British police officers will be on hand at the World Cup to prevent problems for England and Wales fans in Qatar, and will not act as “morality police”, Chf Const Mark Roberts said.
The UK delegation will include a team of 15 "supporter engagement" officers who will act as a buffer between supporters from the two nations and Qatari police.
The experienced officers will be on hand to talk with fans and de-escalate situations if they believe “there’s a risk they may be overstepping the mark”.
They will also speak with security at the grounds to calm any tension.
But Mr Roberts said they would only be focusing on fans who are “starting to draw a bit of attention” and could cause offence with their behaviour without realising.
He said they would not tell people whether or not they have had too much to drink.
Up to 4,000 England fans are expected to travel to Qatar for the group stages, with numbers set to increase if the Three Lions reach the knockout stages.
Between 2,000 and 3,000 Wales fans are also expected to fly out, while both sides could see their numbers in the stands increased by expatriates in the region.
Fifa World Cup Qatar 2022 fan zones in Dubai - in pictures
-
The Football Park in the DIFC will offer free outdoor screenings, plus tables starting from Dh350, redeemable against food and drinks. Photo: DIFC -
The Press Play fan zone will feature a 250-square-metre screen. Photo: Precision Football x Press Play -
A rendering of City Centre Mirdif Stadium on the mall's rooftop. Photo: City Centre Mirdif -
Drift Beach Dubai will operate the 60-seater Ruinart Lounge for a luxurious match-watching experience. Photo: One&Only Royal Mirage -
Soul Beach DXB will transform into a fan zone with pool and beachside seating options. Photo: Soul Beach DXB -
The Beach Stadium at Hilton Dubai Jumeirah is a 1,600-square-metre football fan zone, kick-starting on November 20. Photo: Hilton -
Stadium Lounge at City Walk will host PlayStation tournaments before the semi-final and final matches. Photo: City Walk -
Address Beach Resort will set up an air-conditioned tent to screen the matches. Photo: Address Beach Resort -
The JBR Football Village at DoubleTree by Hilton Jumeirah Beach.
Police statistics showed there were three arrests among more than 5,000 England fans who travelled to Russia for the 2018 World Cup, 15 arrests four years earlier in Brazil where more than 9,000 fans travelled, and seven arrests among the more than 14,000 fans at South Africa in 2010.
Mr Roberts said it was hoped that, similar to those tournaments, trouble is kept to a minimum.
“It’s a World Cup in a different part of the world with a very different culture,, and I think one of my fears is that supporters, not wishing to cause offence or cause problems, may act in a way that inadvertently causes offence or draws attention," he said.
“Equally, there may be perceptions on the part of the Qatari police or the supporting Turkish police, or any of the other agencies, about what supporters are doing.
“Just because people are noisy, bouncing up and down and chanting in a different language does not mean they’re being aggressive.”
Qatar World Cup injuries - in pictures
-
England right back Reece James still has hopes of playing in the Fifa World Cup 2022 in Qatar next month despite being in the early stages of his recovery from a knee injury. EPA -
Manchester United's French defender Raphael Varane won’t play for his club before the Fifa World Cup 2022 after sustaining a hamstring injury but still has hopes of playing in Qatar. AFP -
N'Golo Kante, centre, of France suffered a setback in his rehabilitation from a hamstring injury. He will be sidelined for four months after undergoing surgery. EPA -
Brazil and Spurs striker Richarlison suffered a calf injury earlier this month. He spoke of his “dream” of representing his country at the World Cup potentially being over. But he is more hopeful now, with the injury not as serious as thought. AP -
Portugal's forward Diogo Jota will miss the World Cup due to a calf injury sustained in Liverpool's win over Manchester City. AFP -
Sweden striker Alexander Isak striker has suffered a setback while recovering from a thigh injury. EPA -
Sevilla winger Jesus Corona will not recover from his ankle injury in time to play for Mexico at the World Cup, the club's coach Jorge Sampaoli has said. AFP -
Portugal's Pedro Neto will undergo surgery on an ankle injury sustained while playing for Wolves against West Ham United. PA -
Roma coach Jose Mourinho said Argentina forward Paulo Dybala had suffered a "very bad' injury when he tweaked a thigh muscle while converting a penalty against Lecce. PA -
France's midfielder Boubacar Kamara suffered a knee ligament injury in September that will keep him out until after the World Cup. AFP -
Kyle Walker of England had successful groin surgery in early October. The 32-year-old said he is confident of fully recovering in time to make the trip to Qatar. Getty -
Brazil's Arthur Melo picked up a muscle injury in the build-up to Liverpool's Champions League clash with Rangers in October. AFP -
Uruguay's Ronald Araujo went for thigh surgery in late September, saying he made the choice to go under the knife to return fully fit "as soon as possible". AFP -
England and Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips has been sidelined due to a shoulder problem but could return before the Qatar World Cup. PA -
France's midfielder Paul Pogba underwent surgery after he damaged his meniscus in training following his transfer back to Juventus. However, he has returned to training. AFP -
Argentina's Juventus winger Angel Di Maria is out until early November due to a hamstring injury which the club says will need around three weeks to heal. AP -
Romelu Lukaku has sustained another hamstring injury in a major concern for Belgium. Getty -
Germany forward Timo Werner will miss the World Cup because of a torn ankle ligament. EPA -
England and Chelsea player Ben Chilwell suffered a hamstring injury during the Champions League match against Dinamo Zagreb at Stamford Bridge on November 2, 2022. Getty
Public order officers are to be brought in from other countries to support the Qatari police operation, with a “large contingent” from Turkish forces and some of the private security being provided by Pakistani police.
