England fans stranded in Gelsenkirchen for hours after Euro 2024 win over Serbia as they slam ‘absolute disgrace’
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 by beating Serbia 1-0 at Arena AufSchalke.
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 were 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.
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 match goer 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.”
Ahead of the game, seven Serbia fans were arrested by local police.
Of those, one was subsequently charged with grievous bodily harm.
How England rated vs Serbia... as Bellingham shines but TWO big names get 5s
JUDE BELLINGHAM was England’s head boy as Gareth Southgate’s side made a winning start in Germany.
The Real Madrid superstar oozed class throughout and broke the deadlock with only 13 minutes played thanks to an excellent header, dispatching Bukayo Saka’s deflected cross.
But, despite the brilliant start, it was a nervy affair here in Gelsenkirchen.
Serbia exerted significant pressure in the second half, with a few narrow escapes for Southgate’s men.
Harry Kane barely had a kick and the Premier League’s player of the year Phil Foden struggled to have any influence on the left of the Three Lions’ front three.
Here’s how SunSport’s Tom Barclay rated England’s stars… with TWO stars getting just a 5.