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Qatar accused of paying hundreds of actors for World Cup fans

It's pretty hilarious -

Qatar Living - dubbed the country’s first official community platform on TikTok - has been posting videos of “fans” from different countries gathered in their hundreds with flags, painted faces, and banners.

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Now for the truly funny part -
Qatar is already paying England fans to “spy” on their friends and be positive about the country during the World Cup - in return for free flights and tickets.
The group of Three Lions supporters have reportedly been handed instructions to sing certain songs when required and report any critical social media posts.

All 40 will receive free flights and accommodation in the desert country, £60 (A$105) a day in spending money loaded onto a Visa card, and complimentary tickets to World Cup matches. The group of fans is understood to include four members of the England band, including leader John Hemmingham. All are booked onto flights leaving for Doha on November 17.

Another 40 supporters from Wales have also signed up to the so-called “Fan Leader Programme”, along with groups from the 30 other competing countries.

WTF. That's some pretty large-scale staging across live events and various media. I wonder where the villian-esque control room is?

Source
 
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Clear

CliffyB's Cock Holster
I'm sure the "fans" provided by the Qatari authorities will be a stunningly brave and diverse bunch!
 

Laptop1991

Member
This is going to be the worst world cup ever due to all the issue's surrounding the event, no one seems to care in England where i am, it's just seen as an irritating interference in the football season for 6 weeks.
 

Amiga

Member
Seriously though the games are still a week away, few traveling fans would arrive this early, and the local population is small and could barley fill a stadium all together. And most of the expect population would rather watch cricket.
 

Ionian

Member
Seriously though the games are still a week away, few traveling fans would arrive this early, and the local population is small and could barley fill a stadium all together. And most of the expect population would rather watch cricket.

Cricket, now that's saying something. Football can be boring, but cricket ... I played both. Cricket is boring, had to play it in school so know well how it works.

Build false beaches and have female volleyball. Never mind the boobs, the game is quicker with less ball grouping after every goal.
 

Nitty_Grimes

Made a crappy phPBB forum once ... once.
You’ll probably find it’s some PR thing or some test to show Qatari coppers what it’s like when a bunch of hooligans come out of a game singing and shouting in the street.

I’m guessing that doesn’t happen in Qatar on your normal days?

But twitter twatters got hold of it and tried to turn it into something it never was?
 

kurisu_1974

is on perm warning for being a low level troll
You’ll probably find it’s some PR thing or some test to show Qatari coppers what it’s like when a bunch of hooligans come out of a game singing and shouting in the street.

I’m guessing that doesn’t happen in Qatar on your normal days?

But twitter twatters got hold of it and tried to turn it into something it never was?

It's pretty obvious what was happening? Guess there's a defence force for everything, even a corrupt football association having a championship in a corrupt backwards country built on slavery.
 

Ionian

Member
It's pretty obvious what was happening? Guess there's a defence force for everything, even a corrupt football association having a championship in a corrupt backwards country built on slavery.

Undeniably so, horrific the conditions and accounts on the sleeping conditions and welfare of the workers.

Modern slavery. Yet it is largely ignored as football is so huge. There was no backing out of it, simply too big.

Do hardcore football fans care? No.

They'll have their sneaky pints, chants, bust-ups with rivals and go back home wearing the jerseys. as always. They're nearly always the lowest common denominator and take pride in the fact. It's part of the game. or as EA says "It's in the game".
 

Ionian

Member
The real shame is that we are missing out on another crazy hype US World Cup in favor of playing football in what is basically a desert with an airport.

Take solace in the fact hardcore UK fans that are low-middle income thugs will bankrupt themselves attending, be paying off the debt for decades. Expect violence and the police there don't take no shit, gonna be interesting. Some football hooligans can't help themselves, it's a way of law. They'll very quickly learn their lesson. Some retards will consider it a right of passage, guaranteed.
 

Nitty_Grimes

Made a crappy phPBB forum once ... once.
It's pretty obvious what was happening? Guess there's a defence force for everything, even a corrupt football association having a championship in a corrupt backwards country built on slavery.
Not defending anything.

Just a question.

EDIT: Maybe if a TEAM had refused to play then someone would stand up and take notice but last time I looked that hasn't happened.
 
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Ionian

Member
I can't wait to see Macnhester Untied win the EUFA cup in Qatar. Go Blues!!!

Everton? Used to sell mints here as a kid with the players names. I didn't care, 10p a roll of mints. My Da was a supporter though (he liked the kit as a kid). I'd eat them or hide them so I didn't have to hear the boring tales. Cheap mints, what more could a kid want?

EDIT: was always happy when they did well (for him). My bro is a Utd. fan, I laugh when they fail.

