[Albion] Teargas Gate 36 hours on

[Peacehaven Wild Kids]

Personally no issues after about 10 minutes, but felt like shit next morning, however I’d had about 15 pints.

The boy drinks only water and he had a similar “hangover”

 

[Lenny Rider]

Could definitely still smell it yesterday morning, and also got a bit of stinging in my eyes when I showered (would have probably got a lot more if the particles had any hair to stick to ) but that’s all.

I don’t really blame the police……they had to do something to disperse that lot - we should have been let out of the stand as soon as the contamination became obvious though (the concourse, steps and car park didn’t seem affected). Could also see the cloud of fumes heading our way (think I showed you a pic at the airport yesterday).

Good to put a face to the name Dazza. Nice to meet you

 

[Vicar!]

The firing of tear gas can have devastating consequences for anyone with Asthma. As soon as it was clear there was a problem the concourses should have been opened to allow supporters to flee.

 

[brighton terra]

Tear gas use is apparently a pretty regular occurrence at Greek stadia

 

[East Staffs Gull]

Rather ironically, five minutes before the tear gas we were singing “He’s going to cry in a minute” towards one of the AEK ultras (or perhaps other people had picked up quicker than me that tear gas had been deployed).

 

[Midget]

My own personal experience. It was very unpleasant, we obviously got nasty fumes, but not like a canister thrown right in amongst us in the chaos of a riot or something - we were relatively safe, albeit with some individual medical concerns and a lot of wider discomfort. Sadly there's always the small possibility you'll encounter it at big football games abroad. Also helped that our group had already had some low-level "aftermath exposure" in Marseille, so recognised it the second it reached our nostrils and knew what to expect.

I really feel for the young kids there, as it was clearly distressing for them and at first they, and their parents, wouldn't have understood what was happening. Imagine how frightening it must be for a child suddenly having eyes, nose, throat burning, trouble breathing, without any idea why.

Also I appreciate there were other adults clearly more affected physically than I myself was. I'm not trying to be "hard" (I couldn't be further from it!). Just my personal experience, nasty but was able to cope with it, even with asthma, thankfully. That doesn't make it acceptable.

A few aftereffects, I was coughing a fair bit on the night and the day after, feeling chesty. I've lost my voice today. But that might also have something to do with singing and beer... !

Shame it happened, and shame there were a few bellends there too, as it was such a relaxed atmosphere in town beforehand (had a great chat with one AEK fan, including a long discussion on different uses of the word μαλάκα )

Now it's just part of "what happened in Athens", ultimately we all came back safely and it won't spoil our memories of a fantastic trip.

 

[Midget]

Rather ironically, five minutes before the tear gas we were singing “He’s going to cry in a minute” towards one of the AEK ultras (or perhaps other people had picked up quicker than me that tear gas had been deployed).

Haha yes I remember that now, how ironic!

 

[Midget]

PS sorry I seem to have developed a habit of writing really long posts recently. Must do better.

 

[Eeyore]

I can still taste it today but it’s starting to fade.

It’s f***ing PATHETIC that UEFA just shrug this off as ‘local culture’. AEK can’t control their fans, it is THAT SIMPLE. We all know that we would be kicked out of Europe in a heartbeat if it happened here.
I would actually like BHA to make a bit more of a fuss than they appear to be doing.

We really wouldn't. The idea that UEFA is against us is seemingly one that suggests we can't cope without that thought. There is no evidence.

UEFA are constantly handing out fines though and playing behind closed doors seems to be the last resort. Although a number of Eastern European teams seem quite familar with it now.

 

[HangletonGull]

Balkam in having a mere when in a needed situation,never won’t have it

 

[Dick Swiveller]

Balkam in having a mere

Wow - he must have been thirsty.

 

[Lenny Rider]

Made me laugh when you asked that bloke who walked up past us with his eyes streaming and nose running for the £30.00 he owed you .
As for Darren Balkham who luckily had a call to answer on his mobile when the CS Gas started to take affect and walk away from the Albion fans !!!!

