The Adventures of British Fans in Qatar During WC 2022

The event millions of people have been waiting for since the previous World Cup was held in 2018 is finally here. After almost two years of pandemic restrictions, social distancing, and limitations in traveling and everyday lives, people got the chance to gather and share one of the most memorable and important events for all football fans, the World Cup 2022. So what makes millions of people unite, spend thousands of dollars, and celebrate their culture and diversity? Of course, everyone can have their reasons to be a part of the football fan community. Still, one thing is clear for all of us: this game brings such an intense range of emotions and feelings that it’s hard to think of any other entertainment capable of making people so happy. Oh, wait for a second; there is one more source of entertainment willing to help you distract from the burden of daily routines – lasatlantis.com. Here you will find various adventurous games for different tastes and interests while waiting for the next game.

Legendary people of British football  

In today’s article, we will discuss the core of any celebration – people. Which country occurs to you when you think of one of the most regular participants of the World Cup? We bet that the England national team comes to your mind. David Beckham is one of the most famous English football players in history. Wayne Rooney is the main striker of England in the 21st century. In his best years, Rooney scored a lot of beautiful goals. With Manchester United, he became a real legend and was recognized as the top scorer in the history of the club and the national team. John Terry participated in two World Championships and two European Championships. He played 78 games for the England national team, scoring six goals. Ashley Cole, the participant in three World Championships and two European Championships, takes the 6th place in the history of the number of matches for the England national team – he played 107 games as part of the national team. 

Sir Bobby Charlton won the 1966 World Championship with the England team and took 3rd place at Euro 1968. He was the captain of the national team in 3 matches. According to the number of games for the England national team, he takes 7th place and according to the number of goals, the second one. He scored 49 goals in 106 games for the national team. 

Gordon Banks, Phil Neal, Bobby Moore, Stanley Matthews, and many other famous figures of British football make the fans go crazy. These people inspire. Their professionalism and persistence have pushed thousands of boys and girls to start doing sports. The World Cup 2022 gives a chance to see the legends of British football at the stadium, witness their triumphs and defeats, and rejoice. 

What Makes Football Special for British Fans? 

Since joining FIFA, England has only failed to qualify for the World Cup three times. The last time was 28 years ago. England qualified for the 2022 World Cup as the winner of the qualifying group (eight wins and two draws) and the finalist of the last European Championship. Sounds impressive, doesn’t it? Football is part of British cultural tradition, and many fans see this sport as a way to connect with their community. Those valuable moments when your favorite team wins one match after another gives the unique feeling of belonging to something huge. So the main reasons why football is so special for British fans are the following:  

• The rules are simple, but the game is intense. 
• Football unites the whole country.  
• It strengthens the sense of identity. 
• The atmosphere of unpredictability, struggle, and, finally, incredible outcomes.  
• It gives a huge range of genuine emotions: tears, joy, disappointment, and shock.  
• Football creates idols, people who inspire and lead. 
• Beautiful visuals as the stadiums are full of the colors of opponent teams. Needless to say that it’s always a pleasure to buy yourself a T-shirt of your favorite football player. 

The previous World Cup, held in 2018, set a new record for the total television audience, with more than 3.5 billion people watching the tournament’s matches in total, according to FIFA. Football is the most popular sport in the world. The last final of the World Cup gathered a TV audience of more than 1.1 billion viewers, which means every seventh inhabitant of the Earth watched it. Every four years, all the best football players gather in one place to determine who is the strongest among them.  

This year, Qatar, a Middle Eastern Muslim country, hosts the tournament for the first time. In addition, the competition is held in the middle of the European club season, and not in the summer as usual, due to the heat in Qatar, up to 40°C. Thus it was obvious that the World Cup would be special in 2022.  

Problems British Fans are Facing During the World Cup 2022 

This year’s tournament is different for British fans in particular. The decision to ban the sale of alcohol on the territory of football arenas was made two days before the opening match. One of the main sponsors of WC 2022, the international brewing corporation AB InBev, which owns the Budweiser brand, had to sell beer as part of the tournament.  

According to the contract, people could have an opportunity to buy some alcohol in the ticket sales area three hours before each match and within an hour after the game. However, later it was decided to exclude this rule after negotiations between the president of FIFA, representatives of the production company Budweiser and the leadership of the Supreme Committee in Qatar. It was explained by the fact that for many fans from the Middle East and South Asia, alcohol does not have a significant meaning in the culture. Furthermore, it was taken into account that the sale of alcohol would not be a very pleasant event for many of them.  

