UEFA allegations - discussion

[Revo]

BTW I think Parry has done a pretty good job on getting all sections of Liverpool including mayor etc to rebut the UEFA claims. Let's at least give him credit for that.

he deffo gets credit for that

[loco_law]

Found this on the Guardian sports blog, apologies if its already been posted but I can't be arsed reading the whole thread.
Anyways it made me feel good,



"I'm an AC Milan fan, and I was in Athens for the final.

On my way to the stadium in a taxi, wearing an AC Milan shirt, the cab driver spotted two Liverpool fans also on their way to the grounds, and asked me if we should stop and give them a lift. We did, and it dispelled my pre-match fears of violence and harassment from Liverpool supporters. The two gents were at first surprised to be assisted by an AC Milan fan, but also heartened.

Not only that, I drank a few beers with trhe two lads and a bevvy of other Liverpool supporters, who were all at the very least somewhat tipsy but their behaviour was not even close to unruly and despite my "enemy" colors and shirt I was treated with great friendliness and camaraderie.

As soon as the match was over, I was concerned that the 2-1 result would cause problems, so I changed into a neutral shirt, but it was unecessary. The Liverpool fans that I saw were walking side by side with AC Milan fans singing and celebrating the victory. There wasn't a hint of a scuffle or conflict.

The whole experience really hit home for me, having witnessed Heysel in the 80's and there onwards having labelled anything in a Liverpool shirt as a troublemaking thug is now erased from my mind.

Since May 23rd, I have renewed faith and respect for my English friends, and anyone who asks me how things went in Athens gets bombarded with my gushing praise for the peaceful and friendly attitude of the Liverpool fans.

At least the ones that I had the pleasure of meeting. Perhaps UEFA need to get out of their cozy cocoon in Nyon and spend more time looking for fans doing the right thing, (which were the majority) as opposed to witch-hunting the few who don't and labelling an entire fan set accordingly."

And that pretty much sums up everything I witnessed/took part in as well. Even on the train to the match there were only 2 AC fans in our car surrounded by 100 LFC fans. The whole trip there we were trying to get them to sing their songs, sharing beers, and they even had their own version of Campione. We all had a laugh and it was nothing but good hearted ribbing just 2 hours before kick off.

I witnessed ZERO issues between rival fans, in fact the total opposite.

Great to see.

[MosRay]

Seem Gaillard is looking for a way out of his remarks and slur on our club...Guess the S**T has really hit the fan or the ****s face:

http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0...name_page.html

[Harv]

they are backing out of their claims now.....****ing pricks they are.

UEFA, Sunday: Liverpool has 'the worst fans in Europe'
UEFA, Monday: 'This is not about saying Liverpool is the worst'

FOOTBALL’S governing body last night attempted a swift back-track over its claims Liverpool fans are the worst behaved in Europe.

UEFA spokesman William Gaillard, left, provoked outrage this weekend when he revealed a dossier, allegedly showing followers of Liverpool FC as the most prolific offenders across the continent, was to be presented to the Government.

But, in a bid to dodge the back-lash, Mr Gaillard admitted some of the 25 alleged incidents in the report are “small”.

He also admitted the organis-ation could not say Liverpool “were the worst fans”.

Last night first details of the Uefa report, to be handed to UK sports minister Richard Caborn, were revealed.

Though the dossier does blame Liverpool fans, it does not point the finger at the club or the majority of its supporters.

It describes how Greek police opened the gates in a moment of panic to prevent more trouble and “a few hundred of the many thousands of supporters took the law into their own hands”.

Last night Mr Caborn urged Uefa to stop playing blame games and take some responsibility for the security blunders in Athens.

Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry also said the organisation’s comments were a bid to “deflect” attention from the shortcomings in the organisation of the Champions League final.

The row looked set to continue as a Liverpool legal firm revealed it is planning a 20-strong group prosecution against UEFA on behalf of fans barred from the game despite having genuine tickets.

