Northern Ireland v Greece (02/06/2022)

Through our affiliation with the Football Supporters Europe network, whose name you may have seen referenced in relation to the ongoing inquests into the events in Seville and Paris, we have been able to build strong links both with the organisation centrally and with other fans across the continent . This has not only proven beneficial to Northern Ireland fans but has in turn allowed us to help and support others based on our own experiences. Perhaps the best example of this was the infamous evening in Rotterdam in October 2019 when many members of the GAWA were late in getting to their seats due to the congestion and delays in getting through the turnstiles. Whilst we had made our Fans Embassy site visit to the stadium a couple of months prior to the fixture, unfortunately various factors led to a far from ideal situation on the night . A follow-up meeting took place in Belfast with the Dutch football federation (KNVB) before the return fixture the following month and there was an acknowledgement and at least some explanation of what had gone wrong. Our experience and the lessons learned allowed us to pass on our thoughts and advice to the Supporters Liaison Officer from Rangers ahead The recent developments surrounding the experiences of fans at both the Europa League and Champions League finals have shown the importance of good planning, good communication and why it’s vital that supporters and their representative organisations are included in those conversations both before and after fixtures. GOOD COMMUNICATION IS REQUIRED

of their Europa League match with Feyenoord at the same venue a few weeks later. The KNVB appear to have learned from the events of the Northern Ireland game and decided not to allow Welsh fans to buy tickets for the home end for their visit this month. Again we were able to speak to the Welsh Fan Embassy to offer some advice. The game against the Netherlands is an example of where things have the potential to go wrong, and thankfully there were no fatalities or injuries suffered by Northern Ireland fans on that occasion. The most important aspect of this example is the follow-up and what can be done to ensure that there’s no repeat . Hopefully the ‘Red Wall’ have a great time in Rotterdam, and we can then illustrate how good communication can work well in everyone’s interests. I’ve written in a previous matchday article about the strong relationship we’ve had with the PSNI over many years and how this, along with how we deliver our voluntary Fans Embassy service, has been held up as a model of good practice that other countries are encouraged to follow. Next month the FSE European Football Fans Congress will take place in Frankfurt over the course of four days and among a packed programme of topics will be a session dedicated to issues around national team fans. We’ve been invited to participate in this event and again this will allow us to share our own experiences, listen to others and to build on the links and friendships built over many years. GARY McALLISTER AMALGAMAT ION OF OFF ICIAL NORTHERN IRELAND SUPPORTERS’ CLUBS

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TheAmalgamation www.aonisc.co.uk

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