[Albion] Ticket Collection Point - Roma

[East Staffs Gull]

One of the features of the ticket collection point is that it is not intended to be communicated generally, but only at the last minute to those who have purchased tickets. That doesn’t help with hotel bookings, but we know that it will be central and we have a good idea where buses are likely to collect and drop off.

 

[father_and_son]

Drives me bloody mad that organisations - solicitors, NHS, doctors, football clubs - think we all have printers - WE DON'T !!!! I have to go to the library to print anything off - I'm not paying for a printer, paper and the ink ( which dries up quickly ) just to print a form/ticket every now and then. They are all operating as though it's 1995. *** rant over ***

You could ask them to fax it to you.

 

[AstroSloth]

The Marseille Ultras were allegedly told us that we're a nice family club and not a Leeds, so told to back off - and they agreed apparently. I'm sure that will happen again. Though thorough, I did feel the police in Marseille were hands-off with us

The police in Marseille were great imo.

Made it so that trouble wouldn't start but weren't over the top with anything.

Had some nice chats with them throughout the day.

 

[Napper]

Rome will see trouble and random attacks 100%

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Rome will see trouble and random attacks 100%

Strange post.

 

[Justice]

Rome will see trouble and random attacks 100%

Not sure they will give a monkeys about Brighton fans tbh. Not saying you are wrong I just don’t see why they would bother.

 

[Stat Brother]

Strange post.

Certainly an odd way to tell everyone you're going with the sole purpose of committing trouble and random acts.

 

[Jimmy Come Lately]

Strange post.

Someone trying to make sure that ticket sales go down to tier two?

 

[seagullwedgee]

I went as a tourist to see Roma v Brescia about 20 years ago in April. I couldn’t work out why 60 minutes before the game firemen came onto the running track and hosed it down behind both goals. The amount of flares thrown onto the track when both teams came out provided the explanation. It took about 10 minutes for the smoke to clear to see both ends of the pitch.

I saw exactly the same, Roma v Regina’s about 22 years ago, incredible scenes, don’t want the flame burning the precious rubber athletics track, they were hosing them out of the sky!

 

[Peacehaven Wild Kids]

Someone trying to make sure that ticket sales go down to tier two?

Having just looked at flights etc, if I was in tier two I wouldn’t be concerned at this stage. Personally I can see another Marseille. (I stand to be corrected)

 

[Superphil]

I have also heard the rumours based on the Celtic match. Based on having been to the stadium before I really do NOT believe that we will get bussed in and back. Knowing the Italian police they will not be concerned by us and therefore, I suspect it will be make your own way to the stadium. Although getting back if the late kick off will be a pain.

It’s not a late kick off so should be all good in regards to that.

 

[Baldrick]

Guidelines for Celtic fans on visit to Rome's olympic stadium in November 2023:

Important information for fans travelling abroad

Important information for supporters travelling for the UEFA Champions League,

www.celticfc.com

 

[Baldrick]

Posted by a Celtic fan:

This is gonna be a long one and there's a TL;DR at the bottom if you can't be arsed reading it all. But would really appreciate if you read all of it.

Writing this because I needed to get this off my chest and properly detail what happened at Lazio away. Not only because it's the sort of thing that commonly happens to European away supports, especially in Spain and Italy, but because I think it can be described as a near miss. If not for several pieces of luck, it could have ended in fatalities or serious injury.

For context, I had a valid away end ticket for this game that matched my passport name. I'd had a few beers before the match but I wasn't anything more than tipsy.

We were told in advance to use the provided shuttle buses to get to the ground because of the risk from Lazio fans. We were told to report to said buses more than 4 and a half hours before kickoff despite the shuttle pickup being 20 minutes drive from the away end (it's Villa Borghese to the bottom of the Stadio Olympico, check it on Google Maps yourself if you want). As a result many fans, including me, did not catch the buses (I got a taxi) and instead made their own way to the stadium because they felt that these times were unrealistic and unfair. Those fans who did take the buses indicated the buses were significantly late in arriving, which didn't help with any of the following issues.

