 LIVERPOOL fans were tear-gassed and baton charged by Greek police amid chaotic scenes at the Olympic Stadium in Athens. Today shocked fans said the “shambolic organisation” of the Champions League final led to: Ugly scenes and heavy-handed police tactics Thousands of people with forged tickets getting into the stadium Genuine ticket holders were not allowed in to see the game by Greek police Clashes breaking out before kick off as police lost control at entry points to the ground. Fans queuing up were told the stadium was full and they would not be allowed in but as angry supporters begged to be allowed in they were pushed back by riot police who hit out with batons. When they refused to disperse, police fired tear gas at them, causing scores to flee the area with streaming eyes. Reds supporter Vicky Campbell, 29, from Hunts Cross, said: “We got through the first two ticket check rings around the ground and just as I approached the turnstile, this man came out and said the stadium was full. “I just couldn’t believe what I was hearing. There were hundreds of people in my section who had genuine tickets and were locked out. “People got angry, there was no violence or anything, but the police came out and started firing the tear gas. “It was dreadful - so unnecessary. There were children in the crowd and the police just didn’t give them a second thought.” Reds fan Nick Page told the ECHO he was deeply shocked by what he had seen. He said: “It was an absolute disgrace. “I managed to get in but I know loads of people with tickets who were stuck outside. “The police just started hitting out at them with batons, it was horrible. “I can’t believe they used tear gas - there were women and kids there and all they were guilty of was wanting to see their team in the European Cup final.” There were also claims that Liverpool supporters had attempted to rush the gates. One fence had been pulled down. Mike Connerty, from Bootle, said he turned away from the stadium rather than trying to get in when he saw the trouble. He said: “There’d been rumours going around all day that the gates were going to get rushed. “I told my mates we’d have to get to the ground before then but we got held up in traffic and when we got there I saw a gang of lads pulling a fence down because the police wouldn’t let them in. “The next thing, the police just waded in, hitting anyone who was in their way. “It got really bad so I just walked away.” Billy Spears, from Croxteth, said: “It was a joke. Every step of the way the Greek police slowed up the movement of fans into the stadium and this caused bottlenecks. “I’m a big lad but I don’t mind admitting it was scary. People were panicking more and more as kick-off time approached and all of a sudden the police told us no-one else would be getting into the ground. “Then they started pushing us back to try and clear the concourse but all of a sudden they started hitting out at us. “I got hit once across the legs just for being there. Then they started using pepper spray because some lads at the back of the crowd had started throwing stuff. “I can’t believe it happened, to be honest. I never got to see the game but I’m not even that bothered. I’m just stunned.” Despite insisting they would be able to deal with the problem of an estimated 5,000 forged tickets being in circulation, the Greek force was unable to cope. Around 120 fans were arrested for possessing forged tickets, but many, many more managed to breach security and the so-called ring of steel. There were four ticket checks on the way into the stadium but they were breached, with genuine tickets being passed back by hand and thousands with forgeries managing to avoid the scanners. That resulted in thousands more people being in the Liverpool end than the stands were supposed to hold. Mike Hill, from Formby, slammed Uefa and the Greek authorities for failing to deal with the situation. He said: “The organisation was a shambles but no one at Uefa will take any responsibility. “The whole situation could have been avoided if they’d given Liverpool a decent ticket allocation instead of the scandalously low 17,000 they gave us. “All that did was make fans desperate and that gave the touts and the forgers the chance to cash in.” Philip Smart, from Fairfield, added: “We were treated like cattle. “At every single checkpoint we were jostled by the police and people were genuinely scared. “It is a joke that Uefa could choose a stadium which doesn’t have turnstiles for such a huge game” Video journalist Jessica Shaughnessy - who works for the ECHO’s sister paper, the Liverpool Daily Post - got caught up in a scramble outside the ground, triggered by an announcement that the ground was full. Jessica, whose footage of the incident can be seen at www.liverpoolecho.co.uk, said: “As fans were coming out of the Metro station, an announcement was made that the stadium was full. “There were still a lot of Liverpool fans trying to get to the ground, with legitimate tickets. “They started running towards the front of the pen which fans coming out of the Metro were put in until there was space closer to the ground. They were shouting ‘We have tickets’. “The police then appeared, pushing people back with their shields. “The crowd got angry and one fan shouted ‘Ambush, run at them’. “Then a few of them ran towards the police, jumped over the fence, while the police on megaphones were shouting ‘Get back, get back, stay back’ and they sprayed the tear gas into the pen.” No one from Uefa or the Greek police force responded to the ECHO’s messages requesting their response over the chaos in Athens. Were you caught up in the chaos at the Olympic Stadium? Contact the ECHO to tell us your story on 0151 4722488 or email news@liverpoolecho.co.uk Oliver, 11, tells of terror at the Olympic stadium EXHAUSTED fans on today’s first flights home from Athens told tales of a night they would never forget - for all the wrong reasons. Some had been teargassed and manhandled by Greek police, others refused entry to the stadium because people with forged tickets had stolen their seats. Eleven-year-old Oliver Tasker, from Allerton, was part of a group of five who were among the hundreds teargassed as they tried to make their way into the stadium. Oliver said: “It happened very quickly - I started to cry and sneeze. “It lasted for about ten minutes then more riot police came. I was very scared and I was trying to keep by my dad because I couldn’t open my eyes.” Oliver’s dad, John, said: “The whole thing was a total disgrace. There was no organisation, no direction and no thought to the safety of many thousands of people.” Paul Schwartz, also of Allerton, said: “I felt very angry. “We arrived with an hour and three quarters to spare but despite that, and despite having legitimate tickets, it was chaotic.” All those who were stranded were told to wait to be taken to a holding area so they could watch the match on a big screen. But nothing happened and most drifted off. Paul Boyle, from Maghull, said: “There wasn’t just tear gas - they had shields and batons and really forced their way into the crowd. “I never once got my ticket checked - I have it with me now, it’s a legitimate ticket and it was a waste of money because people with forgeries or even no tickets were just walking through the gates. “They shouldn’t hold these kinds of events in countries which obviously can’t handle them.” There were also scenes of chaos at Athens airport where hundreds of stranded fans found themselves queuing for planes that did not seem to exist. Reds fan Andy Degan, of Lydiate, said: “We were herded like cattle for our flight, which was supposed to take off at 3.05am. “We have been told it will leave now at 1.15pm by airport staff, but we’ve had no other information than that. “Everyone is fed up; after what happened at the stadium this is the final straw.”
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