“The enclosure stayed locked for most of the game, and I was stuck at the far end. I couldn’t leave to use the toilet until half-time, and I kept wondering what would happen in an emergency like a fire. I felt trapped and uneasy.”
“My personal assistant was kept outside the enclosure, and I worried my phone would die in an emergency because power banks weren’t allowed.”
“I get that the cage is supposed to protect us from home fans, and the journeys to and from the stadium were efficient, with friendly police and stewards, but it’s 2026—there has to be a better way.”
Jane Boland, 61, Liverpool fan in Marseille, France: “Riot police made getting in and out of the stadium really difficult. We were told to arrive at a meeting point more than four hours before kick-off, then kept in overcrowded areas for ages, often with poor or no toilet access.”
“Leaving took over two hours after full-time—the longest I’ve ever experienced. We were packed on stairwells for what felt like forever, and my back was in bits afterwards. I heard someone fainted and needed medical help; in hindsight, I’m surprised it was only one.”
“After two days of everything going well and friendly interactions between both sets of fans, we were herded like cattle.”
“I spent about £1,000 on the trip, most of it in Marseille, so it really stings to be treated so badly as a ‘customer’.”
Sue Fox, 68, Spurs fan in Frankfurt, Germany: “Transport was generally efficient. The meeting point was well organised, and the police gave clear instructions.”
“After a train ride, we were marched through a very dark, muddy forest for about half an hour. When we arrived, the gates were locked, so we queued for an hour, crammed together. It was uncomfortable and unacceptable.”
“The men could use the bushes, but what were we supposed to do? It was nearly two hours without a toilet.”
“Inside, the only women’s toilet was in the home end, so we had to go there, which felt wrong and potentially unsafe.”