An England supporters group with members due to travel on an all-expenses-paid trip to Qatar for the World Cup is being investigated by the Football Association for racist and homophobic social media posts.

Block 109 is an England fans group that was formed in 2018 at the Russia World Cup. Members of the group sit together in a section of the east stand at Wembley Stadium and are part of the England Supporters Travel Club (ESTC).

Block 109 says its purpose is “to raise the noise levels at Wembley” and the FA has worked closely with its members over the past four years, with the group allocated special group bookings for matches at the national stadium.

Yet the FA has previously investigated and issued warnings for inappropriate behaviour among the group’s members, with a new investigation launched this week amid claims of further deeply offensive messages in a series of WhatsApp chats associated with the group.

These messages, sent at various points in 2021 and 2022, include:

• A racially abusive reference to Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister
• A photograph of a hand sanitiser dispenser with a sticker attached that reads: “Wash your hands like you touched an Arab bastard”
• A member telling a Jewish supporter he supports Hamas, an Islamist militant group designated as a terrorist organisation by the United States and European Union
• Homophobic references to the Arsenal Women’s team.

Block 109 was founded by an England supporter called Kunal Sapat who, along with some others from the group, is part of a controversial initiative that involves the World Cup hosts, Qatar, paying for flights, tickets and accommodation for fans in exchange for positive messages about their experience.

These supporters, officially called ‘Fan Leaders’, have been dubbed World Cup ‘spies’.