FIFA have issued a statement to try and reassure fans of their safety in Qatar after an England supporter was subjected to a lengthy and humiliating strip-search while trying to enter a World Cup stadium.
Anthony Johnson was trying to enter the Al Bayt Stadium for the Netherlands’ match against Qatar on Monday when he was stopped. The England fan was wearing two pieces of England merchandise from the “black pride splatter” range, which features rainbow colours.
He was denied entry and then forced to take off all of his clothes. He told inews : “They said I had some metal on me and ushered me into a private area where they asked me to first take off my shorts, then my shoes, then take my pants down then my underwear then strip fully naked.”
Following that 10-minute search, Johnson was then detained for even longer while officials returned his cap. He was only allowed into the stadium once a policeman intervened.
A FIFA spokesperson told Mirror Football: “FIFA is aware of some incidents where permitted items were not allowed to be displayed at stadiums. FIFA has received assurances by authorities that venue commanders have been contacted in relation to the agreed rules and regulations for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
"FIFA continues to work closely with the Host Country to ensure the full implementation of related regulations and agreed protocols."
Johnson’s experience is sadly an all-too-familiar one for supporters in Qatar for the World Cup. There have been numerous instances of fans being denied entry to stadiums due to their clothing, banners or flags. Before their 3-0 win over Wales on Tuesday night, England supporters went through detailed examinations of their flags and banners.
Before the tournament, Qatar was forced to agree with FIFA’s regulations for the tournament. However, there appears to be a disconnect between world football’s governing body and officials on the ground in Doha.
Following the OneLove armband saga, in which seven nations backed down from wearing the item in support of LGBTQ+ communities due to the threat of yellow cards, there has been heightened security around rainbow colours. Wales fans were prevented from wearing bucket hats at early fixtures, while flags and banners have been confiscated.
The problem became farcical when a man wearing a T-shirt depicting Michelangelo's David was told he couldn’t enter the stadium because his clothing showed nudity.
“From day one, we have said everybody is welcome,” World Cup chief Hassan Al-Thawadi told talkSPORT on Monday. “We have also asked for people to come and respect our culture, our religion.
“It’s not a Qatari culture or Qatari religion, these values are regional. It’s for the Islamic world, the Arab world, the Middle East. We want everybody from every walk of life to come here and you’ve got people from every corner of the world engaging, educating themselves and having a good time.
“But when it comes to a topic like this, it is a complicated topic. This is something for us, or at least for this part of the world, that is a fundamental part of religious values.”
