Manchester United fans to be given police escort for Europa League showdown at Fenerbahce
Club advises supporters advised to follow strict security warnings: stick together, don't take public transport
MANCHESTER UNITED fans will be given an armed police escort to Fenerbahce’s stadium on Thursday night.
Security concerns in Instanbul have forced a number of changes to the schedule usually arranged for visiting Europa League clubs.
United have written to all supporters who are making the trip, warning them of potential safety problems.
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The club abandoned their normal practice of distributing tickets close to the away ground – posting them out instead – and have suggested their followers stick together in Taksim Square before kick-off.
Taksim Square is 10 miles away from the Sukru Saracoglu and buses will be laid on with police escorts from 6pm for a journey expected to last around an hour.
Buses will then ferry fans back to the city’s main square after the match.
Fans have also been warned not to take public transport.
Only last month a bomb exploded at an Istanbul police station, injuring 10 people, and Turkey was recently the scene of an attempted military coup.
Juan Mata is wary of the threat Turkey poses and he said: “We know it is a difficult place to go, we know when you play in Turkey it is a difficult and we will have to deal with that.
It will be very important to win there and if we do that then we will get very, very close to the qualification.”
Sadly, English football supporters have a history of enduring trouble when visiting the city.
Eric Cantona and Bryan Robson were both struck when Sir Alex Ferguson’s United played Galatasaray in 1993.
Two Leeds United fans were stabbed to death before a UEFA Cup semi-final clash in 2000.
United ticket holders will enter the stadium in caged tunnels as security chiefs attempt to keep the two sets of supporters away from each other.
Meanwhile, Fenerbahce offer the opportunity for old acquantancies to meet up. Former United striker Robin van Persie scored at Old Trafford when United beat the Turks a fortnight ago.
The Turkish side are also managed by ex-Sunderland boss Dick Advocaat.