World Cup 2022: 'Qatari security don't know what Dereham Town is'

England fans are hoping the team can progress against Senegal in the World Cup

As England prepare to take on Senegal in the last-16 of the World Cup later, fans will be hoping it is not the end of the team's journey. Amid controversy over the selection of host country Qatar, what has the experience been like for England supporters at the tournament?

'The whole experience is really easy'

Ian Odgers has taken his England flag to every game he has been to in Qatar

England's clash with the Africa Cup of Nations champions will be Ian Odgers 19th game at this World Cup.

He said: "I think it's been a fantastic experience, the country have been more than welcoming.

"It's a unique World Cup in that everybody has been based in Doha so all the fans are mixing."

He said with the metro system and the shuttle buses, organisers were "making the whole experience really easy" and the size of the country has allowed him to see so many games.

The 54-year-old from Dereham in Norfolk said: "In Russia I travelled 15 hours on a train at the World Cup just for one game.

"Here the longest time you are ever on a coach is 65 minutes and it can be as little as 15 minutes to a stadium and between stadiums."

Ian Odgers will head home after England vs Senegal but hopes to return if the team progress

But it has not all be straightforward, as his England flag, with Dereham Town on the bottom and "England till I die" through the middle, has caused problems.

He said: "I had one issue within a shopping mall, that was with the 'till I die'. They were quite concerned as to why I would put that slogan on my flag.

"The other issue is the 'Dereham town', they don't understand what it is."

He has to have the flag checked by security staff at stadiums before he enters.

Mr Odgers said: "To start with it was a little frustrating but now it's almost become the norm, it's expected, it comes out at the stadiums, they take a photo, they send it off, it gets approved.

"Now I've been to so many grounds, I have been recognised by one of the security guards and he just jokes 'I know that one's OK because I remember you'."

'Can't fault it'

Peter Humphrey and his partner Allison Curtis said the World Cup was a bucket list experience

Peter Humphrey, 66, and his partner Allison Curtis, 54, from Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, headed over to the World Cup after a "quirk of fate".

Ms Curtis' daughter had been due to get married in Sicily during the pandemic.

After they were forced to rearrange the wedding, Ms Curtis switched the tickets to Qatar for the couple to tick a World Cup off their bucket list.

Ipswich Town fan Mr Humphrey said the whole experience had been "absolutely brilliant".

He said any apprehensions he felt before going were allayed as soon as he saw Doha and felt the "incredible atmosphere" of the city.

"We went the day before England's first game [against Iran] and didn't quite know what to expect," he said.

"It was so well-managed, it was an incredible atmosphere with different nationalities and everyone having a different story to tell. Everyone was embracing each other, all different cultures.

"I can't fault it. FIFA have gone over the top but it was well-presented and a most enjoyable experience."

"We're here for the football. I spoke to some Qatari people who felt they'd had an unfair media representation but they are selling their country."

'Fan experience not overshadowed'

Ryan Shaw, 28, from Chesham, in Buckinghamshire, moved to Qatar in August and has been to every England game so far.

The teacher said for the most part fans have been able to focus on and enjoy the sport without being impacted by debate about the host nation.

"It's been a really good atmosphere. You can go to the fan zones or to a bar before the game for a drink and there's a lot of different nationalities mixing."

He said compared to the Euro 2020 matches in London last year, he thinks there are fewer issues as people head home from matches because people have sobered up.

As for any controversies, he said fans were focusing on football and making the most of the experience of being at a World Cup.

"I disagree with a lot of the stuff but it's also nice to go and see matches in the city I'm living in and enjoy football," he says.

"Once the match has started you can forget about it and just watch the game.

"The fan experience hasn't been overshadowed, being here it's fun."