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There was a 50% increase in football-related arrests in England and Wales last season in comparison to the previous year, as a result of crowd disturbances and pitch invasions. The UK Home Office has banned 1,300 fans from attending the World Cup.
The Home Office of the UK has announced that over 1,300 abusive and violent football supporters in England and Wales would be barred from traveling to the World Cup in Qatar in November. For the full World Cup 2022 fixtures Singapore time, check our dedicated page for the most up-to-date schedule.
The UK drops a hammer ban
The measures, which will go into effect this coming Friday, will require 1,308 individuals who have a history of football-related aggression or disruption to forfeit their passports, banning them from traveling to the Gulf state or adjacent countries from which they could commute to games.
In an interview, Home Secretary Suella Braverman stressed that the Home Office would not let the actions of a small group of lawbreakers dampen the spirit of what promises to be a pleasant and thrilling competition.
As a result of a significant increase in pitch intrusions and crowd problems across English football during the previous season, the Premier League has implemented new safety measures to curb disorderly conduct at upcoming matches.
What happens now?
According to the numbers, there were incidents at over 1,600 of the over 3,000 games played last season. The Home Office has issued a warning to those who disobey and defy the restrictions that they could suffer an unlimited fine and six months in prison.
And yet, the number of people who are barred from traveling to Qatar is just slightly greater than the 1,200 British citizens who were barred from traveling to the World Cup in Russia 4 years ago.
However, the Home Office did not disclose a summary of supporters who will be having their passports taken based on their nation of origin. This is despite the fact that Wales will be joining England in next month’s competition.
Approximately 2,200 England fans were issued travel bans for the 2014 tournament in Brazil, and roughly 3,200 were issued bans for the 2010 tournament in South Africa.
Braverman: Violence will not be tolerated
The Home Office issued an announcement explaining its response to the recent unrest and warning that any banned fan who tries to enter Qatar might face up to 6 months in prison and an infinite fine.
Police could also be able to deter repeat criminals who are seen as potential troublemakers from visiting the Gulf. If such individuals are apprehended at ports while attempting to enter Qatar, they will be subject to a 24-hour court proceeding for a football restriction order.
The Home Office also noted that police in Qatar will be collecting intelligence and issued a warning that any fans deemed to pose a risk might be subject to a football restriction order upon their return to the United Kingdom.
Braverman continued by saying that they are cooperating closely with the Qatari authorities to guarantee the security of British national attendees. She also emphasized that criminal activity such as verbal and physical assault will not be permitted at the WorldCup22.
Most fans will likely abide by the travel bans, according to sources, as 99 percent of those who got an order to do so returned their passports before the 2018 World Cup. After 2,198 convictions throughout the 2017 football season, new data shows that more than 500 new suspension orders were issued.
Final thoughts
The ability to broaden football suspension orders to include online hate crimes related to the game is one of the new tools to combat violence at matches. According to the Home Office’s announcement, certain supporters will be barred from entering the country of Qatar because they have been deemed to be aggressive.
In response to claims of rampant cocaine use at matches, ministers have expanded football restraining orders to include class A drug offenses.
Fans who have been given the restriction order will have no other choice but to catch the action elsewhere. You, too, can watch the World Cup 2022 livestream for free at Solarbet! You can place your early World Cup bets today and more!