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Qatar World Cup - Non Football Related Thread
Comments
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I thought Putin sent in those Palace Ultra wannabes (
as a warning to football hooligans across the globe that this is what they can expect should there be trouble when the WC is held in Russia? 2 -
Or perhaps they went to send a warning about what they’d be doing in Russia and they got told that wouldn’t be happening as to not embarrass Russia on the world stage.
Seems far more likely to me.0 -
Ive seen it already out here.Rufus is a dogs name said:The Brewdog anti-Qatar campaign appears to backfiring massively (they are beginning to make a habit of these PR cock-ups)
It's now been revealed that only 3 months ago they signed a deal with a government-owned distributor to sell their beer out there for the tournament... 🤦🏻♂️0 -
Some of the newspaper articles are so inaccurately written is makes me laugh, as if the journalist has never been here.cafctom said:I’ll be going to Qatar.
As a solo traveller I’ve had to put quite a bit of planning into parts of the trip. That includes speaking to / reading observations from people who have been or live there.
The general consensus from those people is that a lot of the media reports regarding what you can / cannot do are quite exaggerated.I’m expecting to have a good time, among the fanbases of 32 national teams. It won’t surprise me if at the very minimum there are a few things that don’t go to plan logistically at first, but I’m also not expecting it to be situation where every little detail is a complete disaster. The media will no doubt ensure that it looks that way, regardless.
There’s a hope that the opportunity for such a diverse mix of fans meeting in one place can help to promote inclusivity. Football is one of the few international vehicles that could make it happen on such a scale. Hopefully.Happy to report back my experiences during the tournament.2 -
See the same nonsense all the time.QatarNapsy said:
Some of the newspaper articles are so inaccurately written is makes me laugh, as if the journalist has never been here.cafctom said:I’ll be going to Qatar.
As a solo traveller I’ve had to put quite a bit of planning into parts of the trip. That includes speaking to / reading observations from people who have been or live there.
The general consensus from those people is that a lot of the media reports regarding what you can / cannot do are quite exaggerated.I’m expecting to have a good time, among the fanbases of 32 national teams. It won’t surprise me if at the very minimum there are a few things that don’t go to plan logistically at first, but I’m also not expecting it to be situation where every little detail is a complete disaster. The media will no doubt ensure that it looks that way, regardless.
There’s a hope that the opportunity for such a diverse mix of fans meeting in one place can help to promote inclusivity. Football is one of the few international vehicles that could make it happen on such a scale. Hopefully.Happy to report back my experiences during the tournament.
Agenda > Journalism3 -
More than happy to answer any questions you have.AFKABartram said:If he’s reading this I’d love to know @QatarNapsy
thoughts on all this as he’s undoubtedly the best placed to provide insight out of all of us
Ive been here since 2008 and seen huge changes (mostly positive) and personally cant wait for next weekend to come around.
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@Chris_from_Sidcup Pm me if you need any help from this end with your Hayya card.4
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Like this?QatarNapsy said:
Some of the newspaper articles are so inaccurately written is makes me laugh, as if the journalist has never been here.cafctom said:I’ll be going to Qatar.
As a solo traveller I’ve had to put quite a bit of planning into parts of the trip. That includes speaking to / reading observations from people who have been or live there.
The general consensus from those people is that a lot of the media reports regarding what you can / cannot do are quite exaggerated.I’m expecting to have a good time, among the fanbases of 32 national teams. It won’t surprise me if at the very minimum there are a few things that don’t go to plan logistically at first, but I’m also not expecting it to be situation where every little detail is a complete disaster. The media will no doubt ensure that it looks that way, regardless.
There’s a hope that the opportunity for such a diverse mix of fans meeting in one place can help to promote inclusivity. Football is one of the few international vehicles that could make it happen on such a scale. Hopefully.Happy to report back my experiences during the tournament.
