“MANCHESTER United, Spurs and ARSENAL fans are heading to Bilbao on a 32-hour ferry trip ahead of Wednesday night’s Europa League final. Hundreds of supporters joined holidaymakers for the epic boat ride which left Portsmouth at 10pm on Sunday and doesn’t arrive until 8am Tuesday morning. 15 Sun man Dave Courtnadge enjoys a pint on”, — write: www.thesun.co.uk
Hundreds of supporters joined holidaymakers for the epic boat ride which left Portsmouth at 10pm on Sunday and doesn’t arrive until 8am Tuesday morning.
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Sun man Dave Courtnadge enjoys a pint on the ferryCredit: The Sun
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The journey from Portsmouth to Bilbao takes 32 hoursCredit: The Sun
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Fans soak in the sun on the top deckCredit: The SunWith flights to Spain rocketing to over £1,000 after United and Spurs sealed their places in the final, many took advantage of the cheaper, but much longer, ferry option, which costs around £260 with a cabin.
And some were even looking forward to their time at sea more than watching the game itself.
Lifelong United follower Dave, from Derby, is one of many who haven’t even got a match ticket, but called the journey a “bucket list trip”.
He added: “The way our lot have been playing I’m more excited about the boat anyway.
“I didn’t buy a cabin originally but then I didn’t fancy sitting in a seat for two days.”
Others have been planning the trip for months, including father and son Tottenham fans Neil and Leo, who booked their ferry tickets and hotel in Bilbao in AUGUST.
Leo, 17, said “I just had a feeling we’ll do it”, and is now confidently predicting Spurs will win 4-2 in the final – after going 2-1 down.
The mood on board so far has been brilliant, with fans of both clubs mixing in the bar until 2am this morning, even though last orders were called at midnight.
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Four United fans who had driven to Portsmouth from Somerset were still going strong despite starting their pre-match build-up on Saturday morning and having barely been to sleep since.
One did have a black eye to show for his troubles though after falling over along the way.
Among the United and Spurs fans was even one Arsenal supporter who was making the journey purely in the hope of seeing his North London rivals lose.
He said: “I’m very much enjoying being among United fans and having a night out in Bilbao.
“On a scale of one to ten, I’d say my hatred for Spurs is about 80.”
Spurs fan Paul will just be happy to make it to Spain after having a nightmare trying to get on the boat.
The IT worker and Tottenham TikToker, who booked his ferry tickets with pal Ben midway through the first leg of the semi-final win over Bodo/Glimt, was nearly denied entry on to the boat due to an “expired” passport.
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Inside the cabin which has no windows
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Rooms were squeezed in together
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There was plenty of dining space
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Fans got down for breakfast in a build to fuel up
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Fresh crepes were even on offer
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But SunSport had stew and rice for lunch
I HAD no idea what to expect after booking a 32-hour ferry trip from Portsmouth to Bilbao to see Manchester United hopefully beat Spurs in Wednesday’s Europa League final.
I’d also read reviews of the Portsmouth to Bilbao ferry ride, calling it “one of the most serene ways to travel to the Continent”.
I’d heard the BBC podcast on Man Utd and West Ham fans having a full-blown riot on a boat trip to Holland in the 1980s.
The reality of my trip so far, thankfully, is nothing like either of those.
The atmosphere has been absolutely brilliant, with fans of both clubs mixing in the pub long before the 10pm departure, and in the ferry bar long after last orders at midnight.
There’s even an Arsenal out her hoping to see Spurs lose too.
I enjoyed a few in the beer garden of the Ship and Castle near the ferry port on the sunny Sunday before we took off.
I’d be talking to some fans about the mad boat trip ahead and plans for Bilbao for 10 minutes before we’d establish who one another supported.
There’s still good banter about both sides’ abysmal seasons, but with a lot of the chat being about who is actually worse, not better.
Plenty of Murphy’s and some classic cabaret just added to the holiday mood once we were on board.
We ramped up the booze cruise vibes at about 1am by venturing out on to the top deck (I was pretty amazed they left the doors unlocked considering the clientele on board)
But after convincing one particularly drunk shipmate that he’d be in serious trouble if he jumped in the sea, I thought it safer to head back inside.
After another nightcap I returned to my four-man cabin which thankfully I have all to myself.
Because my cabin is in the middle of the boat it’s pitch black. That, coupled with not being disturbed half-way through the night by my two young kids, meant I slept like a baby.
As for sea-sickness, there’s not so much a gentle rocking of the waves but rather a weird constant jolty sensation like you get when you start a car that has left me a bit wobbly.
I’m sure it’s nothng to do with all that Murphy’s anyway.
I’ve at least managed to hold down my breakfast, which I ate surrounded by the normal holidaymakers, not football fans, who make up about half of the passengers on board.
Not surprisingly, most of the supporters were still in bed at that point, but I’m sure I’ll catch them in the bar later for the quiz and more cabaret.
Chants of “Keano, Keano…” from down the corridor suggests some are now starting to rise.
As for me, it’s time to check out that top deck again…
He revealed last night: “I still feel like I’m having a positive day even though it’s been pretty challenging.
“Our train from London to Portsmouth ended up not being from London to Portsmouth, but London to Eastleigh.
“So we found another train that took us from London to Petersfield, which meant we then ended up having to get a taxi.
“The taxi driver didn’t know where we needed to go to for the ferry. He got lost, he wanted cash only and we didn’t have cash, so we had to sort all that palaver out.
“Eventually we got that sorted and then we thought it was an eight o’clock leave and it’s not, it’s ten o’clock, so two hours extra in the pub.
“And now I’ve just found my passport might not have let me on the ferry after all that, even though I’ve spent an absolute fortune on ferry tickets, accommodation, flights around Europe to get home and tickets for the game of course.
“I have found out I can get on but that’s on the basis that I’ve booked a flight to say that I am actually coming back to the UK.
“But otherwise, I’m going to have to get a new passport.”
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There was even some live entertainmentCredit: The Sun
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United fans get into the swing of itCredit: The Sun
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Fans were mixing well
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The booze was flowing
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Fans were discussing the big game
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