GEL ON EARTH
England fans stranded in Gelsenkirchen for hours after Euro 2024 win over Serbia as they slam ‘absolute disgrace’
Issues stemmed from a specific organisational error
ENGLAND fans were left stranded in Gelsenkirchen for up to three hours following the Three Lions' clash with Serbia last night.
Gareth Southgate's side opened their Euro 2024 campaign with a 1-0 win at Arena AufSchalke.
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Three Lions fans packed out the stands in support of their side, with 30,000 of them believed to have travelled to Gelsenkirchen.
After the game, many had issues getting back to their accommodations.
Arena AufSchalke is located around four miles from Gelsenkirchen's city centre.
Thousands of supporters relied on trams and shuttle buses in order to get to and from the stadium.
Fans were left waiting for hours, when trams frustratingly came to a halt.
According to The Guardian, issues largely stemmed from a fan park being hosted on the edge of town, which required supporters to cross the tramway in order to get to arranged shuttle buses.
This organisational error is said to have caused numerous delays to the tram network, with many left stuck and unable to proceed.
Amid the wait, some fans even decided to walk.
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Gelsenkirchen's main train station takes around 90 minutes to reach on foot from Arena AufSchalke.
According to Sky Sports, local police praised supporters for their behaviour in difficult circumstances.
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They confessed to a "significant backlog" due to a "large flow of visitors".
No fan trouble was detected on transport lines despite many frustrations.
Several fans have taken to social media to complain about the poor organisation.
One matchgoer wrote: "It’s 12.40am - nearly two hours after the final whistle in Gelsenkirchen - and tens of thousands of fans are still in a massive queue to get a tram from the stadium to the city.
"One safety steward, apologising to fans, has branded the organising of tonight’s game 'a disgrace'."
While reporter James Olley shared a video of the scene, adding: "This really isn’t great.
"Gelsenkirchen main station packed with fans still trying to get away but trains either not turning up or delayed. Game finished almost 3 hours ago."
A further supporter commented ahead of the game: "Absolute chaos for England fans in Gelsenkirchen. Trams not moving anywhere out of the station, little info being given. Will be tight for many with kick-off in a couple of hours."
And another claimed: "Worst post match experience I’ve ever had - 4 hours to get back to the hotel and I was one of the quicker ones.
"Lots of fans still stuck at Gelsenkirchen station."
A further social media user added: "Gelsenkirchen was one of the worst fan experiences I’ve ever had.
"Next to no transport to get fans home, didn’t anyone tell them they were hosting the Euros?
"England fans with young kids having to walk the hour and a half back to the train station, absolute shambles."
After the game, Bogestra, responsible for transport in Gelsenkirchen, claimed that "it is normal to wait" when 50,000 people are trying to get home.
They added that their concept "worked overall", and that their target was to get everybody transported within two hours of the final whistle.
Bogestra also claimed that social media "overrated" the issues, and that it is "impossible" to have all fans moved within an hour.
They alleged that fans used emergency brakes before the game, which led to some of the delays.
But they also concluded that they are "analysing" the situation ahead of further Euro 2024 matches in Gelsenkirchen.
Arena AufSchalke is next set to be used on Thursday for Spain's hotly-anticipated group stage clash with Italy.
It will then host two further games during the tournament; Georgia vs Portugal on June 26 and a round of 16 match on June 30.
Read more on the Irish Sun
Ahead of last night's game, seven Serbia fans were arrested by local police.
Of those, one was subsequently charged with grievous bodily harm.
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