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/qatars-first-openly-gay-man-has-a-message-for-fans-ahead-of-the-fifa-world-cup/xo2n2m7rm
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@QatarNapsy Some questions if I may:
1. What are the accommodation options for a typical fan, say a Lifer on middle income? Specifically are the cruise ships still a thing?2. The Economist reporter who paid a visit late October suggested that a big issue may be getting something reasonable to eat, reasonably quickly, ( again assuming a middle income Lifer, not a well off expat.) Your perspective?3. If, after getting some food, one then wanted to go on to a place for a few drinks, where would one go? And how much would those drinks cost?4. The Economist also suggested that many Qatari residents are not looking forward to this as they believe the place isnt big enough to absorb the sudden huge increase in the total population accessing transport as well as restaurants etc. Your perspective?1 -
Is there quite literally at least one Charlton in every single country?
When the human race populates Mars, I expect to see a vague glimpse of video footage showing a Charlton shirt/scarf
We cover all grounds 👍
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I think you would agree that you actually need to live in a country to fully understand it, a holiday (or two) or business trip just does not cover it.Stu_of_Kunming said:
Probably need to visit a country to full understand it though, reality is often quite different from how the media likes to present things.ShootersHillGuru said:
Don’t need to visit to know about it’s laws and human rights abuses.ValleyGary said:Lots of Qatari experts on here. How many of you have actually been and experienced the country, its laws and its people yourselves?1 -
1. What are the accommodation options for a typical fan, say a Lifer on middle income? Specifically are the cruise ships still a thing?PragueAddick said:@QatarNapsy Some questions if I may:
1. What are the accommodation options for a typical fan, say a Lifer on middle income? Specifically are the cruise ships still a thing?2. The Economist reporter who paid a visit late October suggested that a big issue may be getting something reasonable to eat, reasonably quickly, ( again assuming a middle income Lifer, not a well off expat.) Your perspective?3. If, after getting some food, one then wanted to go on to a place for a few drinks, where would one go? And how much would those drinks cost?4. The Economist also suggested that many Qatari residents are not looking forward to this as they believe the place isnt big enough to absorb the sudden huge increase in the total population accessing transport as well as restaurants etc. Your perspective?
https://www.qatar2022.qa/book?utm_source=sa360&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=ao-search2022&utm_content=en&gclid=CjwKCAiAvK2bBhB8EiwAZUbP1CH3bvgDm7Ey4ajHK7ZFmlPDG6SZqnHtDXVbGn6N42hUc32vniiG5xoCRiAQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds2. The Economist reporter who paid a visit late October suggested that a big issue may be getting something reasonable to eat, reasonably quickly, ( again assuming a middle income Lifer, not a well off expat.) Your perspective?
There are thousands of places to eat. If you venture away from the big upmarket expat areas (where i suspect the reporter was based) you will find all sorts of food available. Chicken/lamb shwarma/kebab for QR7 (£1.68). I went with my family to a Thai restaurant yesterday (no frills and unlicensed) and it was QR25 (£6) per dish. Also have around 5 or 6 food delivery companies (Talabat, Snoonu, Carriage etc which all have apps).3. If, after getting some food, one then wanted to go on to a place for a few drinks, where would one go? And how much would those drinks cost?
Generally to a bar in a hotel. You have a choice of 5 star down to 3 star hotels with prices to match. Plenty of extended happy hour deals everywhere as standard. Beers from QR35 (£8.50) upwards. Quite a few liquid brunches on offer too, like QR200 (£48) unlimited drinks 5-8pm for example.4. The Economist also suggested that many Qatari residents are not looking forward to this as they believe the place isnt big enough to absorb the sudden huge increase in the total population accessing transport as well as restaurants etc. Your perspective?Definitely some truth in this. Many Qatari's that i work with are looking forward to it, but equally as many want to travel overseas especially for the first 2 weeks.
All schools will close from next weekend so many are taking the opportunity to travel as its a 4-6 week break. The country is small, Doha as a city is pretty small. They're hoping everyone will use the metro, but i think the roads will be constantly busy.
