[Football] QATAR dangle the freebies - where would you stand ?

[Easy 10]

England and Wales fans being paid to promote World Cup from Qatar

Some England and Wales fans are to be paid to travel to the World Cup and given free tickets to the opening ceremony but will be expected to be ambassadors for the tournament

www.theguardian.com

"A number of England and Wales fans will be paid to travel to Qatar for the World Cup and given free tickets to the opening ceremony, but there is a catch: they will be expected to be ambassadors for the tournament. A number of England and Wales fans have signed up to the deal, which includes paid-for flights and accommodation but necessitates a minimum 14-day stay and attending “selected and scheduled” events. One will be the opening ceremony on Sunday 20 November, during which fan leaders will feature in short sections of the TV coverage. “Ideally we hope that you will stay for the entire duration of the 29 day tournament,” organisers told potential travellers. The Times has reported that 40 England fans and 40 Wales fans have agreed to take up the offer."

OK, so how's your scruples ? If you were offered free flights, free accommodation, free tickets + £60 a day spends to attend (presumably) several England games in Qatar - but you must act as a cheerleaders both at the game and online in order to help sportswash the whole event...would you take it ?

The knee-jerk is to give this thing the middle finger. Its utterly abhorrent that the Qatar authorities are literally buying off fans to promote their grubby tournament. But then again....being honest, wouldn't a BIT of you be slightly tempted ?

I'd like to think I'd turn it down flat. But I'd be lying if I said I'd decide immediately.

Be honest.

 

[Winker]

Where do I sign up?

The time for boycotting the whole thing was when it was first announced, it's too late now and it's happening whether we like it or not (I don't).

£60 a day should just about buy a couple of pints.

 

[Frutos]

Not a chance.

 

[studio150]

I would turn it down flat, no desire to visit Qatar whether the world cup is on or not.

 

[RandyWanger]

meh

 

[Beach Hut]

This might give Barber an idea

 

[Bozza]

Also Dutch fans - https://www.dutchnews.nl/news/2022/...-be-social-media-spies-at-world-cup-in-qatar/

I think I've also seen references to Spanish and, possibly, Australian fans doing likewise.

 

[Brovion]

No, not tempted in the slightest. Watching it on TV is one thing (and yes I probably will watch a few games), but being a paid cheerleader? No way.

 

[Swansman]

As someone who loves to write a travel diary, I don't know if I could have said no.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

100% no.

 

[horshamite]

I would give my right arm to go. Perhaps the organisers will take that literally

Btw it's a 'NO' from me.

 

[MJsGhost]

Absolutely no chance.

My morals are not for sale*






*Something along the lines of the $150m they are paying Beckham might make that standpoint tricky

 

[Madafwo]

Dissapointed there isn't an option on the poll to accept and then go gay-for-pay while there, just for shits and giggles.

Upon reflection, that pretty much sums up option 3. That'll be me then.

 

[BBassic]

Blood money. Pass.

 

[Iggle Piggle]

I'm sure I would albeit not possible with work and family etc. I learnt to embrace my double standards years ago.

Altogether now "YOU CAN STICK THAT F***** WIND FARM UP YOUR ARSE"

"WE HATE SOLAR, WE HATE SOLAR"

 

[Fungus]

I don’t actually know anything about Qatar. Apart from the WC, what is there to do for two weeks? *

Whatever, the answer is “no”.

* edit: let alone 29 days?

 

[Acker79]

Where do I sign up?

The time for boycotting the whole thing was when it was first announced, it's too late now and it's happening whether we like it or not (I don't).

£60 a day should just about buy a couple of pints.

How does that work? We couldn't boycott it when it was announced because there was nothing to boycott. Now there is something we can boycott we can't because we didn't when there was nothing to boycott?


As to the question of the thread, I'm not interested in visiting Qatar at all (prefer colder climes) and have never really had any desire to watch a world cup in person (sometimes I struggle watching on TV), so I would be a no even before the question of morality/conscience comes into it.

 

[Ali_rrr]

Also Dutch fans - https://www.dutchnews.nl/news/2022/...-be-social-media-spies-at-world-cup-in-qatar/

I think I've also seen references to Spanish and, possibly, Australian fans doing likewise.

Yep Belgian, French and Welsh fans too.

The reaction here is the same as it is in the UK. There is already controversy about the king going or not.


In other news, the second largest supermarket here, Jumbo, put out an ad for the world cup with dancing builders which as you can imagine, has gone down like a lead balloon.

Own goal: Jumbo pulls World Cup ad featuring dancing builders - DutchNews.nl

The Jumbo supermarket group has pulled a new advert promoting its World Cup giveaway because it includes footage of dancing construction workers on a building site. An estimated 6,500 workers from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have died in Qatar since it won the right to host...

www.dutchnews.nl

 

[Poojah]

You have to consider the consequences of selling your soul. I posted previously that I had little interest in the World Cup in Russia four and a half years ago due to the nature of its venue, only to cave and find it an enjoyable tournament.

At what cost though? We can’t continue to placate regimes that don’t want to conform to the values of the global community. I found myself profoundly depressed by the events of the war in Ukraine back in February and March, and it was my wife who recognised it and urged me to cut myself off from the media, as she put it, there is no value in getting upset about things you can’t affect.

Maybe she’s right, maybe not. But no amount of sand can bury your head from the cost of your gas and leccy bill this winter. This is something we have to remember. Nazi Germany hosted the Olympic Games on 1936. Did the world learn from that?

Perhaps Qatar doesn’t threaten to cause global instability in the way the previous host has, or Nazi Germany did. But I think the lesson we have to learn is that we cannot continue to support and placate evil, for everyone’s sake.

It sounds like such an obvious statement when written without context. And yet we do it.

 

[wellquickwoody]

Reporting on fellow fans for critical social media posts, singing prescribed songs like a performing puppet, actually getting images of other fans who may not be behaving just how the authorities night like?

Not a hope in hell.

https://www.codesports.com.au/football/world-cup/qatar-world-cup-2022-england-fans-paid-to-be-spies-at-world-cup/news-story/56a0baeff006c51a0f496b4b57c1cb9c