UKRAINE: FOOTBALL/SOCCER: Ukraine and England fans party in Donetsk ahead of Euro 2012 match

Record ID: 556423

  • Title: UKRAINE: FOOTBALL/SOCCER: Ukraine and England fans party in Donetsk ahead of Euro 2012 match
  • Date: 20th June 2012
  • Summary: DONETSK, UKRAINE (JUNE 19, 2012) (REUTERS) UKRAINIAN AND ENGLISH FANS PREPARING FOR FRIENDLY MATCH ON PITCH UKRAINIAN FANS WITH UKRAINIAN FLAG WOMAN WAVING ENGLAND FLAG (SOUNDBITE) (English) JOHN LINDS FROM LONDON, ENGLAND NATIONAL TEAM FAN AND FRIENDLY MATCH PARTICIPANT, SAYING: "It is good opportunity to represent your country and be a part of a whole Euro-2012. (Que
  • Embargoed: 5th July 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Ukraine
  • Country: Ukraine
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA3MQVG0G1E0IKCPXDDWQSBU4MO
  • Story Text: The fans of English and Ukrainian team played a friendly match in Donetsk on Tuesday (June 19) just hours before national team were due to meet on Donbass Arena stadium for a decisive clash.
    Fan team members sang national anthems on pitch of the stadium next to fan zone. English fans team members were wearing T-shirts with former Ukraine PM Yulia Tymoshenko portraits and sign reading "Free Yulia".
    "It is good opportunity to represent your country and be a part of a whole Euro-2012," said John Linds from London, a member of English fans team.
    Asked whether the outcome is important he added: "I hope not, I hope this game won't reflect on game later tonight."
    Gasan Gasanov from Ukraine fans team disagreed:
    "Of course, we should defeat the English in order for our team also to win today".
    But despite different views on the significance of the match fans of both teams behaved friendly and enjoyed the game.
    Meanwhile hundreds of English fans gathered at a pub in the centre of the city, taking over much of the street in front of the building, which was decked out in the traditional red and white colours of England.
    At one point, a small group of fans carried a make-shift coffin through the crowd in response to an earlier interview with former England captain Sol Campbell, who warned fans from travelling to Ukraine. In the interview with the BBC, he said that any fans travelling to the former Soviet country would come home in a coffin.
    Although these fans still made the trip to Donetsk, one man said many had decided not to come as a result of the Campbell interview.
    "Oh yes absolutely. I think it's frightened a lot of people off. Just because the BBC had a certain agenda to put across that Ukraine wasn't a safe place. In fact it, I find the Ukrainian people very friendly, very nice, and I've really enjoyed all the time I've spent here and will probably be coming back. So I like Ukraine," said Mick Brooks from London.
    Fans then continued to enjoy the sun and the beer and were set to be taken to the Donbass Arena by bus later in the evening.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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