Millea: It was a miracle Athens was not a disaster

May 30 2007 Liverpool Daily Post

Peter Millea, chairman of Liverpool council's Ground Safety Advisory Group, writes a report of his experience

Peter Millea has asked the following questions in his report to the FSF

* WHY do UEFA not wait until the two finalists are known before they decide upon the allocation?

* Do they take action against those who receive tickets from sponsors and sell them on, in the same way they threaten to take action against those who buy from their clubs and intend to make money therefrom?

* Why were tickets so freely available in Athens from taxi drivers and others?

* Why were different groups of police and ticket checkers told different messages about the stadium's ability to allow in any more fans?

* Why did the barricade outside the Stadium (one hour before kick off) take so long to allow people through?

* Why were tickets checked for authenticity so late in the day, when it appears forgeries were not even challenged earlier in the evening?

* Why have holograms and bar codes on tickets, when the turnstiles are not equipped to accept them? That alone would have prevented huge numbers of forgeries from gaining access.

* Will UEFA recompense ticket holders who were denied admission? Liverpool fans should not have to rely on the generous offer from the Club owners, as UEFA made a killing on this match. I do not want reimbursing, as I am grateful that I managed to get in, however poor the view and the fact I only saw half a game.