Liverpool caution fans about stadium before trip to Turkish capital

Oct 2 2007 by Alan Weston, Liverpool Daily Post

LIVERPOOL FC is warning fans of conditions inside the stadium where the team is due to play their next Champions League game later this month.

A party from Anfield recently visited Besiktas’s BJK Inönü Stadium in Istanbul ahead of the match on October 24.

They found the visiting supporters’ area, which is accessed from the rear of the stadium, enclosed by eight foot high metal fences on three sides with netting above.

The entry point to the stadium is via a single file staircase up to the turnstiles, and the view of the pitch from the away enclosure is “extremely poor”.

The disabled area for Liverpool fans is at the opposite end to where the visiting fans will be housed and is among the home supporters. Also, toilet and refreshment facilities are said to be “extremely basic”.

Liverpool FC, which expects to receive 1,400 tickets for the match, have raised their concerns over conditions inside the stadium with Besiktas.

Les Lawson, secretary of the Merseyside branch of the Official Liverpool Supporters’ Club, said: “You would think Uefa would bring in a safety standard. The safety of spectators is paramount. If there is any possibility that a stadium is not safe, it should not be used.

“The club is right to raise concerns – let’s hope Uefa do something.”

A Liverpool FC spokesman said: “We brought this information to our fans’ attention because it’s going to take much longer to access the Besiktas stadium than an English ground.

“Also, fans are going to have an extremely poor view of the game.

“We thought it better to flag this up in advance because it is quite a long way to travel.”

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