ISSUE 161 SWEDEN V ENGLAND 7TH JULY 2018 ...the free England fanzine produced and distributed by the Football Supporters’ Federation (FSF) as part of FIFA WORLD CUP 2018 our Fans’ Embassy service. TRAVELLER TACTICS 3 Sweden v England ND welcome to Samara unfamiliar territory for the big for our quarter-final tie majority of England fans who accept PAGE Samara Arena Aagainst Sweden, and the challenge and make their way Saturday 7th July 2018 the prospect of prolonging our here. It’s probably fair to say that it’s stay in Russia till the very last not the most picturesque place we’ve Kick–off 18:00, local time weekend of the tournament: win ever visited, and it’s not got a highly PREPARATION England will probably here, and the very least we can developed tourist tradition either, Check out the latest travel advice for Russia and play in RED. expect is to be playing on the but our intention is that the guide information on the different regions, local laws and customs last weekend in the play-off for material in these pages will offer third place. enough insight and information to make our brief stay here enjoyable. Useful Numbers A much more enticing proposition Fans’ Embassy Helpline: would of course be the final the If there’s anything else you might +44 7956 121314 following day, but before we start need help with, then of course the FSF Healthcare FAN ID VISAS PASSPORT Fans’ Embassy Helpline for getting carried away with ourselves, fans’ embassy will be on hand here The European Health Insurance Once you have an official ticket If you do not have an official Look after your passport and fans on Russian mobiles: there’s the small matter of dealing to do what we can. Here in Samara, Card (EHIC) is not valid in you will need to apply for a ticket you will need to apply keep it in a safe place. If you’re Russia, so it is essential Fan ID. This replaces the for a visa to enter Russia. travelling on a visa, make sure +7 977 278 5820 with our Scandinavian opponents we will be operating between that you take out travel need for a separate visa. Allow plenty of time and your passport is valid for at England Supporters Club (FA): here in Samara. Hopefully we can do 10:00 and 17:00 on Friday 6th July, insurance appropriate for all You must apply for it make sure it covers the least 6 months after the visa +44 7970 146250 the activities you plan to do before you travel length of your stay expiry date. Take 2 copies of it that in a slightly less nerve-wracking and between 10:00 and 15:00 on and always keep one with you British Embassy in Moscow: style than in the last round; it match day, Saturday 7th July, and +7 495 956 7200 makes a pleasant change to win on we will be located at the Business Emergency: 112 penalties rather than lose, but there Centre Bel Plaza, which is at are probably not many of us who Molodogvardeyskaya Ulitsa 204. would want to be put through that sort of heart-stopping stress again. The telephone helpline will continue to be available around the clock, and Samara is another new venue for it’s a good idea to keep an eye on MATCH TICKETS GETTING AROUND ACCOMMODATION STAY UP TO DATE Contact Free Lions England, and as such probably our social media too. Only purchase tickets from Plan your journeys, Russia is You are required to register in Sign up for travel official suppliers. You will a huge country and distances every host city visited within advice email alerts at E-mail: [email protected] need a Fan ID linked to your between cities can be vast. 72 hours of arrival. Book gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/russia ticket to enter a stadium Official match ticket and accommodation in advance Gifts & Postcards to: COVER STORY Fan ID holders can apply for and check that your hotel or Free Lions, c/o the FSF Jordan Pickford had been the subject of some criticism after free travel on selected trains host has registered your 1, Ashmore Terrace England’s group stage defeat to Belgium. But in Moscow, when stay in each destination Stockton Road the atmosphere was at fever pitch, the Everton stopper proved his Sunderland worth with a vital and impressive save in England’s first shootout SR2 7DE victory since 1996. BE RESPONSIBLE IF THINGS GO WRONG IT WASN’T ME we have received to produce Free Lions Free Lions is a team effort. This edition was edited Always follow the advice of local authorities In the event of an emergency, call 112. The Free Lions fanzine is produced by the impacts on what we put in it. Consequently, by Kevin Miles and thanks are due to and respect local laws and customs. For