[lfcruleus]

I agree with the sentiment - but what if it wasn't a case of kicking the door down, but waving their bus ticket at the attendant on the way into the pictures? Those who charged the fencing and stole tickets are scum, but those who calmly walked in due to the lack of ticket checks? It's a fine line, and they were in the majority as far as I could see. The temptation was huge for those without tickets who went near the ground before the game and heard how easy it was to get in.

For me the best thing that could come out of the Athens debacle is for UEFA to own up about their mistakes and to get real about awarding the final, and start looking at the comfort and safety of the fans who travel vast distances to pay through the nose to watch it, rather than blindly distributing the final around the lesser nations who can't organise a piss-up in a brewery. Meanwhile, the minority of Liverpool fans who caused trouble should face a tide of revulsion from the majority of decent fans, and the concept of self-policing should come back (the old-fashioned mentality that you behave yourself on tour as you are representing your club/school/area etc.). Sadly I think it is a societal problem at the moment though, with a sizeable number of people only interested in themselves and with no social conscience.

Spot on mate

[Marky]

Found this on the Guardian sports blog, apologies if its already been posted but I can't be arsed reading the whole thread.
Anyways it made me feel good,



"I'm an AC Milan fan, and I was in Athens for the final.

On my way to the stadium in a taxi, wearing an AC Milan shirt, the cab driver spotted two Liverpool fans also on their way to the grounds, and asked me if we should stop and give them a lift. We did, and it dispelled my pre-match fears of violence and harassment from Liverpool supporters. The two gents were at first surprised to be assisted by an AC Milan fan, but also heartened.

Not only that, I drank a few beers with trhe two lads and a bevvy of other Liverpool supporters, who were all at the very least somewhat tipsy but their behaviour was not even close to unruly and despite my "enemy" colors and shirt I was treated with great friendliness and camaraderie.

As soon as the match was over, I was concerned that the 2-1 result would cause problems, so I changed into a neutral shirt, but it was unecessary. The Liverpool fans that I saw were walking side by side with AC Milan fans singing and celebrating the victory. There wasn't a hint of a scuffle or conflict.

The whole experience really hit home for me, having witnessed Heysel in the 80's and there onwards having labelled anything in a Liverpool shirt as a troublemaking thug is now erased from my mind.

Since May 23rd, I have renewed faith and respect for my English friends, and anyone who asks me how things went in Athens gets bombarded with my gushing praise for the peaceful and friendly attitude of the Liverpool fans.

At least the ones that I had the pleasure of meeting. Perhaps UEFA need to get out of their cozy cocoon in Nyon and spend more time looking for fans doing the right thing, (which were the majority) as opposed to witch-hunting the few who don't and labelling an entire fan set accordingly."

Brilliant stuff
You got a link for that mate?

[sonsofthedesert]

EXCLUSIVE: Gaillard’s inner workings


UEFA spokesman had shown “amazing brass neck” in commenting on the behaviour of Liverpool football fans.


Speaking exclusively to the Daily Post, one former co-worker said Mr Gaillard had always been seen as a “bit of a joke” and had made some strange decisions.


He said Mr Gaillard had only one talent – the ability to network.


The source said he knew Mr Gaillard, director of communications and public affairs and senior adviser to the UEFA president personally, and said he was regarded as a “total amateur.”


Air TranHe said: “In my opinion when he was spokesman for the UN Drug Control Programme he knew little about drugs. When he worked for the UN Palestinian relief agency he knew little about Palestine, and little about air travel when he worked for the International sport Association.


“He is again causing controversy commenting on football. He probably does like going to football, but that is where his expertise stops. However, I am afraid this time his comments are so big and outlandish hey will really come home to roost.”


It was also revealed that while he was spokesman for the UN Drug Control Programme (UNDCP) Mr Gaillard had to be dissuaded from pushing a scheme to collect all the hair cuttings in New York barbers to see what evidence they offered of cocaine use.

The source added: “This would have made the UN a laughing stock and would contravene all sorts of privacy laws. How stupid can you be?”

The guy is a joke.