I acted quickly, had I choked to death, my executors had witnesses that the debt was still outstanding

Seriously I did check Dave the debtor was okay

 

[studio150]

I seem to have come off lightly. I was however in the upper tier and further away. I could see the problems the gas was causing so pulled jumper over nose and mouth before the effects hit those around me. Not sure if it made the difference but wearing glasses seemed to me that my eyes were less effected than others.
Still an unpleasant journey back, but thankfully all effects gone in the morning.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Tear gas use is apparently a pretty regular occurrence at Greek stadia

It was also used after the game in Marseille; I got a lung full. I don’t think there was any problems after the game; seems it is used more as a routine way to get the fans on their way. Was there any trouble after the Athens game?

 

[Giraffe]

Unpleasant for sure but in a weird way it was also a bit of a box tick to experience it. 43 years of support and that’s my first tear gassing. Lovely.

Somewhere in all of the posts I warned people were in for a shock travelling into Europe. Police in Europe don’t mess around. They just don’t. Seen it for England away games. Away fans routinely treated like dirt. Home fans routinely get away with awful behaviour.

And please can we stop making references to and blaming PC Balkham. He has zero responsibility for these games. He is there as an observer. The local police may listen to him but they almost certainly won’t act unless they want to anyway. They do their own thing. Nothing that goes wrong is his fault. Nothing at all. It’s just a cheap attack to blame him for any of this. I think he does a great job generally and I’m sure he is frustrated as all of us by the way we get treated in Europe.

 

[HangletonGull]

Unpleasant for sure but in a weird way it was also a bit of a box tick to experience it. 43 years of support and that’s my first tear gassing. Lovely.

Somewhere in all of the posts I warned people were in for a shock travelling into Europe. Police in Europe don’t mess around. They just don’t. Seen it for England away games. Away fans routinely treated like dirt. Home fans routinely get away with awful behaviour.

And please can we stop making references to and blaming PC Balkham. He has zero responsibility for these games. He is there as an observer. The local police may listen to him but they almost certainly won’t act unless they want to anyway. They do their own thing. Nothing that goes wrong is his fault. Nothing at all. It’s just a cheap attack to blame him for any of this. I think he does a great job generally and I’m sure he is frustrated as all of us by the way we get treated in Europe.

Genuine question, you say he does a “great job generally” have you needed to use him? Cos I did at Manchester City this season and could I get hold of him no could I get him to sort the issue out on the day no

 

[dazzer6666]

It was also used after the game in Marseille; I got a lung full. I don’t think there was any problems after the game; seems it is used more as a routine way to get the fans on their way. Was there any trouble after the Athens game?

Loads between their fans and the police outside the ground (hence the gassing), bit of segregation handbags after the game, some bottle and glass luzzing between tiers and the segregated bits. We were all herded on to buses and shipped in convoy with a police escort back to the city centre

 

[Springal]

as mentioned - Darren Balkham (or anyone in the British police) have no power or jurisdiction to do anything apart from advise, as well as observe what is happening if anything goes a bit wrong.

I was cynical about the role but to be fair following England since they’ve been more involved policing abroad has improved, and generally we are treated well now.

 

[BHANSC]

The few AEK at the perspex afterwards would likely have very quickly given up if our handful of goons had ignored them (doesn’t excuse their pathetic stewarding in allowing them to stay there for so long trying to take a swing and throw a few bottles - main point of keeping us behind is so the home lot can be cleared out and dispersed, so just get on with it ffs). Interesting to see if the wider issues mean the club won’t take any action against them.

So it was the Brighton fans fault the AEK fans were taking swings around the perspex? Typical sort of response on here shifting the blame onto the BHA fans

And take action against who? For what?

 

[Beanstalk]

Eyelids still a bit dry but flights wouldn’t have helped with that. Nasty stuff.

FWIW whilst it would’ve been preferable not to have been second hand tear gassed, the direct treatment of Albion fans by the Greek police wasn’t bad. Just wish they’d turned up to disperse the AEK fans before the bottles started flying overhead and they began spitting over the barriers.