PIE CRISIS FOR 3 LIONS FANS
England fans starved of big-match favourite at World Cup
ENGLAND fans won’t be eating all the pies at the World Cup – there will only be cabbage ones on sale.
Footie supporters are used to tucking into steak, meat and potato, and even Balti pastries at grounds across Britain.
But at this summer’s World Cup there will just be Russian delicacy kulebyaka on sale at stadiums.
And fans will only be able to pay in Russian roubles or on a Visa card – one of the tournament’s main sponsors.
But at least the edibles will be cheap – they will only cost
£1.25.
Other food and drink on sale at grounds and Fan Fest zones in host cities will also be cutprice. Sandwiches will cost
£2.50, hotdogs £3.15 and bars of chocolate £1.25.
Meanwhile, a 500ml glass of the official beer Budweiser will be £3.15 and local lager Klinskoye will cost £2.50. Soft drinks will cost £1.88.
Organisers in Russia originally decided that the fan zones and grounds would be boozefree to prevent violence – but politicians lifted the ban last week.
Britain’s top cop for football security in the UK warned that the Russian police will come down hard on troublemakers.
Dep Chf Con Mark Roberts said Russian authorities had already visited the UK to see match-day security in action.
He said: “Gauging everything (the Russian police) have said, everything I’ve seen, there’s a high degree of commitment to deal with their own ‘risk’ supporters as well as any visiting ones.
“My sense is the hooligans in Russia will be wary of the Russian authorities.”
Russian prosecutors have promised long prison sentences for troublemakers.
Fans caught causing mayhem will be shipped out on special trains to the world’s biggest prison.
The £115million Kresty-2 jail on the edge of St Petersburg, can house 4,000 inmates.
It has its own shooting range for the 1,500 guards to practice their aim.
The authorities will also open drunk tanks, where boozed-up fans will be stripped, dressed in an adult-size nappy and strapped to a bed to sober up.
An estimated half a million British supporters travelled to France in 2016 for the European Championships.
But only about 10,000-20,000 are expected to make the trip to Russia.
Many are snubbing the tournament after Three Lions fans were attacked by Russian hooligan ‘ultra’ gangs in Marseille at Euro 2016.