UK officials described Qatar’s preparations as “impressive” but said it was still unknown how well the different police forces would interact with each other, and with fans.
A “significant” number of UK police officers will be at the grounds as spotters to gather information for the Qatari commanders, and act as community officers to support fans.
Mr Roberts said they included a mix of English and Welsh officers, some of whom will be Welsh speakers.
“Their whole purpose is to be that buffer between our supporters and the local law enforcement,” he said.
Dubai to receive boost from World Cup - in pictures
-
The Jumeirah Beach Residence area in Dubai. The Qatar World Cup is set to drive a massive influx of visitors into neighbouring transit hubs such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi, boosting demand for air travel and accommodation. AFP -
The Expo 2020 site. With hotels in Qatar fully booked in the run-up to the football tournament, UAE hotels are expected to record a rise in demand of up to 40 per cent. Ruel Pableo / The National -
Four Seasons Hotels and Resort within the DIFC. World Cup ticket holders will be staying in surrounding countries for the tournament and flying in and out of Qatar for matches. Photo: Four Seasons Hotels and Resort -
Hotels in Dubai Creek and Festival City are expected to record the biggest increase in occupancy rates since 2021. Photo: Sheraton -
The Palm Jumeirah in Dubai. Hotels in Dubai and Abu Dhabi expect occupancy levels ranging between 80 per cent to 100 per cent. Unsplash -
An aerial view of The Palm. The UAE is expected to be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the Fifa football tournament. AP -
Dubai Harbour will host a Fifa World Cup fan festival during the tournament in Qatar. Wam -
Other fan zones will be set up across Dubai, including at the Football Park in the DIFC. -
Landmarks such as Bluewaters Island and Ain Dubai, the world’s largest observation wheel, have put Dubai on the map as a global lifestyle destination. Reuters -
Dubai hotels are expecting occupancy levels to be similar to those recorded during the Expo, which brought millions to the country, said Guy Hutchinson, president and chief executive of UAE hotel operator Rotana. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Asked if the officers could be perceived as a “morality police”, Mr Roberts replied: “No is the simple answer.”
“It’s not for us to judge whether what they are doing is right, wrong or indifferent, we just want to look after the supporters," he said.
"And the last thing we want to do is for someone who doesn’t realise they’re causing offence to find themselves in a situation where they’re then engaging with one of the foreign police forces.
“So we’re not there to be morality police, we’re there to say to people, 'Look, you’re starting to draw a bit of attention, calm it down, we don’t want you to come into contact with any other policing styles'.”
Chf Supt Steve Graham, head of the English police delegation, encouraged England fans to “live up to your actual behaviours” rather than seeking to “live down” to their perceived reputation.
Supt Stephen Rees, leading the Welsh police in Qatar, said the Red Wall should live up to the “positive reputation” they had built up around the world.
“You can see from the stats of previous World Cups, when people have to go to that effort and expense to get there, generally fans are going to go, watch the games and enjoy them,” Mr Roberts said.
Football fans rent out Dubai superyachts for World Cup - video
He said the option for fans to buy beer and spend the day in a public square will not be possible in Qatar, and that those drinking will be in “relatively controlled” environments in either a hotel bar or a fan zone.
Fans will not be allowed to remove their tops in celebration, Mr Roberts said, and police will need to be “flexible” with fans wishing to display national flags in public.
Tony Conniford, head of security at the Football Association, was asked about the readiness of Qatar to deal with the influx of fans.
“I’d like to think that they are ready, but I think you will only find out once we get there,” Mr Conniford said.
