40 selected fans all expenses paid to Qatar

NorthumberlandBoro said:
I'm pretty sure the owners of Newcastle are paying people to wave those perfectly designed and positioned flags at St James.
Looks awfully corporate, zero spontaneity.
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That's the same across the country, when English fans morphed into ultras we got the flags and the songs to match, regardless of what's happening on the pitch.
 
Aet290204 said:
Yep it’s a fan group called Wor Flags isn’t it ?
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Aye, they were around before the Saudis popped into town, but they do give them little top ups in funds, to keep the pro-saudi message going. Very similar to what the psg owners did.
 
It’s tellingly bad that they have to hire influencers to bring an atmosphere to a World Cup.

I get the idea behind it, and it’s not new that “superfans” travel with the team or get tickets. I had a few beers a few times via a translator with Manolo el del Bombo, the Spanish fan with the massive beret and the drum, and he would travel and eat with the team and get VIP tickets - many brilliant photos of him and Xavi and Sergio Ramos etc hanging out at the base hotel.

But there’s something a bit dark and very state-sanctioned fun about this, being given acceptable songs to sing and having to promote the official social media etc.

They’d probably see it as trying to engage the most influential fan groups, who can help spread info to the rest of the fans. It does feel a bit like they’re trying to control dissent or anything that doesn’t follow the official line for what is by any measure a very controversial World Cup.
 
I noticed fifa has published the official terms and conditions for Qatar and glancing through I noticed this

Friendlymatches
1.
Each team taking part in the final competition is entitled to play friendly matches and/or other preparation matches from the date of its arrival in the host country until five days prior to its first match of the FIFA World Cup 2022TM in accordance with the following rules and the FIFA Regulations Governing.

So I wonder if we’ll play any.

 
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