UK Ticket Reseller Jailed for Violating Qatar World Cup Ban

After authorities confirmed that a British ticket scalper, who was prohibited from entering any football stadium, traveled to Qatar for the World Cup at the end of last year, he was imprisoned in the United Kingdom. When police contacted Stuart O'Brien, 48, at his home, he appeared to be in Ireland for a family reunion, but a family member informed them that he was in fact in Qatar.

In February 2021, O'Brien was handed a five-year ban from football for purchasing tickets in large quantities and selling them in Liverpool for a profit. The FBOA placed restrictions on him, including not being allowed to be near Liverpool FC's home stadium for six hours before and one hour after the game, and prohibiting him from attending any matches in the UK.

The FBOA sent letters on October 17th to all individuals impacted by the World Cup restrictions, directing them to hand over their passports at their local police station.

O’Brien, a resident of Liverpool's Anfield district, claimed that he would be traveling to Ireland for a family wedding and was granted a World Cup ticket. He promised to return on November 17th and surrender his passport the following day but never replied to two emails asking for confirmation of his return flight reservation to the UK. On December 1st, a family member informed the police that he was in Qatar.

Upon searching a relative's home, the police found a Hayya card, several hospitality option tickets for England games, and many tickets for the USA vs. Wales match. O'Brien was arrested and sentenced to 12 weeks in jail on April 26th after pleading guilty to violating a football ban.