Liverpool fan speaks out after Champions League final 'bedlam'

Dad-of-one Neil Bradshaw, of Cuddington, had been looking forward to seeing his beloved Reds take on Real Madrid in Paris on May 28.

But shortly after arriving in the French capital with a friend, things began to take a turn for the worse before the situation escalated outside the gates at the Stade de France.

The match, originally scheduled for kick-off at 9pm local time, was delayed twice with fans struggling to get through the turnstiles and police deploying tear gas as French nationals without tickets caused trouble at the stadium.

Neil, who grew up in the Wirral and has been following Liverpool across Europe since 2001, was lucky enough to make it into the stadium relatively safely as the chaos unfolded.

The 36-year-old said: "You expect the Champions League final to be a special occasion.

"The build up in the afternoon was really good. Everyone was good humoured, good natured and enjoying the bands and things.

Neil outside the Stade de France before the trouble unfolded (Neil Bradshaw)

"We got the Metro across to the stadium about 6pm. Immediately as we got to the Stade de France we could see the whole mood changed.

"There were tons of people everywhere, which is what you'd expect at a final but it was just the backlog of people from the stadium.

"Next to us there was a pregnant woman in the queue and because the build up started to get quite intense and heavy people were having to surround her.

"It was really difficult at the turnstiles. There was only one gate open and we got through about 8.15pm.

"There was lots of pushing and shoving. We saw the people climbing over the fence which, as it transpires, were the locals. It wasn't the Liverpool fans.

Neil with his son Henry watching Liverpool take on Burnley (Neil Bradshaw)

"A lot of people were stuck, some of them with kids were crying out for help and there was just not assistance from the stewards or the police.

"Never in my life have I been in a situation like that. I've never seen anything like that. Some of the older folks compared it to the Hillsborough scenario.

"I remember complaining that my eyes stinging. The next thing we knew, there was a lot of people running around, a lot of commotion and we could see a cloud which was clearly the tear gas.

"As people started to filter in, we were seeing absolute bedlam. People were coming in complaining about pain with their eyes. A lot of people came into the ground really shaken up.

"From then on it was more the game was insignificant, rather people thinking how do we get out of here and feeling really unsafe.

Police used tear gas at the stadium (Adam Davy/PA)

"There were a lot of kids crying , a lot of very shaken up people. For lots of people there it was their first experience of the final and it's not what they were expecting."

Neil has joined other Liverpool fans in sharing his experience at the final and has written to his MP Edward Timpson about the matter.

He added: "From here it's important that the club does take a strong, firm stance with UEFA.

"For me, it's really important that from here it's recognised it was not the fault at all of Liverpool supporters, it was certainly the manner by which it was handled by the French authorities."

Edward Timpson CBE, MP for Eddisbury, said: "I unite with UEFA in saying the Champions' League final at the Stade de France should have been a celebration of European club football, and am aggrieved Liverpool fans, including my constituents, had to experience or witness frightening and distressing events in the build-up to the match.

"Liverpool fans travelled in good time. There was no excuse for what happened. No football fan should be put in that situation, and it must not happen again.

Liverpool fans were stuck outside the Stade de France causing the Champions League final to be delayed (Adam Davy/PA)

"Parliament has discussed the matter today, and ministers have assured the Commons the Department for Culture, Media & Sport will be working closely with Liverpool Football Club to represent fans' experiences.

"Fans should send their accounts of what happened to the club, which is collating evidence, and also be assured the French Government will pursue compensation for fans with valid tickets who were refused entry.

"I welcome the announcement of the French Government's own review, as well as the UEFA-commissioned independent review into the incident, but only as long as they truly seek to get to the bottom of what happened, and form a basis for holding those responsible - including the Parisian Préfecture de Police, other public national and local authorities, and the stadium operator - properly accountable for their actions.

"The French Government has already assured UK ministers that there will be sanctions taken against any police officer who misused tear gas.

"This is unspeakable, unprovoked, violent treatment of British nationals overseas, by the same public servants who are paid to protect them. It cannot be allowed to slip.

"I have already written to both the Foreign Secretary and the Culture Secretary to express both my and my constituents' concerns, and look forward to their responses."

A spokesman for UEFA, the governing body for European football, said: "UEFA wishes to sincerely apologise to all spectators who had to experience or witness frightening and distressing events in the build-up to the Champions League final at the Stade de France in Paris, on a night which should have been a celebration of European club football.

Neil's view of the pitch once inside the stadium (Neil Bradshaw)

"No football fan should be put in that situation, and it must not happen again.

"To that end, immediately after the events, UEFA commissioned an independent review to identify shortcomings and responsibilities of all entities involved in the organisation of the final.

"The independent review aims at understanding what happened in the build-up to the final, and determining what lessons should be learned to ensure there is no repeat of the actions and events of that day."