We’re not racists, we like Monty Python, say England fans told off for Crusader costume

TWO England fans dressed as knights say they were accused of being “Muslim killers” by Qatari police as Fifa yesterday announced a ban on Crusader fancy dress.

The pair claimed they were ordered to take off their chain mail and St George shields outside the stadium hosting England’s first match against Iran.

Social media footage of the two men showed them being led away by security.

The two men, who did not wish to be named, told The Daily Telegraph that they were “definitely not racists” and claimed they had been dressed as knights from a Monty Python sketch rather than Crusaders. Both are British expats who have lived in Doha for several years.

One said: “It was ridiculous. We turned up and the police first told us we couldn’t take the swords in, even though they are made out of foam. Then a captain came running after us saying we couldn’t wear the chainmail.

“At one point one of them asked ‘Are you Muslim killers?’ Of course we aren’t Crusaders. We’ve lived here for years and we have no problems with Muslims at all – we work with them every day. It took two and half hours before they let us in, wearing England shirts. This is “woke” madness. I blame Fifa.”

The men said they feared reprisals from the Qatari authorities and were only comfortable being photographed in their full costumes in a cellar.

He added: “We were dressed as Monty Python, for God’s sake. One of us had coconuts to do the horses clip-clopping from the film.

“On the way to the stadium everyone loved us, including the Qataris. They took pictures, and they couldn’t get enough of us.”

England fans have supported the team for years while dressed as patron saint St George. Announcing the costume ban, Fifa said: “Crusader costumes in the Arab context can be offensive to Muslims.”

‘This is just total woke madness. Everyone loved us. They took pictures and couldn’t get enough of us’