giving footballers tax breaks.

I can't remember this stopping Manchester holding the final a few years back! or for that matter this years UEFA cup. Don't be so weak Mr Brown!

add comment | complain about this comment

posted May 13, 2008

The thing with the final in manchester the other year was that the government "forgot" to collect the tax. The only reason that it is an issue this time is that someone at UEFA, or one of the other federations, found out about it and put it forward as a reason not to give us the final for 2010.

add comment | complain about this comment

comment by paksta (U5496775)

posted May 13, 2008

So Moscow has no right to hold a cup final because plane fares will be high (due to demand) and the country requires visas? Actually, Moscow seems to have bent over backwards to accommodate traveling fans far more than has been done for the UEFA cup final.

'A visa should not be required to watch a game of football'

Seems like you meant to say, 'A visa should not be required to watch MY team play a game of football.'

add comment | complain about this comment

comment by U6483468

posted May 13, 2008

Well its good that Moscow IS holding the final.
Stop those stupid fans who go without a ticket.
UEFA should do something to stop ticketless fans from going, you are not wanted!!!!!!

add comment | complain about this comment

posted May 13, 2008

Well its good that Moscow IS holding the final.
Stop those stupid fans who go without a ticket.
UEFA should do something to stop ticketless fans from going, you are not wanted!!!!!!

Yes lets ban all fans from going! How is UEFA meant to do that then? Stop commercial airlines from flying all people without a ticket? What if someone is on genuine business in Moscow, an airline has every right to take whoever buys a plane ticket! There are higher and other things than football!

add comment | complain about this comment

posted May 13, 2008

thenunnyfox, your obviously not a real football fan. if your teams in the final,you try and do everything possible to get there even if it means jib'in it.
but hey,you stick to the armchair mate

add comment | complain about this comment

posted May 13, 2008

1st of all most of the chavskis fans are already in moscow and number 2 the plastics of man ure won't be flying from manchester they'll becoming from asia u could fit all of their proper fans on the plane

add comment | complain about this comment

Comment on this article

Sorry, you can only contribute to 606 during opening hours. These are 0900-2300 UK time, seven days a week, but may vary to accommodate sporting events and UK public holidays.

RATE THIS ARTICLE

Rate Breakdown

  • 5 33.33%
    1 votes
  • 4
    0 votes
  • 3
    0 votes
  • 2
    0 votes
  • 1 66.67%
    2 votes

average rating:
2.33 from 3 votes