A BUSINESSMAN says the borough lost out on a boost of about £1.5million after he was forced to cancel a three-day event celebrating the Champions League final.

Benjamin McFadyean, director of Goalline Marketing was hoping to screen the match for Borussia Dortmund fans in Walpole Park, Ealing, last Saturday. The 43-year-old arranged for live German music, beer and food and for Ealing traders to set up stalls on the day of the match between German teams Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich.

But UEFA and the police blocked the plans.

Mr McFadyean, of Hanwell, who grew up in Dortmund, said: “I’ve been a life-long supporter of the club and I wanted to do something for the fans. The club were behind us and they were going to send their official mascot and ex-players.

“We were going to have about 5,000 people a day, bringing about £1.5m to £2m in a time of economic crisis.”

Nine days before the match, Ealing Council, who were initially supportive of the plans, told Mr McFadyean it could not grant him a licence for the event because police had asked for it not to go ahead.

Scotland Yard said no large screens showing the match were allowed in the capital to avoid encouraging German fans without tickets to come to London.

A few days later Mr McFadyean discovered UEFA had also banned public viewings.

He said: “It was broadcast on national television and in almost every single pub in London. Our event wasn’t to encourage more people to come to London but for the people who would be already here.

“About 150,000 people were expected to come to the capital, about half of them would’ve been Dortmund fans and there’s already a UK fanbase which I am one of.

“I feel UEFA has been able to put pressure on Ealing, London and possibly the police.”

Mr McFadyean believes UEFA wanted to ban the event and others to avoid distractions from their festival in Stratford.

He said: “I’ve been left several thousands of pounds in debt but it’s the people of Ealing and everyone who loves football in the area who have lost out.

A UEFA spokesman said the decision to ban public viewings was purely on security grounds.

He said: “It was not just a UEFA decision. It was also made by the police and many local authorities.”