[Football] UK Football Policing Unit - Fan experience in Europe report

[Barry Izbak]

In December 2023, PC Darren Balkham, Dedicated Football Officer (DFO) of Sussex Police, approached the Fan Advisory Board to ask if they would consult with a small number of Albion fans that had travelled to our away matches in Europe. This was to seek feedback, about their experiences travelling abroad, in a prescribed format.
The feedback was to be in three specific categories: Safety, Security and Service.

The submission from those supporters would then form part of a nationwide report being compiled by the United Kingdom’s Football Policing Unit.

The final report was published this month (February 2024), featuring feedback from fans of nine clubs that have competed in Europe in the past few years. You may have heard it being discussed in the news last week.

The report is being submitted to UEFA and European Police.

You can read a PDF copy of the report by clicking here. It includes the experiences of Leicester fans when they visited AS Roma in 2021/22

 

[Official Old Man]

Olympique de Marseille - Supporters enjoyed the city and benefitted from thorough information provided by the French police pre-event.
From a BHA fan. Really, I was trapped, along with 1000's more, in our hotel.
ATHENS & the tear gas. Credit to the team in the kiosk who were throwing out bottles of water to the Albion fans as we left.

 

[Bombardier]

In December 2023, PC Darren Balkham, Dedicated Football Officer (DFO) of Sussex Police, approached the Fan Advisory Board to ask if they would consult with a small number of Albion fans that had travelled to our away matches in Europe. This was to seek feedback, about their experiences travelling abroad, in a prescribed format.
The feedback was to be in three specific categories: Safety, Security and Service.

The submission from those supporters would then form part of a nationwide report being compiled by the United Kingdom’s Football Policing Unit.

The final report was published this month (February 2024), featuring feedback from fans of nine clubs that have competed in Europe in the past few years. You may have heard it being discussed in the news last week.

The report is being submitted to UEFA and European Police.

You can read a PDF copy of the report by clicking here. It includes the experiences of Leicester fans when they visited AS Roma in 2021/22

That's an excellent read. Thank you for sharing.

 

[Sussax]

Interesting to note that Leicester rated Roma exactly the same as we rated Athens.

Mediocre/Poor/Poor (Safety/Security/Service).

Great read.

Edit - credit also to Darren Balkham who appears to be the only DFO who inputted comments against the supporters club feedback.

 

[Commander]

Olympique de Marseille - Supporters enjoyed the city and benefitted from thorough information provided by the French police pre-event.
From a BHA fan. Really, I was trapped, along with 1000's more, in our hotel.
ATHENS & the tear gas. Credit to the team in the kiosk who were throwing out bottles of water to the Albion fans as we left.

Trapped!? How?

 

[ROSM]

Interested that some of the issues on the metro from city centre to the cruyff arena didnt make the report.

Marseille and athens look spot on to me. It was the 40mins after the game and the 5mins getting into the ground that slightly tainted a great few days of the latter

 

[Napper]

Great post. Killed a good hour getting stuck into that report.

Should be interesting afterwards based on that.

 

[Terry Butcher Tribute Act]

Useful to note the feedback on the Roma buses

 

[B-right-on]

Trapped!? How?

I remember heraring about it at the time on here.

Arsegas:

Albion fans 'collapse' after being kept in hot stadium for hours

Brighton fans 'collapsed from dehydration' after waiting for up to two hours in the hot concourses of Olympique de Marseille’s stadium with “no…

www.theargus.co.uk

 

[Official Old Man]

Trapped!? How?

By 'trapped' I meant unable to leave our hotel under advice from the club and police. By that I think we all got the feeling it was best not to visit any bars. The few that did go out on the Wednesday evening soon returned.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

By 'trapped' I meant unable to leave our hotel under advice from the club and police. By that I think we all got the feeling it was best not to visit any bars. The few that did go out on the Wednesday evening soon returned.

I don’t ever recall the club or the police advising us to stay in our hotels in Marseille.

what happened on the Wednesday that necessitated returning so soon?

 

[dazzer6666]

By 'trapped' I meant unable to leave our hotel under advice from the club and police. By that I think we all got the feeling it was best not to visit any bars. The few that did go out on the Wednesday evening soon returned.

So ‘chose not to’ rather than ‘unable’ ?

 

[Right Back]

By 'trapped' I meant unable to leave our hotel under advice from the club and police. By that I think we all got the feeling it was best not to visit any bars. The few that did go out on the Wednesday evening soon returned.

Had a great night out on the Wednesday evening with no problems at all.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Had a great night out on the Wednesday evening with no problems at all.

Same.

 

[dazzer6666]

In December 2023, PC Darren Balkham, Dedicated Football Officer (DFO) of Sussex Police, approached the Fan Advisory Board to ask if they would consult with a small number of Albion fans that had travelled to our away matches in Europe. This was to seek feedback, about their experiences travelling abroad, in a prescribed format.
The feedback was to be in three specific categories: Safety, Security and Service.

The submission from those supporters would then form part of a nationwide report being compiled by the United Kingdom’s Football Policing Unit.

The final report was published this month (February 2024), featuring feedback from fans of nine clubs that have competed in Europe in the past few years. You may have heard it being discussed in the news last week.

The report is being submitted to UEFA and European Police.

You can read a PDF copy of the report by clicking here. It includes the experiences of Leicester fans when they visited AS Roma in 2021/22

Thanks for posting…..interesting read.

 

[jackalbion]

By 'trapped' I meant unable to leave our hotel under advice from the club and police. By that I think we all got the feeling it was best not to visit any bars. The few that did go out on the Wednesday evening soon returned.

I wouldn’t say trapped, went out for a few beers, got a “visit” from a few local ultras but all was fine back at 4am. One of my favourite nights following the club.

 

[CheeseRolls]

Updated report is available here.
https://bhasc.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/European-Awaydays-Fan-Survey-2023-24-version-4.pdf

 

[Gazwag]

My daughter still has a scar on her thigh from the tear gas burn she got

 

[cunning fergus]

By 'trapped' I meant unable to leave our hotel under advice from the club and police. By that I think we all got the feeling it was best not to visit any bars. The few that did go out on the Wednesday evening soon returned.

It’s posts like this that make NSC such a joy to read. I know these types of people, they’re easy to spot, they are still wearing face masks, they turn the tap off when they clean their teeth and are happy to pay the BBC licence fee.

They would definitely have taken their passport with them when they went to the Marseille game and absolutely not got on it down the Old Port. Hence the moaning about the coach trip to the match.

Priceless.

 

[Washie]

It’s posts like this that make NSC such a joy to read. I know these types of people, they’re easy to spot, they are still wearing face masks, they turn the tap off when they clean their teeth and are happy to pay the BBC licence fee.

They would definitely have taken their passport with them when they went to the Marseille game and absolutely not got on it down the Old Port. Hence the moaning about the coach trip to the match.

Priceless.

You like paying more to water companies?