"World Cup 1998"

Flew in and out of Marseille on an expensive day-trip to see England beat Tunisia 2-0 in their first group match of World Cup 1998. The night before had been a carnage of violence so the twin objectives of this trip were simple: see the match; return unscathed. Stadium appreciation was secondary.

Location

No time for a city orientation. Let out of the coach from the airport still far enough from the ground to require a sprint over some distance to get in midway through the anthems.

View

High up on one of the corners behind the goal, it was all a bit remote and everyone was standing in their seats.

Facilities

No time to buy a souvenir programme before the match, and couldn't find any for sale anywhere afterwards. Very annoying.

Food & Drink

Never saw any. Not so much as an onion seller.

Police & Stewards

All police were in combat gear and carrying automatic rifles. The rioting of the night before had been no joke and all English were considered equally reprehensible as a result; treated coldly if not contemptibly.

Atmosphere

Enthusiastic in the ground, a bit too tense on the outside.

Write your own review of Stade Velodrome

Have you been to Stade Velodrome? Write a review!