England fans paid to be ‘spies’ at World Cup
Group are expected to sing at opening ceremony in return for free flights and accommodation, £60 a day in spending money and complimentary tickets
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Matt Lawton
Thursday November 03 2022, 8.00pm, The Times
A group of 40 England fans are being paid by Qatar to attend the World Cup, with instructions to deliver positive messages about the experience, sing certain songs when requested and report critical social media posts.
Sources have confirmed that the group — which includes the England band leader John Hemmingham — will receive free flights and apartment accommodation, £60 a day in spending money loaded on to a Visa card and complimentary tickets after signing a “code of conduct”. They are all booked on flights that leave for Doha on November 17.
Another 40 supporters from Wales have also signed up to the Fan Leader Programme, along with fans from the 30 other competing countries as part of what supporters’ groups describe as a “sinister, distasteful” marketing exercise.
All those who have signed up for the scheme are guaranteed a ticket to the opening ceremony but they must stay in Qatar for at least two weeks. The idea, The Times has been told, is for them to sit in groups and sing at the appropriate times for the television cameras.
One document sent to fan leaders outlines the role they will be expected to play in the opening ceremony. It reads: “In celebration of the fans around the world, over the period of 5 minutes, fan chants from each nation will be played and you will be expected to stand up, sing the song/chant, wave your flags and represent your country.
“The camera will focus on each national fan group in turn. We will share with you the chant/ song selected from your country to ensure you are familiar with it.”
In bold red letters it adds: “Be ready in your shirt, flags and scarves to cheer and shout.”
Another document explains that fan leaders have to accept terms and conditions.
Last month the England Supporters Travel Club hosted a fans’ forum at Wembley Stadium, with Hemmingham, 59, actually appearing on Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy panel as a “UK Fan Leader”.
FA staff were present and heard Hemmingham, who is the band’s trumpet player, tell the audience about the positive experience he enjoyed on a recent trip to Doha.
Detailed on the FA website is the fact that Hemmingham “shared his personal experiences from his visit to Qatar for the Lusail Super Cup”. “He was able to visit alongside other fan leaders of different participating nations, sharing their thoughts and giving feedback ahead of the Fifa World Cup,” the release read.
Hemmingham stated that “Qatar is very safe, there are lots of rules, and no crime”. The report on the meeting said he “stayed in a great hotel and there was a kind, exciting reception for travelling fans”.
“There was lots of engagement with fans and Qataris were keen to actively make adjustments based on fan recommendations for the Fifa World Cup,” the report added. “JH attended a fixture at the World Cup final stadium — the Lusail Iconic Stadium, there are great in-bowl sound systems.”
The Times has approached Hemmingham for comment but one insider asked on Thursday night if the England band “might play Qatar’s national anthem during the tournament”.
In March last year the FA received a request from Qatar’s supreme committee, which is organising the tournament, for members of the official supporters’ club to join a fan engagement forum. Other sources claim the first contact was made with fan groups two years ago.
But it was only in September that those approached were asked to sign up to a “code of conduct” to guarantee their all-expenses-paid trip to the World Cup. “It all sounds a bit sinister and distasteful,” said one leading member of a fan group, who asked not to be named for fear of possible consequences when he arrives in Qatar.
It is understood that the scheme has not been endorsed by the Football Supporters’ Association or the FA.
Initially it seemed there was a request to simply disseminate information to other fans, with the incentive of a trip to Qatar in advance of the World Cup as well as complimentary flights, tickets and accommodation for the tournament itself.
The FA has said it only found out about the requirements of the scheme from international media reports.
“We were told this was an opportunity to engage with fans from all competing nations to ensure that the voice of supporters was clearly heard in the planning for the World Cup, and that many international football associations were being approached,” a statement from the governing body read. “We have had no more involvement with the scheme, and no sight of the ‘code of conduct’ or any of the terms and conditions of involvement.”
A New York Times report said the Dutch broadcaster NOS quoted a Holland fan saying he had agreed to monitor the activity of other supporters from his country.
A board member from the American Outlaws, the biggest US supporters’ group, agreed to take part, then helped to sign up fellow members and others. However, he told the New York Times that, having already accepted one free trip to Qatar, he was not going to be part of the scheme.
A France fan told the French newspaper Le Parisien he had declined the offer from Qatar. “Despite the appetising side of the dish, I preferred to stay true to my values,” Joseph Delage said.
Ahsan Mansoor, the fan engagement director for the 2022 World Cup who also attended the forum at Wembley last month, has insisted that “there is no obligation to promote or do anything”.
But sources in possession of the relevant documents have confirmed that there is indeed a code of conduct that had to be signed, with a request not to disparage the hosts and to “report any offensive, degrading or abusive comments” from other fans. Ideally they should supply screenshots.
“At best they’re volunteers for the World Cup and at worst they’re a mouthpiece for the supreme committee,” Ronan Evain, the executive director of Football Supporters Europe, said.
Some fans flown to Qatar in advance of the tournament were even invited to meet David Beckham, who is being paid millions to act as an ambassador for the hosts despite concerns about the country’s human rights record.
