TO RUSSIA WITH GRUB
Lions’ food and gear undergo security checks
ENGLAND’S World Cup ring of steel will include every last teaspoon and cup in the Three Lions camp.
Even England’s chef will be on red alert in Russia this summer in light of the nerve agent attack on a former spy and his daughter in Salisbury.
All food and equipment used by England’s players will be checked and double checked to eliminate any threat of tampering.
Gareth Southgate revealed he will give his players the chance to voice any concerns over going to the tournament as the diplomatic crisis between the two nations worsens.
But the England boss is determined to carry on planning for the World Cup and let the Government and FA deal with the wider political issues amid calls for a boycott.
He said: “We always take a chef away with us and part of his responsibility is to source the produce.
“That is standard procedure with the senior team and some of the junior teams when they travel too. Clearly it’s a very serious matter.
“My job as a manager is to prepare the team. As far as my briefings have gone, we are preparing to go to the World Cup.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that is what we should be doing, but the safety and security of our players, staff and travelling supporters is also paramount.
“Any talk of a boycott is out of my
control. We’re desperate to go to the World Cup and that is where my remit ends on that matter.”
Southgate will leave it to his players to decide if they feel safe enough to play in Russia.
“It’s always an individual decision,” he said.
“You select and you assume everyone wants to go, but that doesn’t always happen.
“I would never pressure any individual to make a decision. They are all grown-ups and can make their own decision.
“We always liaise with the clubs wherever we go.
“The players would be the biggest consideration, if they do have any concerns. Clearly, with the amount of spotlight on the issue, they will have questions to ask.
“They will have things they are uncertain of. So we have to make sure we give them all the facts we have, allay fears they have and make sure they and their families are safe.
“It’s probably something I would raise with them just because it is so visible at the moment.”
FA strategy and communications director Robert Sullivan said: “It’s important to remember we have a very experienced security adviser who has worked on several tournaments. There is a lot of work going into this which has already gone into this part of the planning and the preparation.
“We have a duty of care for our employees, our players and our fans. We have the England Supporters Club, which is an official travel group, and we have responsibility to those guys.
“We do not have a formal responsibility to everyone who might travel out there but, absolutely, clearly we have a sense of wider duty to those individuals who are spending hard-earned money to come and follow England.”