‘He showed us his monkeys, his exotic birds, it was nuts’
There’s no doubt that many England fans who have travelled to the most controversial World Cup ever will have some bizarre experiences watching games in Qatar.
But two England fans will be returning home with a story for the ages, after they managed to stumble across a Sheikh’s palace in Qatar while searching for beer as the World Cup kicked off.
The duo explained to talkSPORT that things took a surprising turn when they began exploring the streets shortly after landing in the capital, Doha.
One of the fans said: “We’ve just been having a good time, having a mooch and trying to get our bearings. The set-up’s spot on, we’ve been enjoying ourselves.”
“We met one of the Sheikh’s sons & he took us back to the palace!” 😮
“We were on the hunt for beers and we ended up at a big palace, we saw his monkeys & exotic birds!” 🐒
These England fans are out in Qatar & you HAVE to listen to their story! 🤣#FIFAWorldCup #TSWorldCup pic.twitter.com/RlclrsnEsP
— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) November 20, 2022
His mate then chimed in: “Last night we met one of the Sheikh’s sons and he took us back to the palace. He showed us that he had lions and everything. They’ve [Qatar locals] made us so welcome.
He added: “Basically we were on a bit of a hunt for some beers and he was like ‘yeah, we sort beers, we sort beers’, so we jumped into the back of his Toyota Landcruiser, ended up at a big palace.
“He showed us his monkeys, his exotic birds. It was nuts.”
The surreal tale has since gone viral, with more than 1.3 million views and many being left stunned by the story.
One person wrote: “That’s some heavy shrooms they are on.”
Another commented: “The fact this genuinely happened makes me so happy, like something from the hangover.”
A third person shared: “Who’s buying the film rights to this?”
While another said: “Most shocking part of this is scousers following England in a tournament.”
Some, understandably, questioned the legitimacy of the outrageous encounter, but these doubts were soon put to bed when one of the lads shared a video showing him behind the palace’s walls.
UPDATE: It genuinely happened 🤣🤣 https://t.co/IXakXa1397 pic.twitter.com/EnkGUz57wW
— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) November 20, 2022
Not only that, but the video shows the fan from Liverpool getting up close and personal with one of the Sheikh’s big cats.
While these guys seem to have had the time of their lives, the tournament has been mired by controversy in the build-up to, and following, the opening game.
The country’s officials announced they would be banning the sale of alcohol at World Cup stadiums two days before the tournament kicked off.
And on Monday morning, it was revealed that England and Wales would not wear OneLove armbands after a threat from FIFA that captains Harry Kane and Gareth Bale could face an instant yellow card for doing so.
The pair had planned to wear the armbands to show as a sign of their commitment to gay rights and in support of human rights.
Qatar’s human rights record having been under intense scrutiny since it was awarded the tournament in 2010.
The country has faced huge criticism in particular for its stance on same-sex relationships and treatment of migrant workers.
Related links:
- World Cup 2022: All the major action and talking points from Day Two
- World Cup viewers don’t think they can see any women in the opening game crowd
- Thousands of Qatar fans leave stadium at half-time of World Cup opener
- Gareth Southgate confirms England will take the knee before Iran game
- Joe Lycett shreds £10,000 in livestream over David Beckham’s World Cup deal
