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Home » News » UEFA Nations League: Croatia v England update
UEFA Nations League: Croatia v England update

UEFA Nations League: Croatia v England update

Posted by Team England at 11:53 on Friday 18 May 2018

Following discussions with both the police and the UK Football Policing Unit (UKFPU) it has been agreed for safety and security reasons that The FA will not be issuing any tickets to ESTC members for our fixture against Croatia on the 12th October 2018.  

The decision to play the match behind closed doors was made by UEFA and completes a two-game stadium ban ordered after a swastika was marked on the pitch ahead of a 2016 UEFA European Championship qualifier against Italy.

The FA had been exploring all options to secure a number of tickets for our members to attend this match.  However, the FA takes the safety and security of its members extremely seriously and following consultations with the police and the UKFPU we agreed that it would be unsafe for fans to attend the fixture – either through The FA delegation of tickets or through other means.  For these reasons we strongly advise against any of our members travelling for the fixture.

We appreciate that those members who have already made their travel and/or accommodation plans will be naturally disappointed by this decision but we hope that you understand the reasons for doing so.

Have Your Say
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  • Amber Edmondson
    Amber Edmondson

    Don't agree with this at all! Our flights to Spain are from Croatia so advising not to travel to Croatia is ridiculous! Obviously we all have a spare few £100 to cover such ridiculous punitive measures at know fault of our fans!

    • 18 May 2018
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  • Gareth Jones
    Gareth Jones

    Hope the me me me brigade are happy!!!!! Would be safer in the ground than in the local bars.

    • 18 May 2018
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  • Darren Green
    Darren Green

    Spineless but fortunately for me I gt a refund on my flights due to time changes

    • 18 May 2018
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  • Christopher Morris
    Christopher Morris

    Said it before, thank you FA for letting UEFA treat the fans like this. It should have been highlighted at the draw that the match was to be behind closed doors. The FA should make it clear to UEFA, no fans no England team. Pull out of this shambles of a tournament or continue to treat your fans like cash cows?

    • 18 May 2018
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  • Paul Green
    Paul Green

    This Nations League is becoming farcical with respect to how England fans are being treated. Croatia game behind closed doors and the venue for Spain still not confirmed by the FA. We have probably the largest travelling support and treated like this. Spain and Croatia fans will have there plans for travelling to Wembley sorted already.

    • 18 May 2018
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  • Julian Kingsley
    Julian Kingsley

    Suggest the fa delegation of tickets should also be 0. How is it safe for you? Maybe you should feel the same as the fans!

    • 18 May 2018
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  • Clive Bell
    Clive Bell

    Oh well,will be watching it in a bar in Zagreb cheers UEFA

    • 18 May 2018
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  • Dan Hallas
    Dan Hallas

    Amazes me how they can say "don't travel to Croatia because it's unsafe" but then they openly want you to go to Russia?

    Very disappointing decision and we will still be travelling.

    • 18 May 2018
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  • Alastair Mcculloch
    Alastair Mcculloch

    What a spineless stance. It was Uefa's rank error to not state game "behind closed doors" on fixture schedule. But the FA even worse as you have completely failed to support those who booked - especially the many travelling to Spain via Croatia (remember, only FA fixture requirements caused this away double-header). Then, after months of silence, you issue a statement so weak that it can't be used in travel insurance claims. Which means everyone will still travel, but spineless FA can point to this statement if any trouble. Complete jokers!

    • 18 May 2018
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  • Claire Elliott
    Claire Elliott

    This is a shambles of a decision. The Foreign Office aren’t suggesting we shouldn’t travel, so I’ve a mind to travel anyway. I guess the FA fat cats and Police who get all their travel free (well paid for by us) will be attending.

    Shocking.

    You need to stand down as Russia is likely to be far more problematic. I’m going to look into the legal options here.

    In the interim, I suggest people send complaints to the Sports Minister tracey.crouch.mp@parliament.uk

    • 18 May 2018
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  • David Banks
    David Banks

    Absolutely ludicrous decision and statement !! "Safety and security" - how would the risk of attending be any different to watching a match there normally ?

    Like many, I have travel and accomodation booked and will be going. We will just have to all watch in a bar !

    • 18 May 2018
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  • Alastair Mcculloch
    Alastair Mcculloch

    Given the fixture schedule error was Uefa's mistake,  FA should have ensured Croatia's one match ban was delayed until start of Euro 2020 qualifying.

    • 18 May 2018
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  • Richard Hulbert
    Richard Hulbert

    “Unsafe for fans to attend the fixture.....for these reasons we strongly advise against any of our members travelling for this fixture.”

    Why? What would be unsafe about members attending a fixture to which Croatian fans are banned?

    Will the players be safe? What about english press? Is it safe for them to attend? Should they not travel either?

    It’s nothing to do with safety. It’s to do with you not having a clue how to allocate FA delegation tickets to members and so you’ve decided not to do it. Why don’t you say that? Instead you give this nonsense reason that it’s to do with “safety” with no explanation whatsoever.

    • 18 May 2018
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  • Gerald Daish
    Gerald Daish

    Complete and utter shambles from both UEFA and The FA.  Don't buy "safety and security" for a moment. And what about the Spain venue...?!  Time to pull out of this nonsense tournament...  organise some friendlies if fixtures are needed.

    • 18 May 2018
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  • David Lilley
    David Lilley

    The blame for this fiasco lies clearly with UEFA, who should have "confirmed" the closed doors ruling at the time the fixture list was issued or, better, when the draw was made. Some blame also lies with the Croatian FA who presumably knew of this ban but did not mention it to the English FA.

    Our own FA are to be commended for lobbying behind the scenes to have English fans allowed in to the fixture. They are also to be commended for considering the possibility of inducting some fans into the FA official delegation so that at least some could watch the match. However, they have shown a lack of courage in not following through with this plan and not facing down the top cappers who argued that if they couldn't go then nobody should go.

    The advice from the police and the UKFPU that fans shouldn't travel is ludicrous. The whole crux of this debacle is that fans have already paid for flights on a non-refundable basis: not only flights to Croatia but also in many cases onward travel to Spain. Do they really think we are going to write off this money ? There will be several hundred fans in Zagreb regardless of their "advice".

    Finally, independently of this farce, the FA should take UEFA on one side and explain to them what an inconsiderate decision it is to have 2 away fixtures on the same weekend. With only 4 fixtures over 6 dates for Leagues A and B, I'm sure they could have arranged things so that any double headers were 1 home and 1 away.

    • 18 May 2018
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