"Scientists generally accept that the city is now safe for normal length tourist visits." It is hardly the most reassuring information that greets the foreign visitor to Kiev, but even 11 1/2 years on, it is obvious that the effects of the melt-down at Chernobyl are still features of Ukrainian daily life.
Ninety minutes, though, does not constitute a "normal length" visit, but nevertheless it was a larger than usual Newcastle United party which arrived into chilling Kiev sunshine yesterday lunchtime. Also on board were the trappings of the modern Western football club travelling east - 1,860 kilos of chickens and fish, plus two chefs. Chernobyl, after all, is only 65 kilometres north of Kiev.
Poverty, nationalism and the importance of football in a newly independent state is a cocktail Newcastle experienced on their last European trip, to Zagreb, and yet, yesterday morning Kenny Dalglish appeared disinterested in nuclear fall-out and its significance for a concrete-and-sex economy in post-Soviet eastern Europe and instead had a go at the Football Association. Dalglish's complaint was familiar - that there are too many games in England - and echoed Arsene Wenger's views of Monday.
Dalglish, however, went a stage further than the Arsenal manager when he said: "This situation has been thrown at us since the start of the season and we can't even get Saturday's game against Tottenham moved to Sunday. We will have to look at our position when it comes to releasing players for internationals. If the FA can't help club sides then club sides might not be able to help the FA. It's catch-22."
The outburst was provoked by the news that Dynamo Kiev had not played since last Friday - a very friendly 1-1 draw with Chernomorets - and the fact that tonight's game will be Newcastle's fifth in a fortnight.
The first in that sequence was Barcelona and anything like a repeat of the opening hour at St James' Park would suffice here. Then again on the same night this Kiev team, which forms the bulk of a Ukrainian national squad that lies second only to Germany in its World Cup group, was winning 31 in Eindhoven. Victory this evening for either side, would put them in a commanding position.
It will be Kiev's first Champions League match for exactly two years as in October 1995 they received a two-year, later reduced to one-year, ban after it was discovered that they had attempted to bribe the referee in a game against Panathinaikos.
Kiev actually won a legitimately officiated encounter 1-0 but they had already been reported for leaving £30,000 and two mink coats in a bag outside the referee's hotel room. The referee was also offered the services of local prostitutes.
But, having beaten Barry Town on the way, they are back. But of greater concern today is the suspension of their captain Yuri Kalitvintsev and fellow midfielder Yuri Maximov.
They will include, however, the rising star of Ukrainian football, 21-year-old Andrei Shevchenko. Bryan Hamilton, the manager of Northern Ireland who are in the same group as Ukraine, said of Shevchenko: "He's like a young Alan Shearer," after Shevchenko had scored the winner against the Irish in Kiev's Olympic stadium in April.
Shevchenko, said to be wanted by AC Milan, also scored against Eindhoven. Newcastle will clearly have to watch him but not just him because Kiev have another promising young goal scorer in Sergi Rebrov.
Newcastle's own hopes of a goal again lie with Faustino Asprilla, who has recovered from the stomach bug which caused him to miss the Chelsea match but Robert Lee, who also missed Chelsea, may not be fit. Warren Barton, Keith Gillespie and Temur Ketsbaia all await the Newcastle team sheet with interest.
Guardian Service
Dynamo Kiev (probable): Shovkovsky; Golovko, Vashchyuk, Dmitrulin, Kosovsky; Radchenko, Gusin, Khatskevich, Belkevich; Shevchenko, Rebrov.
Newcastle United (from): Given; Peacock, Barton, Beresford, Albert, Steve Howey, Peacock, Pistone, Lee, Tomasson, Batty, Ketsbaia, Barnes, Rush, Asprilla, Gillespie.
