England supporters could have their World Cup travel plans thrown into chaos with Heathrow Airport set to be at the centre of strike action over the next few weeks.
There remains just over a fortnight until the tournament gets underway with the final rounds of domestic league fixtures set to be played.
Fans will no doubt have had their travel and accommodation set in stone since the draw for Qatar was made but there now appears to be fresh doubt. The Unite union said 700 workers involved in ground handling, airside transport and cargo at Heathrow Airport will go on strike from the early hours of November 18, with the action lasting until November 21, in a dispute over pay.
England supporters in particular will be hugely concerned about their chances of getting over to Qatar with the strike action continuing until the day of the Three Lions’ opener against Iran. The strikes are anticipated to cause delays at Heathrow Terminals 2, 3 and 4. Qatar Airways could be affected in particular with the airline located in Terminal 4.
Kevin Hall, a regional officer at the Unite union said: “Strike action will inevitably cause disruption, delays and cancellations to flights throughout Heathrow, with travellers to the World Cup particularly affected.”
The impacts do not quite end there with it being expected that operators such as Virgin, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Emirates will all be affected by the upcoming action.
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Whilst supporters will be keeping a close eye on the scheduling over the forthcoming weeks as they prepare to fly over to Qatar, it appears that some other fans are actually set to be paid for their attendance at the tournament itself.
Forty England fans are reportedly set to be paid for travelling to Qatar as part of a “fan leader” programme run by the host country in which they will be expected to spread positive messages about the country.
The supporters, among a total of about 400 spread across participating nations, have committed to a code of conduct and must stay in Qatar for at least a fortnight.
In return they will receive free flights, accommodation, match tickets and £60 a day added to a Visa card to cover the cost of food and drink. They are due to fly to Doha on November 17, shortly before the strike action gets underway.
An FA Spokesman said: "The Qatar Supreme Committee approached the England Supporters Travel Club to run a registration process for fans to join the World Cup ‘Fan Leaders’ Forum.
"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.
"Following the initial registration process, the project has been managed by the Qatar Supreme Committee, and 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."
