ISSUE 160 COLOMBIA V ENGLAND 3RD 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 ND welcome to Moscow, brought to you by the Football Colombia v England for what we hope will be Supporters’ Federation. PAGE Spartak Stadium, Moscow Athe first of three games Tuesday, 3rd July 2018 we play in Russia’s capital city, Fans’ Embassy Location with only a brief interlude in The FSF fans’ embassy will be based Kick–off 21:00, local time Samara along the way. at the tourist information office at PREPARATION England will probably Triumfalnaya Square, which is next to Check out the latest travel advice for Russia and play in RED. Being here is of course a Mayakovskaya Metro station on line information on the different regions, local laws and customs consequence of failing to win the 2, the dark green line. group by seeing off Belgium in Kaliningrad, but in an attempt to It’s just two stops up from Red Useful Numbers look on the bright side, it can be Square and can also be reached on Fans’ Embassy Helpline: argued that we have instead ended foot from the same starting point, a +44 7956 121314 up with the easier route to the mere 40 minutes’ walk north-west Healthcare FAN ID VISAS PASSPORT Fans’ Embassy Helpline for semi-final. History has taught us up Tverskaya Street. 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: however that nothing can be taken 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 for granted, and Colombia will be As always, the fans’ embassy will 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): both up for the challenge and well operate on the day before match day 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 supported in the Spartak Stadium. and match day itself, so that’s from and always keep one with you British Embassy in Moscow: 10:00 until 17:00 on both Monday +7 495 956 7200 Moscow is a huge city and can 2nd and Tuesday 3rd of July. Emergency: 112 appear bewildering at times, so it’s probably just as well that here, We will of course continue to be as with all other venues hosting available around the clock via the England games, you can rely on telephone helpline, on +44 7956 a source of independent and 121314 or, from Russian phones, on objective information and advice +7 977 278 5820. MATCH TICKETS GETTING AROUND ACCOMMODATION STAY UP TO DATE Contact Free Lions 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: Fan ID holders can apply for and check that your hotel or Free Lions, c/o the FSF COVER STORY free travel on selected trains host has registered your 1, Ashmore Terrace Marcus Rashford played his part from the bench against Tunisia stay in each destination Stockton Road but was not rewarded with a start in the demolition of Panama. Sunderland In the group decider against Belgium the Manchester United SR2 7DE forward came closest for England in a low-key defeat. 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 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, edited 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 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 Hetherington; Harpreet Robertson; Thomas alcohol consumption will not be tolerated fans. We have tried to ensure the accuracy of the views expressed in, this fanzine. Smith, Ashley Brown, Ally Simcock, birthday all the information provided in this fanzine, but girl Evgeniya Khegay; Tijs Cools and Pete can accept no responsibility for any loss, injury THANK YOU Daykin. And to stop Thomas Concannon or inconvenience suffered by any one relying We are grateful to PA Images for the whinging about not being mentioned: #BeOnTheBall on its contents. None of the financial support cover photo. Thomas, you’re a twat. 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 WE JUST CAN’T WIN WORLD CUP GROUND RULES THE FANS THAT IS, NOT THE TEAM EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW 4 5 host cities. The only alternative is to Army” documentary setting the S is usually the case at apply for a visa, which costs money pace, and others generalising any FIFA World Cup, there PAGE PAGE and takes time. about a whole nation based on Aare standard rules and the actions of a couple of hundred regulations that are intended to According to various media thugs in Marseille – terrifying apply at all tournament venues, reports, this amounts to the FSF fans with the prospect of racism and this has generally been encouraging “ticketless fans” to and violence at the World Cup, the case around all the Russia flood into Russia. Let’s be clear contributing to the lowest turnout 2018 stadiums. Nonetheless, about this: we’re not telling at a World Cup for decades. there are still variations in how anybody what they should or strictly various aspects of the shouldn’t do about coming to There then follows a series of rules are enforced from venue Russia. But we are an independent features bemoaning how sad and to venue, and we will be doing football supporters’ organisation, disappointing it is that England’s our best to establish what and what we have always done, and fans are so under-represented at applies locally in each of the will continue to do, is to provide, to the tournament, as it becomes stadiums we visit. the best of our ability, accurate and clear that far from facing the T seems that one article in objective information, so that fans hostile environment predicted, your own FAN ID. The steward at scanners – pockets must be emptied, the last edition of Free Lions can make their own decisions. England fans tell story after story the turnstiles will scan and check jewellery and belts removed before Ihas caused a bit of a stir. of the warmth and friendliness both your FAN ID (to prove your passing through the scanner, and It is a ridiculous idea that ‘ticketless of local people and the positive identity – your photo will appear you will be asked to switch on any Our piece headed “How to join fans’ are somehow inherently experiences we’ve enjoyed. on a screen) and your ticket (to phones or cameras to prove that they the party” revealed that all that problematic. There are plenty of establish that you have a genuine are functioning devices. was required to get a Fan ID members of the ESTC who had As that very different picture filters ticket for that game. There is no link which allows you to enter Russia tickets for the Tunisia or Panama through at home, inevitably many between the ticket and the FAN ID, The usual list of prohibited items was your passport details, an games who didn’t qualify for England fans start to reconsider their so it doesn’t matter if you’re using applies – more details can be found appropriate photograph, and one for the Belgium game, and initial decision to stay away: cause For all games, the stadium will open a ticket that wasn’t originally issued at welcome2018.com. Flags the reference number from a so on arrival in Kaliningrad are for rejoicing, surely? Apparently not, three hours before kick-off. Every to you; the FAN ID though is very are allowed if they do not exceed match ticket – ANY match ticket, technically transformed into as the stories are published about ticket is marked with the number of much person-specific. the size of 2m x 1.5m. Anything regardless of whose name is on ‘ticketless fans’ – that doesn’t England fans “exploiting loopholes” a gate. It seems that most stadiums larger than this requires a special it, how many other times it has make their behaviour any different.