SLEEPING ON BENCHES or by the river is advice football fans who can’t afford pricey hotels in Poland are hearing ahead of the Euro 2012 football championships.
The campaign sprung up on social-networking site Facebook with the “Kibice spiom gdzie chcom” or “Fans sleep where they want” page, which has garnered over 12,500 “likes” since May 25.
Tips there on the best open-air crash pads include beaches and railway stations or benches under magnolia trees. So far, city and public transport authorities are fans of the idea, but it has gotten a thumbs down from the Warsaw metro and Euro 2012 organisers.
“We wanted to appeal to city authorities and local residents to be open and understanding toward the fans,” campaign co-organiser Katarzyna Tyska told AFP.
They hope Poland’s four host cities will let sleeping fans lie as many Poles can ill afford hiked-up hotel prices during Euro. Co-hosting the 16-nation, quadrennial football showcase this June with Ukraine, Poland has matches in capital Warsaw, the Baltic port of Gdansk, Wroclaw in the southwest and Poznan in the west.
While the “sleep rough” campaign is for everyone, it applies most to out-of-town Poles who plan to spend just a night or two in the host cities.
“We assume foreign fans will be staying longer, so the option of spending several nights under the open sky would be tiring for them,” Tyska said.
But for those willing to brave the elements, they will be left alone so long as they’re not disturbing the peace or drinking alcohol in public, Katarzyna Dobrowolska, from the Warsaw city warden press service told AFP. Polish state railways echoed the laissez-faire attitude.
“Fans sleeping in the stations won’t be woken up and the stations will remain open all night,” said spokeswoman Barbara Leszczynska.
No snoozing however in the Warsaw underground, Poland’s only metro line, says spokesman Krzysztof Malawko citing safety concerns. The city’s Euro 2012 organisers were also not enthusiastic, discouraging makeshift sleep-outs due to weather, hygiene and safety woes.
“And let’s not forget sleep comfort,” said Marta Brzegowa, a city spokeswoman for Euro 2012.
looks like he’s got no where else Togo
He’s had a lot of free time for the last 3 years !!
players like this are a cancer on the game
It’s not his fault clubs are so stupid it was well known what he was like before he signed for Spurs what type of player he was and they still gave him £100,000 a week for 4 years..
Barry, that’s a narrow minded comment.
Football is a job at the end of the day.
Adebayor has effectively managed himself into a situation that’s known as a “handy number” where I’m from!
He’s now paid more to do less than when he first started working in his life.
He’s not a cancer on the game.
The broadcasters, UEFA, FIFA, etc are the problem here. Adebayor is simply an employee riding out the Celtic Tiger years of football.
Good on him
Yep I’m with Adebayor on this. Not his fault the club gave him a massive contract. I just don’t get why the club don’t offer to pay up his contract rather than having him still on the payroll
Ah Barry. Poor comment bud. Or at least try back it up…
Beano, the funny thing is they did try to buy out his contract bit he wanted more than they were willing to pay
Waster ! Many a player out there who’s career has ended early because of injury, he’ll try and get his contract terminated next
He’s willing to play they won’t play him.. I don’t blame him for not moving no other club are stupid enough to give him £100,000 a week so he has every right to see it out..
When he spoke to villa , he supposedly looked for a sign off God for him to sign – to top it off he wanted his contract paid in full by Spurs – yes , Fifa , Sky and UEFA have caused this but adeboyer is a waste too
I sense another lengthy Facebook post coming…