Who needs beer when we have Aaron Ramsdale… By Michelle
The news networks have been buzzing, over the fact that beer sales have been banned at World Cup stadiums in Qatar. The sale of beer in and around the eight stadiums was banned by the Qataris only two days before the opening match.
England fans and supporters of the other teams in the World Cup tournament will still be able to drink beer in the official Fan Zones, a designated party area in Doha that also offers live music and activities. The status of LGBTQ+ people at the World Cup has been another one of many controversies caused by Qatar.
FIFA says LGBTQ+ fans will not get into “trouble” for public displays of affection in Fan Zones in Qatar, despite same sex relations being illegal in the country. In an interview with ITV Gerdine Lindhout from FIFA said that LGBTQ+ fans are welcome to “express their love.”
England goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale is hoping his team can lift the spirits of our beer-less soccer fans in other ways. Such as winning matches.
Hopefully with them not being able to drink, we can perform on the pitch to give them that sort of excitement and buzz, Ramsdale said in the interview below, I think the fans will find some way of having a beer. I don’t think you need to do it so much at the game. We also have to respect the rules and continue to work, so we’ll put pressure on ourselves to entertain from the football pitch.
Ramsdale said he watched some of England’s run to the semi-finals at the last World Cup in a bar while on vacation in Cyprus. I was in Aiya Napa watching the first game at (Gary) Lineker’s bar with my friends, the Arsenal goalkeeper said. That was crazy because obviously Harry (Kane) scored the last-minute header (against Tunisia). That was an eventful night. I watched one at a fan zone in Weymouth and then the Colombia game I watched the day before pre-season, so I was with my group of friends who me and Ben White know round their house and as you can imagine there was a lot of cheering in the front room and I still get goosebumps now thinking about it and I wasn’t even there but it was a special night.
It doesn’t sound so bad that you can’t get a beer in the stadium, does it? Surely, if you’ve got tickets and gone all that way (to Qatar) a beer in the Fan Zones before and after the match shouldn’t be too much of a hardship. Or it is? What do you think? Is it really that big an issue? At least we know our LGBTQ+ community should be safe, but only in the Fan Zones! Be careful out there..
Michelle Maxwell
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