Disrespect’s out of Toon

THERE’S a long list of fans being treated shoddily by the authorities before and after UEFA games.

In 2022, Liverpool supporters’ safety was put at risk at the Champions League Final in Paris at the Stade de France where they were forced to queue for hours then wrongly blamed for turning up late or having fake tickets.

In June, Manchester City fans were subjected to transport chaos before and after their triumph at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium – 15 miles from the city centre with queues lasting hours to catch a shuttle bus.

Add to this the latest disregard which was shown to Newcastle by whoever was in charge of transport away from the San Siro this week.

A big chunk of the 4,500 away following queued patiently at the San Siro Metro for the trip back to hotels in town only to be told, “No more trains, no more trains.”

It was an hour-long, 6km walk back to the city centre – longer for some staying in southern districts – so off the Geordies trooped, creating a river of black and white. Calm and peaceful, taking their trials on the chin.

Watching the supporters troop past made me angry. Second-class citizens because they were wearing club colours at a match.

That was nothing compared to the anger I felt when I decided to check if the trains really had been cancelled.

As soon as the last Toon shirt was out of sight, I saw the Metro station opened up. Trains WERE running back to the city. Someone just didn’t want the hassle of marshalling football fans on to them.

On Twitter/x, I was informed this has happened before to English fans at the San Siro and elsewhere around Europe.

Game organisers at UEFA should take this issue up and ensure local authorities have the patience and capacity to move fans back home on public transport – and not send them away with such disrespect.