If last night's Emir's cup is anything to go by, Qatar still have some work to do. We showed up at 6:30 for a 7pm kickoff, with tickets, to be told we weren't allowed in, because it was full.
When I asked why having a ticket doesn't necessarily guarantee entry, a security guard told me "It's not the cinema". Large queues of people with tickets not being allowed in, and in some cases resulting in minor scuffles between security and fans, shows something has gone wrong with the organisers, and if they can't get that right, how do we expect a world cup?
Whilst I give full credit to Qatar for the excellent sports events they host here, and the fans village zones are particularly good, the reason I buy a ticket and go to the match is to watch people play football live. If I can't do that, then no amount of foodcourt, music and nintendo wii is going to make it a worthwhile experience.
If last night's Emir's cup is anything to go by, Qatar still have some work to do. We showed up at 6:30 for a 7pm kickoff, with tickets, to be told we weren't allowed in, because it was full.
When I asked why having a ticket doesn't necessarily guarantee entry, a security guard told me "It's not the cinema". Large queues of people with tickets not being allowed in, and in some cases resulting in minor scuffles between security and fans, shows something has gone wrong with the organisers, and if they can't get that right, how do we expect a world cup?
Whilst I give full credit to Qatar for the excellent sports events they host here, and the fans village zones are particularly good, the reason I buy a ticket and go to the match is to watch people play football live. If I can't do that, then no amount of foodcourt, music and nintendo wii is going to make it a worthwhile experience.