SPAIN: MANCHESTER UNITED FANS ARRIVE FOR THEIR TEAMS CRUCIAL CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUARTER FINAL FIRST LEG MATCH AGAINST REAL MADRID

Record ID: 337795

  • Title: SPAIN: MANCHESTER UNITED FANS ARRIVE FOR THEIR TEAMS CRUCIAL CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUARTER FINAL FIRST LEG MATCH AGAINST REAL MADRID
  • Date: 4th April 2000
  • Summary: MADRID, SPAIN (APRIL 4, 2000) 1. CAMP BERNABEU STADIUM 2. SPANISH POLICE ON PATROL OUTSIDE STADIUM 3. LINES OF PEOPLE BUYING TICKETS WHICH HAVE BEEN RELEASED ON THE DAY OF THE MATCH 4. MAN WITH TICKETS HE HAS JUST BOUGHT 5. MANCHESTER UNITED FAN MARTIN DAVIES 6. (SOUNDBITE)(ENGLISH) DAVIES SAYS I DON'T THINK THERE WILL BE TROUBLE BUT I DON'T THINK IT (SELLING TICKETS TO ALL) IS A GOOD IDEA 7. SPANISH POLICE OUTSIDE STADIUM 8. MANCHESTER UNITED FANS LEAVING ARRIVALS HALL OF AIRPORT 9. (SOUNDBITE)(ENGLISH) UNNAMED MANCHESTER FAN SAYS I'M VERY CONFIDENT, AND IT SHOULD BE A GOOD GAME. REAL MADRID WILL BE DOMINANT IN THE FIRST TWENTY MINUTES AND THEN WE WILL COME BACK AND AWAY WE GO 10. BAR 11. MANCHESTER UNITED FANS DRINKING AND CHANTING SOCCER SONGS 12. (SOUNDBITE)(ENGLISH) UNNAMED MANCHESTER FAN SAYS I THINK WE CAN WIN BUT IT WILL BE A TIGHT GAME.. WE WILL WIN 2-1. WE ARE GOOD AT THE BACK AND THE FRONT, BUT I SUSPECT THEY ARE WEAK AT THE BACK AND I THINK WE CAN BEAT THEM 13. O'NEILLS IRISH PUB 14. (SOUNDBITE)(ENGLISH) CRISTOBAL LAPIQUE, MANAGER OF O'NEILLS, SAYING WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WE WILL DO AFTER THE GAME, WE MAY END UP CLOSING AFTER THE GAME AS AFTER THE MATCH THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT BEING ARRESTED BUT BEFORE THE GAME THEIR BEHAVIOUR HAS BEEN PERFECT, I CAN'T COMPLAIN AT ALL ABOUT THEIR BEHAVIOUR. 15. FANS SINGING, ONE SPEAKING ON A MOBILE PHONE SAYS I'M ON THE TELLY (TELEVISION) AT THE MOMENT 16. (SOUNDBITE)(ENGLISH) ANOTHER MANCHESTER UNITED FAN SAYS WE'LL DEFINITELY WIN, I'D SAY 3-1, OR EVEN 4-1 17. POLICE OUTSIDE THE STADIUM 18. LINE OF FANS WAITING FOR TICKETS LATE IN AFTERNOON 19. POLICE VANS DRIVING AROUND BEHIND STADIUM Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 19th April 2000 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: MADRID, SPAIN
  • Country: Spain
  • Reuters ID: LVAJXS6618G6L1DGONDEYYHKUQ9
  • Story Text: Manchester United fans have been arriving in Madrid
    for the Champions League quarter-final first leg match against
    Real Madrid.

    At the same time Real Madrid announced it had put between
    4,000 and 5,000 tickets for the match on open sale, which
    might mean Manchester United fans watching the game amidst
    Real Madrid fans.

    The tickets were made available at the Bernabeu
    stadium from 0900 GMT on Tuesday (April 4) -- with no
    restrictions on who buys them.

    "The tickets are on sale to whoever wants to buy them," a
    spokeswoman told Reuters."There are seats available
    throughout the ground."
    The decision to put the tickets on the open market means
    any Manchester United supporters buying tickets on Tuesday
    could find themselves among home fans.

    Martin Davies, a Manchester United fan outside the
    stadium, said he didn't think putting such tickets on sale was
    a good idea.He said he thought there wouldn't be any trouble
    but disagreed with the policy.

    The spokeswoman said Real Madrid had no concerns regarding
    United fans mixing with home supporters, however.

    "The police will be outside to make sure nobody drunk or
    wild gets in," she added.

    Spanish police, who met with officials from Real Madrid on
    Tuesday morning to discuss final arrangements for security,
    said a total of 1,000 officers would be involved on Tuesday
    night, manning the airports, the main routes to the stadium
    and at the game itself.

    British police have told their Spanish counterparts that
    there are no known trouble-makers expected to make the trip,
    although they are continuing to monitor the situation.

    "We're not worried about the match," a spokesman for
    Spain's national police force said."We've been told that
    there are no significant numbers of violent fans in Madrid."
    Christobal Lapique, manager of O'Neills Irish pub in the
    city, said the English fans had behaved perfectly but he would
    decide later whether he would open after the match or not.He
    said fans were always careful not to be arrested before a
    match as they would miss the game, but afterwards they did not
    have so much to lose.

    Police have said there are no plans to systematically
    breathalyse fans outside the ground, although they insist no
    drunken supporters will be allowed in to see the game.

    If United supporters do have trouble outside the ground,
    Real Madrid have established an imformation point at gate
    number 33, where there will be representatives from the
    British embassy.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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