England football fans with tickets to the World Cup might not attend because Qatar is too expensive and there’s not enough to do, according to a report in The Times.
The newspaper said some fans with tickets bought through the official England Supporters Travel Club have said they don’t want to travel to the Gulf State.
It quoted Chief Executive of the Football Supporter’s Association Kevin Miles saying ‘an increasing number of fans’ were voicing concerns.
However, he said there had been previous ‘doom-laden stories’ ahead of tournaments before. “Once the enthusiasm builds, things will pick up. I still think we’ll be very well supported,” he added.
England fans have bought the third highest number of tickets for the World Cup, after the US and Mexico, said The Times, but there are almost 1,500 unsold tickets for a possible quarter-final.
One member of the travel club told The Times that he has no plans to travel to the quarter-final, even though he has already bought tickets. The paper quoted him saying: “We’re finding that, on top of a flight for £800, accommodation starts at about £250 a night. It’s £12 for a bottle of beer in the bars that do serve alcohol. Then there’s the issue with things to do. Sledging down a sand dune doesn’t really appeal.”