Immediately after the World Cup in Qatar started, people began sharing funny tips for circumventing the ban on beer and other alcoholic beverages. British fans found a way to bring the drinks into the arena. Some fill special travel hydration packs with beer, and some use a syringe to prick a watermelon. Still, the most interesting approach is a specially printed cover-overlay for a beer can with a design from Coca-Cola. One of the places where football fans are legally allowed to consume alcohol in Qatar is the fan festival in downtown Doha. There are also so-called “hospitality tickets,” thanks to which you can drink alcohol during matches. However, one such pass costs approximately 22.5 thousand dollars. 

Meanwhile, bars in Doha are demanding that fans in traditional Arab robes and headdresses take them off as the owners are afraid it may offend locals and Islam. Traditional Arab clothing has become popular with British fans and is widely sold in the colors of the teams from the 32 countries participating in the tournament. 

The lack of beer has spiced up the adventures of British fans in Qatar during the matches. Luckily some of them were ingenious enough to devise a solution to this problem. One of the fans, Alex Sullivan, told the reporters an incredible story about how he and his friend ended up in a sheik’s palace with exotic animal collections: lions, monkeys, and birds. He said they reached their goal as they came to support England, enjoy themselves, and have a great time. A friend of Alex, John, later told the reporters how one of the sheik’s sons showed them around the palace. So at least some British fans managed to get some beer and have an excursion in a real castle. 

 Fans take the risk of getting in prison or being beaten over numerous strict and unclear laws in the Middle East country. 

According to newspapers, football fans have been accused of public drunkenness for consuming alcohol and offending other people. Essentially, drinking alcohol in public can result in a large fine and lead to a 6-month jail sentence. 

Even before the World Cup 2022 started on November 20th, there have already been a lot of controversies. The fact that such a conservative Islamic country has been selected as the tournament host has made spectators and players risk their freedom, as the restrictions in Qatar are harsh and untypical for European citizens. 

Crusaders and “rainbow” scandal 

The adventures of British fans didn’t finish just with the alcohol ban. They have violated the International Football Federation ban on paraphernalia for this year’s tournament in Qatar. Several fans appeared at the El Bayt Stadium in El Howrah dressed as crusaders for the match of the second round of the group stage of the World Cup with the US team. They were dressed in chain mails and cloaks with a red cross on their chests. England fans dressed as crusaders have reportedly been denied access to games due to clothing choices. On November 25th, The Times reported that FIFA had banned fans from dressing up as crusaders. The organization explained that in an Arab context, such paraphernalia could be offensive to Muslims since the Arab people paid a monstrous price for liberation from the European occupation of the 11th-14th centuries, losing in the fight against the crusaders, according to various estimates, from one to nine million people. That is not the first time that the fans of the English team have had problems with the costumes. During previous World Championships, they were also banned from using such symbols. 

Some locals were shocked by such a choice of outfits, while others, on the contrary, were asking British fans to pose for a selfie. 

Another incident was related to the “rainbow” scandal. Fans and journalists worldwide have reported that security officials confiscated various rainbow-colored items, including T-shirts, Panama hats, and flags. 

Final Word

Despite all the risks and problems, British fans can hardly participate in such an event without beer, fun, and loudness. For the huge majority of them, these three elements are the essential ones. If drinking is forbidden, what is the point of the feast? Luckily the host country provides the fans with the so-called Alcohol maps to simplify the process of finding a drinking spot in Qatar. Fans do their best to prepare for the matches in such an oasis. Some drink as much as possible before taking off to the stadium, while others explain their drinking rituals as an inevitable hydration process before a stressful event. Even people in the pubs came to measure time before a match with the help of beer bottles. 

It’s also important to mention that despite all the restrictions, many football fans realize the necessity of such regulations. Most British fans respect the country’s culture and are ready to sacrifice their comfort and habits to prove that. Even though drinking before matches usually may bring even opponents together, this is the price to pay for being present at the most important football event.

As many British fans confessed, there is one very negative aspect of the alcohol ban at the stadium. As people are allowed to drink only in dedicated venues, it’s easier to get drunk faster, which shortens the time for celebration, British fans say. Thus, no more chanting with beer spilling all over the streets, alcohol in the hotels and rented apartments, insults of the fans from enemy teams, and fights on the streets are allowed in the Middle East country. It sounds disastrous for British fans as all these activities have been an essential part of their football culture for many years. “To deny an Englishman a beer is to starve an Englishman,” one of the fans said. What adventures are allowed then, you may ask. The answer is simple. It is allowed to enjoy the game, support your team, and become a part of football history. It is indisputable that people who chant and sing at the stadium are as important and the most encouraging element of every tournament as the football players themselves.