Euro 2020 – Travel Headaches

In 1990 a friend and I began a journey by bus from Glasgow on a balmy Saturday June evening to Italia 90. Travel through France, which appeared shut and Switzerland on the Sunday, before arriving in Genoa in time to see Costa Rica’s shock 1-0 win over Scotland. Football aside the holiday in Italy saw us share an incredible experience with global football fans, as well the Tartan Army. A tour guide selling excursions to Scotland fans, ended the meeting asking – Any other questions ? and was met with the reply – Aye ! Why was Aitken playing ?. She must have smiled as big Roy was tripped in the box to give Scotland the penalty, converted by Maurice Johnston which is still Scotland’s most recent winning goal at a World Cup. We had caught the bug of travelling to major tournaments, and although we were in Paris to see Scotland open France 98 against Brazil, Scotland’s subsequent lack of success on the pitch led us to Euro 2004 in Lisbon and 2008 in Vienna as a footballing holidays. Lisbon was a superb experience again meeting fans from around the word, not just European. The sight German and Czech fans congregate and party together in one of Lisbon’s main squares on the Wednesday afternoon was the prelude to the German’s eliminated following a 2-1 defeat in their final group stage game. The following day saw a peaceful invasion by England fans who would lose out after David Beckham’s penalty shoot-out blunder to the hosts who partied late into the Lisbon night. Our final game in Lisbon saw the reigning Champions France lose out to surprise packets and eventual winners Greece. The Greek fans taking over many hotels and swapping shirts with English fans was just one of the many happy scenes we witnessed as the football fans partied late night after night watching televised games in bars as well as those taking place in Portugal’s capital. We met a neutral fan who just loved football but had bought Follow Your Team tickets for Greece, and with their unexpected success was trying to sell his Semi Final and Final vouchers as he couldn’t afford the time or the money to stay for the rest of the tournament. The recent opening of Euro 2020 ticket portal and press articles criticising ticket prices, with the advent of “Week of Football” where TV is taking precedence for match scheduling over fans attending games, is leading to dangerous precedents for the future of International football. The spread of Euro 2020 across 14 European Cities has led me to think about the fans who will be purchasing Follow Your Team tickets and the logistics involved, there will be no ore partying in one country, in a few host cities the games will be spread across the continent and only the very rich or local corporate guests will be in attendance. The UEFA executives will be fine flying around Europe but what of the fans, never mind the actual players they will be watching. I do wonder how many top players will pick up mysterious injuries on the eve of the tournament, once they realise the amount of travelling they will be asked to do. Looking at the Fixture and Venue schedule the travel and time scales is quite staggering. On 7 July 2020 Wembley Stadium in London will host the first semi-final between Italy and Germany. I may be wrong , but looking at the way Euro 2020 has been organised assuming they qualify Italy will play three Group Games in Rome, assuming they win Group A, before travelling to London for a last 16 game against Group C runner-up with the winner travelling on to a Quarter Final in Munich, against the last 16 winner from Bilbao, and a potential return trip to London for the semi-final. This from Group A where one country will open the tournament in Baku , fly to Rome to play their second game and then return to Baku for their final game, and if they finish second will then travel on Amsterdam, before travelling back to Baku if they win their last 16 game against Group B Runners up, for a Quarter Final. Germany similarly will host three games in Munich before as expected Group winners would face a 3rd place team in Burcharest before a Quarter Final in St Petersburg, against the winner of the Copenhagen last 16 games , and then on to the semi final in London. The Other semi final the following day will see the Dutch who host three groups, before as expected Group winners will travel to Budapest to face a 3rd placed team then move on to Baku to face the winners of the last 16 game from Amsterdam. The Dutch would then travel to London for the semi final where they could face England. England if as their media and supporters will expect to win Group D would travel to Dublin before a trip to Rome for their Quarter Final against the winner of last 16 game in Glasgow which is likely to be Spain. It may be great for TV and for local fans to see major football matches in their city but for the players, officials and particularly fans there is going to be a lot of very expensive last minute hotel and flight bookings, although more like sitting at home watching on TV. I wouldn’t be buying Follow Your Team tickets unless I had a great liking for airports and a massive bank account. Euro 2020 might be very costly to purchase tickets but that is a drop in the ocean to the cost and time travelling between venues spread as far apart as Baku , Dublin, Copenhagen & St Petersburg. The fun will begin with the draw in Bucharest on 30th November, but due to the playoffs in March there could be a further draw on 1st April. The playoffs could be even more fun for travelling fans with the finals taking place a few days after the semi finals, potentially in different countries, but don’t worry they will be on TV and that’s all that matters to the powerbrokers of the beautiful game. Euro2020 will be the tournament that stops football fans following their team, a very dangerous precedent for the future of the game as a spectator sport.