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Thanks @QatarNapsy that's very interesting and I'm glad AFKA tagged you.
The food sounds great, actually, hopefully enough people will have access to someone like you to help find these places out. Drink situation, not so good. Well we expected that, at least. Accomodation. I followed the link and checked what was available for two nights around the 3rd place playoff (simply because that was what what I was able to go to in Germany). Looked pretty pricey to me (I'm too old for a fanzone/shipping container. But then again, the hotels in Germany jacked their prices up by 2x or more. Always going to happen I guess. The cruise ships fascinate me. It could actually turn out to be a genius idea, but I'd be wary of being one of about 5,000 mostly male fans from different countries all crammed onto something like that.0 -
It will be pricey, it starts in 10 days.PragueAddick said:Thanks @QatarNapsy that's very interesting and I'm glad AFKA tagged you.
The food sounds great, actually, hopefully enough people will have access to someone like you to help find these places out. Drink situation, not so good. Well we expected that, at least. Accomodation. I followed the link and checked what was available for two nights around the 3rd place playoff (simply because that was what what I was able to go to in Germany). Looked pretty pricey to me (I'm too old for a fanzone/shipping container. But then again, the hotels in Germany jacked their prices up by 2x or more. Always going to happen I guess. The cruise ships fascinate me. It could actually turn out to be a genius idea, but I'd be wary of being one of about 5,000 mostly male fans from different countries all crammed onto something like that.0 -
Nice one QN - that will shut everyone upQatarNapsy said:
More than happy to answer any questions you have.AFKABartram said:If he’s reading this I’d love to know @QatarNapsy
thoughts on all this as he’s undoubtedly the best placed to provide insight out of all of us
Ive been here since 2008 and seen huge changes (mostly positive) and personally cant wait for next weekend to come around out7 -
I suspect prices will drop considerably when tournament starts and rooms are unfilledValleyGary said:
It will be pricey, it starts in 10 days.PragueAddick said:Thanks @QatarNapsy that's very interesting and I'm glad AFKA tagged you.
The food sounds great, actually, hopefully enough people will have access to someone like you to help find these places out. Drink situation, not so good. Well we expected that, at least. Accomodation. I followed the link and checked what was available for two nights around the 3rd place playoff (simply because that was what what I was able to go to in Germany). Looked pretty pricey to me (I'm too old for a fanzone/shipping container. But then again, the hotels in Germany jacked their prices up by 2x or more. Always going to happen I guess. The cruise ships fascinate me. It could actually turn out to be a genius idea, but I'd be wary of being one of about 5,000 mostly male fans from different countries all crammed onto something like that.0 -
ValleyOfTears said:
Fine point..And perhaps after all the unrelenting imposing of Western "values" on an Islamic country that shares no such "values" whatsoever,, AND NEVER WILL ~ we can finally let the football do the talking. I suspect, as always, there are some who aren't there for the football at all.satsuma27 said:Sometimes I feel we in the West feel like we've got a monopoly on the truth. I feel like the old mother's saying "people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones" is appropriate here. Not condoning Qatar's policies, but maybe we should look at all the bad stuff we do.
What do you think they are there for then?
This isn’t France or Germany we’re talking about where you can just jump on a cheap flight or Eurostar last minute.Anyone entering Qatar needs to have match tickets for their visa (‘Haaya card’) to be approved.1 -
A Google search suggests Qatar is one of the safest places to live in the world and with great health care benefits.
A friend of mine informed me today he visited Qatar a while ago and its a great place.
I jumped on the bandwagon of slagging it off. I am mostly just a fan of normal and organised situations.
The dismissive nature of alcohol and extreme heat in the summer peak season sounds like the main problems!
The Qatar World cup deal was surrounded by sneaky dodgy folk, and the treatment of migrant workers is and was appalling! But I must remind myself that doesn't represent the whole nation.
