Liverpool fans have visited the French city twice in the not-too-distant past, including most recently in September 2008. Those who'd visited before will have already been well-aware of the poor facilities at the Stade Velodrome, particularly the toilets.
Thankfully for them, though, on this occasion the weather remained dry, which seeing as more than three quarters of the ground is uncovered can only be a good thing. That wind can whip in off the Mediterranean, however, and of an evening the Velodrome can be a pretty cold place to be.
Despite having something of a dubious reputation domestically, we found very little evidence of any trouble between the two sets of supporters on either trip, and there are enough bars around the old port area for fans to keep themselves to themselves.
Manchester United's trip in 2010 saw some typically 'robust' policing from the French authorities, and complaints about fans missing the beginning of the match having been held in the warehouse, the hangar area just outside the away end that the police use to house away fans before escorting them to the ground, for too long.
Access and egress are not the smoothest or quickest to and from the Velodrome, so we'd recommend getting there in plenty of time before kick-off to make sure that you get in on time (it's not unknown for fans to be held for more than 30 minutes in the warehouse before being escorted into the ground). Leaving the stadium at full-time is often a case of patience - there's only one main gate through which fans leave, and this can cause something of a bottleneck on the stairs. If you are claustrophobic or want to avoid a potential crush, it's best to wait until most fans have left before you make your way down.
We're looking for feedback from any fans who've been out to the game, whether it's recommendations of bars and restaurants, tips about getting around, what's best to see, complaints about policing or the stadium, or anything else. We know that the best people to tell football fans about what to expect when travelling abroad are football fans themselves, so let us know what you thought.
Please get in touch with us about any aspect of your trip, good or bad, and we'll add your feedback into our guide.
