Improving The Fan Experience - What Can UK Stadia Learn From The Qatar World Cup

The 2022 Qatar World Cup received much attention. Here, Humayun Islam, co-founder of Amar England, talks about how watching England in Doha was an incredible fan experience and showed that there’s much that UK stadiums can learn.

When I first booked my flights to Qatar to watch England at last year’s World Cup, I felt a mixture of emotions. The first was excitement about another tournament and England’s prospects after a successful performance in the Euros. Then it was apprehension about travelling to the first World Cup held in the Middle East, as well as holding the event in winter. But all of those trepidations dissipated immediately upon arrival when we quickly realized that this tournament was going to be one of the best experiences in our lifetimes.

As a football fan who also happens to be a British Muslim, I don’t always feel comfortable at stadiums. Unfortunately, a suspicious look on the odd occasion when you walk through the concourse or in the toilets isn’t uncommon for ethnic minority fans. But in Qatar, we were made to feel welcome and comfortable throughout our stay by the local people and never felt harassed by other fans, which was a wonderful and new experience for me as a supporter.

The hospitality of the local people was fantastic as they encouraged us to embrace their cuisine, culture, and language. Meanwhile, the limitations on alcohol consumption really helped to create a friendly and safe atmosphere for the international fans, significantly reducing the risk of beer-fuelled violence. Many female fans who travelled to Qatar said they felt much more comfortable and that the England fans were behaving well.

While I don’t think limiting alcohol would work in England, organisers and stadium operators in the UK need to think about how games can be more pleasant for everyone.

I was also impressed by how smoothly the tournament ran in Doha. Qatar had meticulously planned transport links between stadiums and fan zones and provided free, or low-cost, connections for many routes. We were able to plan our travel to and from the games and enjoy Doha with ease.

What also struck me was both the cleanliness of the stadiums and the city of Doha as a whole. As fans, we could see that a lot of thought had gone into providing a fantastic experience for everyone. Back in the UK, this is something that we can all learn from, especially stadium managers.

The lack of litter in Doha and the quality of the facilities within and around the stadiums was fantastic and created a really enjoyable experience.

One of the best things about the Qatar World Cup was that it was the first footballing event I have attended where the facilities specifically catered for Muslims as well as fans of other religions. Every stadium had a prayer room within the arena, ensuring that we could continue to practice our faith easily without missing out on any of the game. Within the stadiums, all the available food and drink was halal. Often, at games back in the UK, I can’t eat anything sold in the stadium at half-time, but in Qatar I was fully confident that I could enjoy all the hospitality on offer.

Having followed the England football team all over the world, as well as watching from home when I couldn’t be at games in person, the tournament in Qatar was a really unique and wonderful experience for me.

I understand why some fans, including from the LGBTQ community, felt uncomfortable travelling to the event in Qatar. But, having been there in person, I saw how welcoming and friendly the locals were to everybody. I didn’t witness anybody being treated differently because of their sexuality. The people of Doha seemed happy that so many had travelled to their home for the world’s most watched sporting event.

As Qatar builds on its legacy of hosting the Middle East’s first World Cup, I hope that more can be done to reassure fans that they will be safe and welcomed in the region.

The 2022 World Cup in Qatar was undoubtedly the best I have ever seen. It has now been more than a month since our trip and, as I watch domestic football back home, I find myself hoping that we can learn from the tournament to improve experiences for fans here and elsewhere.

With the fan experience becoming critical to the survival of many football clubs across the divisions, our stadiums have a huge role to play in bringing communities together.