Chief Constable Mark Roberts has told Sky Sports News that until "the tournament is in full swing we are not certain exactly what the tolerances are"; football supporters' groups have been critical of the mixed messaging being given to fans planning on attending the World Cup
Wednesday 2 November 2022 09:30, UK
The head of UK football policing says it's still unclear about how exactly Qatar's police force will treat visitors at the World Cup, and whether supporters will be criminalised for displaying rainbow flags in the country.
Chief Constable Mark Roberts has told Sky Sports News that, despite several high-level meetings with tournament organisers and Qatari police, UK officials are still not sure about how Qatar's strict laws will be enforced on the streets of Doha.
"Until we are actually there and the tournament is in full swing we are not certain exactly what the tolerances are," said Roberts.
"Our officers will be there to engage, speak to local law enforcement about what they find acceptable, and communicate that to supporters. We are not here to judge."
It comes at a time when supporter groups have criticised the mixed messages being given to England and Wales fans planning on heading to the Middle East in the next few weeks.
Alicia Kearns, chair of the foreign affairs select committee, said over the weekend that supporters should take 'burner phones' to use in Qatar, to avoid spyware monitoring their private communications.
However, Sky Sports News has been told those comments do not form part of the FCDO's official position and that intelligence has shown there is no specific need for fans to use burner phones in Qatar.
Public shows of affection between straight and same-sex couples are illegal in Qatar, though Major General Abdulaziz Abdullah Al Ansari - a senior leader overseeing security for the tournament - insisted that LGBTQ+ couples would be welcomed.
However, he also said that rainbow flags might be taken from fans "to protect them" from possible attacks by locals.
Equality campaigners have pointed out that, whatever stance Qatar's authorities take during the month of the tournament, LGBTQ+ Qatari nationals will continue to be persecuted once the World Cup has finished.
"What I can say from talking to the Qatari authorities is that they want this to work," added Roberts. "They want it to be a success. We recognise there are different views and different cultural aspects, that's why we want to work to support the Qataris to offer a very safe operation."
The Football Supporters Association has today told Sky Sports News that no fans from Three Lions Pride or the Rainbow Wall - the two organisations set up by LGBTQ+ supporters for England and Wales - are currently planning to travel to the World Cup.
"It's sad that all of our supporters don't feel able to go and enjoy a tournament," says CC Roberts. "But that's a conscious decision made by individuals on the basis of the information they have.
"What we have to ensure is that, those supporters from England and Wales who do travel out there, we are there to support and guide, look after British nationals. We are not expecting problems, but supporters should know if they misbehave, they will face sanctions."
This is the first World Cup to be held in a Muslim country, the first in the Middle East, and the first to be staged in and around a single city - Doha.
Those factors mean Chief Constable Roberts will oversee the biggest ever deployment of UK police officers for a major football tournament. For the first time, 15 dedicated officers are being sent to Qatar to help give specific guidance to England and Wales supporters who are likely to be unfamiliar with local culture and laws.
"We learn from every tournament," he says. "We are just aware this time around that, because there are those cultural differences, we wanted to send people who are purely focused on fan engagement, focused on that discussion, just to implore supporters, because it is a different environment."
