DESPITE what Bill Shankly might have said, football is not a matter of life and death – but other things are.

Qatar’s bid for the 2022 World Cup was made on a completely different basis to that presented now. This is also to ignore the rumours surrounding their bid.

Qatar are part of a group of other regional countries who are implicated, financially and ideologically, in the funding of the likes of IS.

Countries where women are not just second-class citizens, but the poorer ones (men and women) are not considered citizens at all. Foreign workers, imported to build the facilities, who live in what even a century ago would have been termed conditions of slavery.

The European countries should take a united stand and simply refuse to turn up in these circumstances. No European teams – no TV, no advertising, no audience, QED no tournament. Oil money may be able to by Premier league clubs, racehorses but not our conscience and humanity.

Malcolm J. Glover, Lindsey Ave, York.