consular assistance, for example if you Football Supporters’ Federation (FSF), the none of our supporters can be held in any Phil Rowley; Clive Hetherington, Joe Hetherington; Anti-social behaviour including excessive lose your passport, call +7 495 956 7200 national membership-based organisation for way responsible for the contents of, nor Harpreet Robertson; Thomas Smith, Ashley Brown, alcohol consumption will not be tolerated fans. We have tried to ensure the accuracy of the views expressed in, this fanzine. Viennetta Shishkebab and Pete Daykin. Best all the information provided in this fanzine, but wishes for a speedy recovery to Ally Simcock, who can accept no responsibility for any loss, injury THANK YOU has ‘needed’ two ambulances, five injections, some or inconvenience suffered by any one relying We are grateful to PA Images for the gel and two days in bed to treat an insect bite. Or, #BeOnTheBall on its contents. None of the financial support cover photo. to give it its medical name, ‘hyperchondria’. gov.uk/russia2018 @fcotravel @FCOtravel Website: www.fsf.org.uk Email: [email protected] FSF helpline: +44 7956 121314 @FSF_FreeLions PRODUCES FREE LIONS From Russian mobiles: +7 977 278 5820 facebook.com/FreeLions BITS & PIECES WORLD CUP GROUND RULES OBSERVATIONS FROM OUR TIME IN RUSSIA EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW 4 5 booker to take the credit or debit the Colombia game. Unofficial S is usually the case at card used to make the original ticket sales are illegal under any FIFA World Cup, there PAGE PAGE purchase and use one of the ticket Russian law. We have not come Aare standard rules and machines. Insert the credit card, across anyone having any difficulty regulations that are intended to and follow the instructions, which entering a stadium with a ticket apply at all tournament venues, involve entering the cardholder’s that is not in their own name, as and this has generally been date of birth. long as they have had their own the case around all the Russia Fan ID; there is no tie-up between 2018 stadiums. Nonetheless, The screen will then show the face the Fan ID database and that there are still variations in how TICKET COLLECTION of the person collecting the tickets relating to tickets. Be aware of the strictly various aspects of the Now that we’re firmly established (we’re not sure whether this is a dangers involved in purchasing rules are enforced from venue in the knockout phase of the form of facial recognition software, black market tickets though, in to venue, and we will be doing tournament, there will be more and or simply capturing an image of that it’s possible that they have our best to establish what more England fans coming out to who collected the tickets in case been stolen, reported as stolen, applies locally in each of the Russia who have to collect their of later dispute), and the machine and therefore cancelled. stadiums we visit. tickets from one of the FIFA Venue will then print out all of the tickets Ticketing Centres or FVTCs (for included in the order. your own FAN ID. The steward at scanners – pockets must be emptied, details of the ticket collection centre the turnstiles will scan and check jewellery and belts removed before here in Samara, see page 12). Those If you don’t have the relevant both your FAN ID (to prove your passing through the scanner, and of us who were out here for the credit card, then you’ll have to identity – your photo will appear you will be asked to switch on any Round of 16 victory over Colombia go to one of the manned desks on a screen) and your ticket (to phones or cameras to prove that they have already had some experience equipped with the booking establish that you have a genuine are functioning devices. of how these work, and so Free reference number and your ticket for that game. There is no link Lions is able to answer some of the passport; again, you should be between the ticket and the FAN ID, The usual list of prohibited items most frequently asked questions… able to receive all of the tickets in so it doesn’t matter if you’re using applies – more details can be found the group. MARVELLOUS MOSCOW METRO For all games, the stadium will open a ticket that wasn’t originally issued at welcome2018.com. Flags First lesson from experience is One of the most impressive things three hours before kick-off. Every to you; the FAN ID though is very are allowed if they do not exceed to collect your tickets as early as If you have purchased your tickets about Moscow for us was the ticket is marked with the number of much person-specific.