Albania here we come, after club's U-turn gives fans green light to go

Published on Friday 10 July 2009 22:21

IT IS a diplomatic gaffe that will ensure a daunting match becomes even more competitive. Motherwell FC were last night forced to retract a warning that urged the club's supporters not to travel to Albania for a Europa Cup fixture.

The Scottish Premier League side said it had taken the advice of the Foreign Office and Strathclyde Police in recommending fans stay away from their away tie against KS Flamurtari.

However, both organisations denied the Lanarkshire club's claims, revealing that no-one had spoken to them.

The notice, posted on Motherwell's website, also provoked angry responses from fans eager to follow their side's European adventure.

The statement read: "Fans should be aware that, in the interests of safety and security, both the Foreign Office and Strathclyde Police have advised fans not to travel to Albania at all next week. As a result, the club will not be chartering a flight and would ask fans currently considering making the journey to seriously reconsider."

However, a spokeswoman for the Foreign Office said that, although there were areas of high crime in Albania, Motherwell's concerns surrounding the former communist nation appeared to be the result of "miscommunication".

She said: "Motherwell didn't contact us. I understand someone at the club just looked at our website and took certain information. There are some areas of Albania where there are concerns, but we do not have any kind of blanket ban against travelling. I think there has been a bit of miscommunication."

A spokeswoman for Strathclyde Police said it was not aware of any such advice having been offered.

The fixture makes tough demands of Motherwell, with the club's new manager looking to bed in new players ahead of the domestic season. The first leg of the Europa League qualifying tie will be held next Thursday at Flamurtari's 9,500-seater stadium in the south-western city of Vlor.

The Albanian Superliga side have a solid pedigree, once playing against Barcelona in the former UEFA Cup.

Last night, a spokesman for Motherwell sought to reassure fans that they were not being banned from travelling. He said: "I think we've scared a few people. What the club are doing is advising people not to travel to the game; we're not stopping anyone. There are risks involved. The club are not chartering a flight and won't be able to guide people from point A to B."

He added: "Unfortunately, we misquoted the Foreign Office's advice, but fans' safety is paramount. The statement was probably not worded in the best way, but it was done with the best of intentions."

Motherwell are expected to receive about 400 tickets for the game, but the club have yet to decide how they will allocate their share of the briefs.

"We're stuck between a rock and a hard place," the spokesman explained.

"We are advising people not to travel, but, then again, we don't want fans travelling to Albania and trying to buy tickets over there."

The Motherwell players will fly to Albania, via London, with British Airways and have reservations at an upmarket hotel in the capital, Tirana.

MOTHERWELL

LOCATED off the M74, the town is surrounded by industrial parks, whisky distillers and call centres.

Plans are under way to find a new tenant for the recently closed Pound Shop on Brandon Parade, one of Motherwell's main shopping thoroughfares.

Buckfast, a traditional grape-based alcoholic drink of Scotland, is considered especially good in Motherwell.

Its history dates back to 1865. The climate is typical of the west of Scotland, with changeable summers and long, dreich winters.

Motherwell was a haunt of Susan Boyle, who once performed at the Fir Park social club.

VLOR

LOCATED on the Bay of Vlor, the city is surrounded by gardens and olive groves.

Plans are under way to build a marina resort on Vlor's shoreline, featuring an Imax theatre and shopping malls.

Raki, a traditional grape-based alcoholic drink of Albania, is considered especially good in Vlor.

Vlor's history dates from 600BC. The climate is typical of the Mediterranean, with cool wet winters and hot, dry summers – temperatures rise to 40C in June, July, August and September.

Vlor was a stronghold of Enver Hoxha, the former Albanian prime minister.