England supporters have been told not to wear crusader costumes when they attend the Three Lions’ next World Cup game against the USA in Qatar on Friday.
Fans have been spotted in Doha wearing chainmail and carrying fake swords and shields with the St George cross on. The costumes are fairly common around England matches, but have caused a stir in Qatar due to their wider connotations.
While the idea is to represent St George, England’s patron saint, the depiction of knights and crusaders could be deemed offensive in the Middle East. The Crusades were a series of religious wars waged by Christians against Muslims during the Medieval period.
