World Cup venues 'risky for fans'

BBC: World Cup venues 'risky for fans'

Found via Toytown Munich: World Cup venues 'risky for fans'

Update


Basically that sounds like Fifa don't like the report, and are attempting to dis-credit it.

Source: CNN International

Basically, if you judge it on British standards post-Hillsborough the Berlin stadium is a monumental f*** up! The reason Hillsborough happened was because fans couldn't be released onto the pitch. Here they've created the potential for exactly the same thing to happen again. The entire pitch is surrounded by a 2.7 metre deep moat that cannot be crossed. They only have the facility to put some temporary rope bridges across which takes time. In a test it took the 20 mins to evacuate only 5000 people. Pschologically I would find it very uncomfortable if I was there and the stadium was full. They need to admit the mistake and fill it in quick!

I take your point, though it's not as if Berlin's the only ground in Europe to have a perimeter moat. The ground in Lisbon (Jose Alvalade) at Euro 2004 also had a great big moat. It had bridges across though. That's what I'd assume they might do in Berlin.

[img]http://www.tecnep.pt/projectos/gfx/estadioAlvaladeB.jpg[/img]

FIFA expressly reccomends that stadiums have a barrier, defined as fencing, a moat, or both, between the stands and the pitch in order to prevent pitch invasions. The moat might be a bad idea, but it is FIFA prescribed.

It also should be pointed out the the Berlin Olympic stadium has had its moat since 1932. If it is such a problem maybe it ought to have been fixed some time in the past 74 years, not 5 months before the World Cup starts. Also bear in the mind the nature of World Cup crowds: far less charged than top level club crowds. If there is going to be a problem, it won't be at the World Cup.

Personally I think this is typical German hand-wringing. The stadiums are perfectly safe in my opinion. I'd be much more concerned about avoiding problems like those in Frankfurt this summer with the stadium roof.

If think it could be quite charged if you end up with England v Germany ( or Italy ) or such a game ( unless of course nobody gets in because they haven't got any tickets ).

Better safe than sorry if you ask me. I agree there should be some kind of barrier which has the facility to be opened in an emergency, i.e. crowd trouble, a fire, terrorist attack. I don't think a moat is the best solution.