| Quatar 2022 08:07 - Nov 21 with 3570 views | Heisenberg |
World Cup starts one year from today. In stadiums built by slaves where many have perished in appalling conditions. Stadiums that will never be used again once the tournament ends. In a country where homosexuality is banned and severely punished. They are going to lift restrictions on non married straight couples sharing a room and alcohol will be permitted in ‘fan zones’ or hotel bars. Don’t forget to dress appropriately with shoulders and knees covered. The good news is games will kick off at 7.00 in the morning so it’s easy to ignore it. Wonder if the England team will wear rainbow laces ? That will really make a difference. |  |
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| Quatar 2022 on 16:17 - Nov 22 with 691 views | BuenosSaint |
| Quatar 2022 on 13:54 - Nov 22 by 1885_SFC |
I reckon Saudi would have been a preferred option for FIFA who surely would have pocketed bribes beyond their wildest dreams... had it not been for the ongoing war next door with Yemen. Same applies to Oman. I spent time in both countries years ago (as well as Bahrain) and I wouldn't have awarded it to any of them - not just yet. They're not ready.
One thing worth watching will be how the local police deal with hoards of drunken football fans on the streets. When I was in Saudi, the British builders out there working for Wimpey, Taylor-Woodrow, etc. secretly brewed their own illegal hooch which was mental stuff!!! |
I might stand to be corrected but don't think this will happen . It will be way too expensive for there to encourage major drinking I would guess. |  |
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| Quatar 2022 on 16:35 - Nov 22 with 671 views | BuenosSaint |
| Quatar 2022 on 12:37 - Nov 22 by Kennington |
I must be in the minority then, as I’m looking forward to the World Cup. But much like the construction workers who weren’t forced to travel to take dangerous construction jobs to earn a lot more than jobs back home to build the stadia, no one is forced to watch the games on telly. I’m not in any way condoning the neglecting of Heath and Safety which clearly has happened. But I’m sure if we look back at the building of many of Britain’s most impressive historical buildings we’ll no doubt find similar. The issue with Qatar is they haven’t caught up to the western standards, but other than shiny malls, they’re not western, so there’s no point trying to judge them through western standards. |
This is not the whole story though Kennington. Agree, with you they weren't forced to go there but lured by the promise of good money, there is enough anecdotal evidence of working and living conditions being akin to slavery once they get there. Allegedly Including passports being seized, wages withheld which are usually sent home to desperate breadline relatives etc.
I've been in jobs overseas where I have personally seen this going on as a fact.
What has amazed me though is why hasn't a brave undercover journalist done a scoop on this? It would be the journalist equivalent of a Pulitzer? Or maybe they have and waiting for the optimum time for release - say a day before the draw or something! | |
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| Quatar 2022 on 21:40 - Nov 22 with 620 views | ericofarabia |
I was in Doha mid 80's and as Dirk said it really was one of the most boring places in the world. Obviously it has moved on a lot since then, but I wonder if the locals are still very insular. They seemed to resent having expats, except the labourers, training them and doing jobs that they hadn't yet acquired the work skills or experience to do for themselves.
As the comment about drunk blokes chucking beer everywhere, at about £10 a pint probably best not to waste a drop.! Although the lure of the local nicks with a free haircut, free breakfast and all the sex that you can handle could prove tempting! |  | | |
| Quatar 2022 on 10:40 - Nov 23 with 538 views | PaleRider |
What really gets me is the hypocrisy of the FA, media, players etc. If they actually believed what they say about inclusion etc. then this would be the time to stand by their words. But no, it's ok to blame English and European fans whenever there's an issue but if there is a threat to the gravy train then all are curiously silent. | | | |
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