Signage around the away end was poor and stewards scarce on the approach. We essentially just walked towards the stadium and where we thought the away end was.

The first ticket check simply checked we had a ticket, not that it matched our ID or was even valid. The second check involved scanning our ticket to be let through a turnstile. This was despite being told to bring a passport as the only acceptable form of ID, which would then apparently be checked against the ticket name. This never happened. Many of our support were uncomfortable with the idea of bringing documents as important as passports to the game and carrying them around town all day, especially in a city that has a notorious reputation for pickpocketing.

Once through the first check, we were penned in a small enclosure with no formal queueing, just a mass crush towards the 2 or 3 working turnstiles. This took several hours (I arrived 2 hours before kickoff) and resulted in me missing the entire first half. No food, water, toilets or information were available to supporters in this area. Male supporters, through desperation not choice, were forced to urinate at the sides of the pen through fences. Female supporters and young families were in some cases forced to leave the queue out of physical distress for lack of toilets. I personally witnessed small children crying and asking their parents to leave because they were scared by the crowd and crush and by other fans who, understandably, began voicing their frustrations with the situation. Several parents put their children on their shoulders because they felt unsafe leaving them to stand, such was the crush of the crowd. At no point did anyone communicate with the fans about waiting times or explain why it was taking so long.

There were no attempts to separate fans with valid away end tickets and those of our fans attempting to access the away end with home end tickets or with forgeries before this second check. This led to these fans having their tickets rejected at the turnstiles which caused further delay and angst among fans with valid tickets. There was also no mechanism in place to stop fans with false tickets from simply joining the back of the queue and trying again, exacerbating the issue.

When we finally got to the turnstiles, scanned our tickets and got through, we were subjected to a patdown. This is standard procedure and I have no objections to it, but the steward patting me down didn't bother to adequately search me. I know this because he only checked my trouser pockets and went nowhere near the side pockets of my jacket which contained my supporters club's flag. We were told in advance of the fixture to email this flag to our club's fan liaison officer (which I did) for prior approval by the stadium authorities (which I was granted). It was never found, let alone checked. It was lucky that I was not carrying objects such as pyrotechnics or indeed something more dangerous, as I doubt they would have been found. Some fans were subjected to a second search that looked to be unfriendly and aggressive by either police or military (unclear which) and looked to be in significant distress during said searches. The reasons for these searches remain unclear to me.

At no point did anyone even attempt to apologise for what was going on or even explain the situation.

Once in the ground, the game (or what I saw of it) passed without incident, although in the last couple of days I've seen videos of Lazio fans throwing lit flares into our end.

After the game, there was a holdback of away fans. Again, this is standard and I don't object to it, there's a good reason for it, so long as it's a reasonable length of time. However, it lasted for longer than I actually spent in the ground watching the game - I estimate over an hour. Again, communication over tannoys about waiting times were never given. Fans were simply massed around entrances to the terraces, and although I was up the back of the queue to exit, it didn't look like any of the fans that were closer to the exits were receiving information from stewards.

Once out of the ground, signage and stewarding direction was again inadequate. We followed other fans to the shuttle buses intended to take us back to the centre of the city. However, it appears that not enough shuttle buses were laid on, as every bus was overcrowded and many fans still remained waiting for a bus. Me and my travelling companion only managed to access a bus because other fans on one budged up to give us room near a door and opened the door for us.

As far as I could tell, no communication was given on whether more buses would arrive for the remaining fans and on whether they should wait. Because of this lack of info and available transport, most of our fans who hadn't made it onto a bus started simply walking back into town. This is along the same route that we were told was unsafe for us to traverse in daylight, except it was now dark. So far as I could tell, it was either start walking, or wait for more buses that might never arrive, in an area near Lazio fans, who we were told may be trying to target us.

Overall, it's the worst stadium and matchday experience I've ever had as a football fan. I've been going Celtic away in Europe for 7 years and I've never felt as unsafe before as I did at Lazio. I'd appreciate hearing from anyone who was there too, or from anyone who's had similar experiences in Europe away. And in case anyone suggests this is done out of bitterness at us losing, I'll simply say that I would have still posted this if it had happened and we'd won by double figures on the night.

