ITV presenter Mark Pougatch has joked that it’s ‘even money we make it’ in time to cover England’s clash against Slovenia following a nightmare journey to Berlin.
The experienced broadcaster was in Stuttgart on Sunday night as Scotland suffered a heartbreaking late defeat by Hungary which ended their Euro 2024 hopes.
On Monday, Pougatch set about trying to make his way to the German capital but his plans were thrown into disarray by a series of disruptions on the trains.
The 56-year-old documented his journey on social media, revealing that his train to Stuttgart was delayed before he was forced to find an alternative route after further chaos.
‘Train from Stuttgart to Berlin left 25 mins late, now we’re having a 20 min stop to recharge the battery.’ He began in the first of a series of posts on X. “‘So please get off and have a smoke.” German ladies next to me have bought me an ice cream as we debate who has the worst rail system. We win that one, of course!
ITV presenter Mark Pougatch has joked that it’s ‘even money he makes it’ in time to cover England’s clash against Slovenia
The 56-year-old was in Stuttgart on Sunday as Scotland were eliminated from Euro 2024 after a 1-0 defeat by Hungary
Pougatch detailed his nightmare journey which began with a 25 minute delay but quickly descended further
‘Battery still not charged. Train still somewhere. Ladies giving me water now. Journey beginning to have shades of Avanti/South West trains…
‘We are now terminating in Leipzig and have to find another train for Berlin. This is quite entertainingly shambolic in a very pleasant, polite Teutonic way but I will miss the ladies who are feeding and watering me like a lost ten year old…
‘My new friends say the platform at Leipzig will be chaos because of the Fussball fans. We may be going rogue. Still have 27 hours till we’re on air for England. Even money we make it. Should’ve put GWR on roll call of shame!’
Pougatch is the latest to suffer form Germany’s faltering transport system since the start of the European Championship.
England fans were left fuming by delays to trams before the Three Lions opener against Serbia last Sunday. Many supporters faced similar issues after the clash.
The Football Supporters’ Association (FSA) said it was ‘dismayed’ over ‘dangerous overcrowding’ on the public transport system which left thousands waiting on packed station platforms more than three hours after the final whistle
The Football Supporters’ Association (FSA) said it was ‘dismayed’ over ‘dangerous overcrowding’ on the public transport system which left thousands waiting on packed station platforms more than three hours after the final whistle.
The FSA said it was ‘extremely disappointed to see’ that transport arrangements which had been promised to get fans back to transport back to Gelsenkirchen station ‘did not materialise’, leaving fans stranded which was ‘quite simply ridiculous’ at a major tournament.