A day to remember

Valeriy Haiday talks about the experience:
My brother and I have been football fans for more than 14 years. When we learned Ukraine would host UEFA EURO 2012, it became our dream to get to this historic event.

We were thrilled to get tickets for Ukraine against Sweden, which took place at the Olympic Stadium in Kyiv. When we were driving to Kyiv, all of the cars around us had Ukrainian flags, and we were like in the blue and yellow sea. It was a great festival for Kyiv and the whole country. When we reached the stadium, the highlight of my entire life began.

The first thing that struck me was the huge number of people; I've never seen so many in one place before. Then we went to the underground parking area, and I felt like I was in some fantastic movie. The stewards were very friendly and polite and asked if we needed any help. I was very pleased.

After the parking area we went by lift to the place in front of the stadium. When we saw the stadium, we were overwhelmed with emotions. It was so huge and beautiful; it really looked like the main arena of UEFA EURO 2012. We walked around the stadium, bought souvenirs and took pictures. Everyone was friendly and smiling, and I felt absolutely perfect.

I'm very grateful to the people who did so much for disabled fans to be able to be part of this fantastic feast. We went inside the stadium, and when I saw the pitch I realised that my dream had come true. I was watching the stadium filling up and felt so happy. The opening ceremony was amazing. What a show!

When the Ukrainian team came on to the pitch, the stadium exploded like a volcano. During the national anthem I felt that we were all together. The game began, and the players were so close to us that we were almost playing with them. After the match, they came up to our stand to say hello.

When we left the stadium, it was shining like a diamond. I will never forget this day and these emotions. I will keep this unforgettable atmosphere for the rest of my life.

With thanks to the Centre for Access to Football in Europe, the official UEFA EURO 2012 tournament charity