TL;DR At Lazio away, Celtic fans were subjected to poor communication, incompetent organisation from the Lazio authorities, poor facilities and overall a standard of care that as best can be described as uncaring, and at worst can only be described as neglect.

 

[Bozza]

Guidelines for Celtic fans on visit to Rome's olympic stadium in November 2023:

Important information for fans travelling abroad

Important information for supporters travelling for the UEFA Champions League,

www.celticfc.com

Hard to imagine it will be a single convoy of buses as that would be a LOT of buses for c3,500 people.

 

[drew]

Hard to imagine it will be a single convoy of buses as that would be a LOT of buses for c3,500 people.

I'd also question why there were no Celtic stewards to act as liaison between Lazio and the celtic fans. That said, we know from the Marseille experience re buses that they are poorly organized. In Marseille, we were on the first tranche of buses so were lucky.

 

[dwayne]

One thing's for sure I will not be taking the shuttle this time......

Athens was great . Got a taxi up, drank in the pubs near the ground. Entered the ground no issues. Will attempt this again for Rome.

All these ridiculous scare stories, if you dont make a tit of yourself, no Roma ultras are gonna be starting on you.

 

[Official Old Man]

I've done all three away games so far.
Marseille, we were told, would be hell on earth. Let's be honest, it was almost one of the most well organised trips we've been on. Yes the threats were there but I think I speak for the majority when I say the police were friendly (well most) and we were taken to and from the ground safely. OK the bus ride was horrendous along with the queues and being held back, but there were lots of friendly BHA stewards around to make sure it went safely.
Ajax. Once again lots of BHA staff on hand at the ground. Metro with the home fans was great.
Athens. Buses again which worked. Did we need them, up to each individual but the town seemed safe except for the pick-pockets.
Rome. If the club say we need to take a bus then I will. At the ground I expect to see the usual BHA stewards again working with the police.
We just have to accept that in Europe things are done differently. Armed police are the norm. English fans will always have a reputation but I believe the club will let Roma know we don't go araound looking for trouble. Go with the flow and bring back at least a draw.
PS Friday night should be the biggest party in Europe with Scotland in town, don't forget to pack a kilt!!!

 

[dwayne]

I've done all three away games so far.
Marseille, we were told, would be hell on earth. Let's be honest, it was almost one of the most well organised trips we've been on. Yes the threats were there but I think I speak for the majority when I say the police were friendly (well most) and we were taken to and from the ground safely. OK the bus ride was horrendous along with the queues and being held back, but there were lots of friendly BHA stewards around to make sure it went safely.
Ajax. Once again lots of BHA staff on hand at the ground. Metro with the home fans was great.
Athens. Buses again which worked. Did we need them, up to each individual but the town seemed safe except for the pick-pockets.
Rome. If the club say we need to take a bus then I will. At the ground I expect to see the usual BHA stewards again working with the police.
We just have to accept that in Europe things are done differently. Armed police are the norm. English fans will always have a reputation but I believe the club will let Roma know we don't go araound looking for trouble. Go with the flow and bring back at least a draw.
PS Friday night should be the biggest party in Europe with Scotland in town, don't forget to pack a kilt!!!

Hundreds of us missed kick off at Marseille after being at the shuttle square 2 hours before. Absolutely shambolic, and never again. They can't turn you away if you turn up via taxi.

 

[Baldrick]

I have been to all three Europa games too. Kept in stadium for over three hours after Marseille match. Been tear gassed in Athens.

The Olympic stadium in Rome is iconic. Has hosted a World Cup Final. Seen better days like Old Trafford.

If going:
- get to stadium at least 2 hours before kick off
- don't take young children
- if taking wife/gf ensure she is wearing a full length Dry Robe and goes commando

 

[Nicks]

Also you can drink in the ground at Roma, ( hopefully it's not that alcohol free stuff we had in Athens)so if you get in early you won't dehydrate