Champions League final treatment was really traumatic, fan says

Ms Gower (above left, with sister Clare) said the atmosphere in the fan park was "great"

Liverpool fan Suzanne Gower says what happened to her at the Champions League final in Paris has left her so terrified she will never go to a European away match again.

French police have been criticised for firing pepper spray and tear gas at some Liverpool fans as they waited to get into the stadium on Saturday and have been accused of disorganisation in the handling of the large crowds.

Ms Gower, a lawyer who worked on the Hillsborough inquests, went to the Stade de France with her sister and spoke to the BBC about what she experienced.

I worked on the inquests for three years, speaking with the families, so I know a lot about crowd management and safety [and] the way this event was policed was all wrong and incredibly dangerous.

The [authorities] told all the local fans to congregate at the fan park at the other side of Paris - the atmosphere was good, but there were already fan management issues starting there.

They were kettling people into the entrance, so there was massive queues and crushing, which was clearly a sign of things to come.

Ms Gower said two police vans parked at the fan zone created a "bottleneck"

The gates were set to open at 18:00, so my sister and I set off at 17:30 - by the time we got to the ground, it was 18:15.

The police had blocked off all the pavements and roads, so you had to access the stadium via this underpass, and it was dangerous and really unnecessary.

They were kettling people into checkpoints, but it was a complete bottleneck - it was packed, but [we] knew it would be worse later on.

They were searching people constantly as well.

My sister got searched eight times - someone would search her then the person beside them would do it again - and her bag got confiscated, even though it was in the allowed dimensions.

By the time we got up, it was two hours before kick off and... the Liverpool side had no fans [while] the Madrid end was really full, so you knew something outside was happening.

Tear gas everywhere

The match wasn't an enjoyable experience. There was one steward and he wasn't doing anything, so people were stood in the gangways and were crowding.

The guy next to us got in just after half time and he said he and his friends had been held at knifepoint, assaulted, had their phones stolen and been hit with tear gas.

Suddenly, all these French kids were coming in and the fans were trying to get them out. Fights started breaking out. I've had a season ticket since I was 12 and I've never seen disorder like that.

Ms Gower (above, left) said they got into the ground two hours before kick-off, but the Liverpool end was empty

Just before full time, armed police lined up in front of us and there was nothing at the Madrid end.

We didn't feel safe, so my sister and I decided we were just going to leave.

We ran all the way to the station, there was tear gas everywhere, your throat was so sore and your eyes hurt.

Riot police were punching people [and] fighting with fans.

When you reached the station, there were youths mugging people, beating them up and the police did absolutely nothing... they were just tearing gassing everyone.

Police in riot gear gathered in front of the Liverpool fans before the final whistle

We were so scared. My sister said to me she'd never come to Paris again and felt like the city was really ruined for her.

It was really traumatic, I'm so angry with the authorities.

It's an old stadium but big events have been held there before, so it was confusing as to why this was so badly managed.

I know how quickly a false narrative can take effect, but for UEFA to come out and say that the match was delayed because of fans arriving late to the stadium was completely false.

It wasn't true at all.

I will not go to another European away match again. I love it but I cannot risk my safety like that again.

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