sport news Security issues in Qatar lead to fears of a serious crowd incident as the World ... trends now
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The World Cup is facing the possibility of a serious crowd incident following a number of chaotic scenes involving supporters and unprepared Qatari security forces.
Flashpoints throughout the tournament have raised questions over safety and the ability of police and security to handle big crowds — and there are more tests to come as the World Cup reaches the latter stages.
One of the biggest issues is ticketless fans turning up at stadiums. There is the possibility of an Argentina v Brazil semi-final next week, where tickets will be highly sought-after. Fan separation is another problem.
Pressure is mounting on Qatar's crowd control capabilities as the World Cup progresses
Currently, all supporters enter through the same gates but there is an argument that should change if the South American rivals meet.
Soft checks — where fans’ tickets are checked on their approach to the ground, as well as at the entrance — will be carried out before each quarter-final, including England’s game with France, which is sold out. But the hosts appear reluctant to upgrade security or separate fan entrances despite a number of incidents.
A spokesperson for Qatar said: ‘We are delighted with how fans have behaved so far during the tournament, with international media recognising these as some of the most respectful and well-controlled crowds ever seen at a World Cup.’
Fans have been turning up to games without tickets, which could cause problems in big games
But Sportsmail has witnessed several incidents involving crowds at this tournament already and, with even bigger matches on the horizon, it is fair to ask if the security forces are ready. The evidence suggests possibly not.
The first crowd issue occurred at the opening of the FIFA Fan Festival for Qatar’s first match with Ecuador. Tens of thousands had gathered at the event in Al Bidda Park but there was chaos as supporters
