England Supporters Club

Walsall fans forum Q&A

Posted by Team England at 10:39 on Monday 30 April 2018

On Tuesday 17 April The England Supporters Travel Club held a pre-World Cup 'Fans Forum' at Walsall's Banks' Stadium. The forum was designed to answer any questions supporters had regarding the upcoming World Cup in Russia and give them an opportunity to meet England Manager Gareth Southgate and ex-England player Darius Vassell. 

In attendance were: Tom Regan (TR) and Rob Lindsey (RL) Head of World Cup Team at the FCO, Roger Evans (RE) Assistant Director at the UK Football Policing Unit, Steve Lewis (SL) Security Advisor at The FA and Harpreet Robertson (HR) Head of ESTC at The FA. 

Below are some of the key questions raised at the forum in relation to safety and security at The World Cup. Footage and images of both forums will be made available following the Leeds event on the 8th May. 

1. Will it be a requirement to carry your passport with you at all times?

The FCO stated that most Russians carry their passports with them at all times and and advised that supporters travelling for the purpose of the World Cup should do the same (including on match day). The FCO have asked the Russian Government if the FAN ID would suffice as a form of photo ID however, this is yet to be confirmed. Should this information change, there will be updates across the FCO and ESC websites.

2. What will the military presence be like in Russia?

RE stressed that supporters should not be alarmed by the military and armed police presence in Russia - it is simply "the way they do it". RE assured supporters that authorities are keen to show that football fans are welcome there. 

3. What consular access will there be throughout the tournament?

TR outlined that the plan is to have mobile British embassies based in each host city England are due to play in. TR also highlighted that since Euro 2016 five Premier League teams have played in Russia, some taking over 2500 fans, with no repeat of the scenes seen in Marseille in 2016. 

4. What are the security processes in place for supporters entering the ground? 

RE commented saying the entry process to the stadium will be tight. FAN IDs will be checked along with your ticket and you will also be asked to turn on all phones, cameras and tablets to demonstrate they are real and work. 

RE also stated that there are long walks between stations/drop-off points and the stadiums. Local authorities have laid out pedestrian routes to manage crowd traffic but this can take some time. Supporters are therefore advised to arrive at the stadium early to avoid missing the start of any game. 

5. What is the general attitude of the general public in Russia towards English supporters?

Both RE and HR gave personal experiences of their time spent in Russia and stated that the locals were keen to welcome tourists to their country. They found that locals and staff in hotels and restaurants were nothing but hospitable. 

6. What conversations have been had with the Belgian authorities in the build-up to the Belgium game?

With regards to border control and customs, the FCO have been advised that their Belgian counterparts are advising fans heading to Russia via Poland to start their way early in the event they are held at the Polish and Russian borders for several hours (worst case scenario). 

RE mentioned that during the World Cup representatives from each participating nation will be located in a Police Coordination Centre. The key purpose of this will be to exchange information and intelligence; any relevant information will then be passed onto The FA delegation and communicated to supporters where necessary. 

7. Is there any truth to the stories we are reading in the papers regarding fans safety?

RE stated that for the last few World Cup tournaments the media reported on the dangers England fans would face abroad - none of which came to fruition. He called  on supporters to take these stories with a pinch of salt. RE said that both he and Tony Conniford (Head of The FA Security) thought that the pre-tournament meetings were perhaps the most positive they've had for a World Cup. 

8. Is the panel aware about the potential border control problems coaches travelling into Kaliningrad might face (specifically from Gdansk in Poland)?

RE stated that the UKFPU were aware of the potential problems coaches might face; there are rules in place in Kaliningrad regarding coaches travelling into the city but this is not something put in place as a result of the World Cup (Kaliningrad is a military enclave). RE confirmed that they are trying to find out more information in order to be able to further advise supporters.

9. Should coaches be allowed into Kaliningrad, are any parking facilities going to be made available?

HR stated that we do not have the exact details on this at the moment but The Travel Club expects there to be a 'park and ride' option available (similar to previous tournaments). HR then confirmed that as soon as The FA receives more information, the website will be updated accordingly. 

10. How many people applied for the Belgium game and were unsuccessful with a ticket and how many ticket-less supporters are expected in Kaliningrad?

HR outlined that the Belgium game was heavily oversubscribed with around 3000 members applying. HR also stated that as per previous tournaments there will be 'fan zones' where matches will be shown for ticket-less supporters. ESTC have managed to obtain further tickets for this match to sell to members on a caps basis so the number of ticket-less fans is coming down. 

11. In light of the current political climate between Russia and the UK, are The FA working on a contingency plan for a tournament without any official supporters there?

HR stated that The FA are looking at every possible scenario for the World Cup however at this present time this scenario is unlikely to happen. 

12. What are the rules about displaying England flags in Russia?

RE explained that the three group game host cities - Volgograd, Nizhny Novgorod and Kaliningrad - may not be used to English tourists and advised that Volgograd in particular was the scene of the largest battle in World War 2 in which nearly 2.2 million million people from various nations died. Supporters are therefore politely advised to be aware of how ingrained the history of the war is in Volgograd's culture (and other parts of Russia) and to be mindful about hanging up their flags - particularly on public monuments. 

RE also outlines there will be a strict line on the size of flags being allowed into stadiums and that they can be no larger than 2 meters by 1.5 meters.