The world Cup can be a good one4 - Sponsored links:
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New change for Hayya card is that from Dec 2nd, you can enter without match tickets (after group stage)cafctom said:ValleyOfTears said:
Fine point..And perhaps after all the unrelenting imposing of Western "values" on an Islamic country that shares no such "values" whatsoever,, AND NEVER WILL ~ we can finally let the football do the talking. I suspect, as always, there are some who aren't there for the football at all.satsuma27 said:Sometimes I feel we in the West feel like we've got a monopoly on the truth. I feel like the old mother's saying "people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones" is appropriate here. Not condoning Qatar's policies, but maybe we should look at all the bad stuff we do.
What do you think they are there for then?
This isn’t France or Germany we’re talking about where you can just jump on a cheap flight or Eurostar last minute.Anyone entering Qatar needs to have match tickets for their visa (‘Haaya card’) to be approved.1 -
Having seen some pictures of the ‘shipping containers’ (actual recent pictures, not ones from 5-6 months ago that the so called journalists are trotting out), I actually don’t think they look that bad.
Yes, they’re pricier than they should be but I don’t think that comes as a surprise.
Anyone who has followed England away I’m sure can offer stories of some absolute hell holes they’ve stayed in that look far worse.
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I mean they basically do look like a shipping container that has been refitted to be a basic living space. Because that's what they are...cafctom said:Having seen some pictures of the ‘shipping containers’ (actual recent pictures, not ones from 5-6 months ago that the so called journalists are trotting out), I actually don’t think they look that bad.
Yes, they’re pricier than they should be but I don’t think that comes as a surprise.
Anyone who has followed England away I’m sure can offer stories of some absolute hell holes they’ve stayed in that look far worse.
Not exactly luxury living.2 -
Nobody is suggesting it is luxury living. But they certainly look kitted out better than what the media are portraying in their descriptions.I’ve opted for an apartment package because that was what was available when I booked, but if I was staying with a mate in somewhere like the above - I’d get on with it as a lower cost option. I’m there for the World Cup, not necessarily for a relaxing holiday. Everyone has their own tastes though, of course.5
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I for one will be boycotting this event and shall be watching it on the box. My moral compass is firmly on point.
This'll be the first time I've not travelled to a major international tournament on the grounds of ethics. I've never travelled to any of the others on the grounds of being skint
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@QatarNapsy - PM sent.QatarNapsy said:@Chris_from_Sidcup Pm me if you need any help from this end with your Hayya card.1 -
Fortunately there’s plenty of other options available too.SELR_addicks said:
I mean they basically do look like a shipping container that has been refitted to be a basic living space. Because that's what they are...cafctom said:Having seen some pictures of the ‘shipping containers’ (actual recent pictures, not ones from 5-6 months ago that the so called journalists are trotting out), I actually don’t think they look that bad.
Yes, they’re pricier than they should be but I don’t think that comes as a surprise.
Anyone who has followed England away I’m sure can offer stories of some absolute hell holes they’ve stayed in that look far worse.
Not exactly luxury living.2 -
To be fair... Converting Shipping Containers into living spaces is nothing new.
https://www.dezeen.com/2019/10/18/stow-away-hotel-doone-silver-kerr-london-shipping-container/
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Been to Doha a couple of times for business and enjoyed working there ... if you want a drink, go to a hotel. Food is excellent and can be very inexpensive compared to London, although there are exceptions.
Going back again next year with my wife for a holiday in Salwa Beach.
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Who goes to a football tournament for the accomodation?SELR_addicks said:
I mean they basically do look like a shipping container that has been refitted to be a basic living space. Because that's what they are...cafctom said:Having seen some pictures of the ‘shipping containers’ (actual recent pictures, not ones from 5-6 months ago that the so called journalists are trotting out), I actually don’t think they look that bad.
Yes, they’re pricier than they should be but I don’t think that comes as a surprise.
Anyone who has followed England away I’m sure can offer stories of some absolute hell holes they’ve stayed in that look far worse.
Not exactly luxury living.
Literally a place to sleep off the booze and go again. Even if you are, there's plenty of 3-5 star hotels in Doha.8