Persomally, not big into football but if I had to pick it would be Barca. Lived there in the glory days. Players had style even a muppet like me could gasp at, helped also an office I worked at was literally opposite the side of the Neu Camp with the training grounds.

EDIT: the stadium tour, you could pay to get a pic taken with a cardboard cut-out of your favourite player at the end of the stands, facing the pitch. I busted up laughing but there was a queue so must have been popular.

Edit2: Popular scam would be someone would approach you, talk football, put his arm around you and pretend to do leg-work whilst robbing your pockets. Extremely common. I always told them to fuck off. Dangerous as they travel in gangs, mostly at the beach clubs but I lived there and was well clued in.
 
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*Nightwing

Member
Media looking at this all wrong as hilarious disingenuousness

This is a nefarious honeypot shakedown to get all the gays out of acting in Quatar before the World Cup officially begins. I fear for the person celebrating with a little too much bounce and happiness in their step in this mess.
 
This world cup is going to be an absolute shit show. There will be countless reports of people being arrested for drinking. How fucking stupid can you be to host a football tournament in a country that doesn't allow drinking? lol.

Also if you're gay you're fucked. Women make sure you don't show off your heels or shoulders.

Should never have been allowed to host it in Qatar. If that's how they want to run their country fine they can do that but shouldn't be allowed to hold the World Cup.
 
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Happosai

Hold onto your panties
It was a mistake to host the World Cup in Qatar. Outsiders should have been aware that it's a Muslim country with different customs and the Qatari shouldn't have been awkward about the beers. It's one big publicity stunt for Qatar and I just hope they get what they wanted out of it as we can't back out now.
I brought this up with a buddy of mine across the pond. I'm American but we both usually push for Manchester United. I brought up Qatar and just said, "so...what's the deal with Fifa?" His response was, "Dunno, but could they have at least picked a country to host it that values human rights?" That hit it there. Regardless of beliefs or whichever -- Fifa world cups should be hosted by those who are at least willing to shake hands after a game.
 
I brought this up with a buddy of mine across the pond. I'm American but we both usually push for Manchester United. I brought up Qatar and just said, "so...what's the deal with Fifa?" His response was, "Dunno, but could they have at least picked a country to host it that values human rights?" That hit it there. Regardless of beliefs or whichever -- Fifa world cups should be hosted by those who are at least willing to shake hands after a game.
Shaking hands should be voluntary in my opinion. If they don't want to do it then that's their right.
 
I always hated the idea of the World Cup being staged there. It's right in the middle of the domestic season and it represents the whole shit show of corruption that the game has become.

The worst thing about it is that normal football has turned into an endless parade of virtue signalling. From taking the knee to rainbow laces to the over hyping of the women's game it feels like I'm constantly being lectured. For the same sanctimonious millionaires to now be selling their souls to such a genuinely homophobic, misogynistic, slave based nation is beyond parody.
 

Happosai

Hold onto your panties
Shaking hands should be voluntary in my opinion. If they don't want to do it then that's their right.
I'd say the hand shake is not just physical but a gesture of fellowship. Either way, I think I'll stick with it only to follow my teams as far as that goes. As many have stated though to paraphrase...this is really a joke which does say what Fifa has become.
 

Mr Hyde

Gold Member
Not supporting this World Cup one bit. Over 2000 people have died building those fucking Stadiums and Fifa is just sitting there with their shit eating grin counting money. And don't get me started on hosting it in fucking Qatar of all places. Fuck this shit. Good to see fans boycotting. The teams should too if they had any backbone.
 

TheBreezyBB

Member
I'm one of the people who knew that Qatar bought this world cup it was not given.

I worked in qatar for 10 years, and let me say this, there is a lot of gays in qatar, not openly but they are there and if you think the government doesnt know, you would be wrong. Drunken people in open beach partys and after partys and coming out from clubbing in one of the hotels drunk has always been fine in qatar.

My main fucking problem right now is human right activist trying to force their goddamn view and ideas on everyone and everywhere, when in fact that in itself is contradictory and simply stupid.

Respect other cultures and dont force yours on others end of fucking story.
 

DeepEnigma

Gold Member
You laugh at people boycotting soccer played in stadiums built by slave labor?
Don't tell them where the uni's and runners come from. NVM, nobody in the first world really gives a shit unless they're told to by a pied piper for the day.
 

TwiztidElf

Member
Sure there would be boycotters, but that's a way overblown coverstory.
The real reasons are:
- Travel is still a pain post covid, and there is a lot of uncertainty. Travel hasn't fully returned to what it was.
- People don't have the cash.
- It's not a very attractive place to visit, given all their rules. (Did I read it costs $100 a beer?)
 
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