FAN groups have claimed a victory, persuading Watford to cancel a planned preseason game against Qatar over human rights issues.

The supporter groups Proud Hornets, representing LGBT+ fans, and Women of Watford published a joint statement on Monday expressing delight that club officials “listened to our concerns and cancelled the game with Qatar.”

The club had quietly slipped out news of the match, to be played in Austria, in an announcement of Watford’s preseason schedule at 5pm on Friday — but were briskly met with a hostile response from supporters.

Watford, who were relegated from the Premier League in May, have a training camp in Austria in July and were in talks to play the warmup game. The Qatar squad have spent most of June in Spain ahead of other planned training camps in Europe.

The World Cup host nation’s laws and society have come under increased scrutiny in the past decade. 

Football’s global governing body Fifa’s bizarre selection of the Gulf nation for the tournament has been long recognised as mired in corruption, and the labour movement’s criticism of Qatari use of migrant workers to build its stadia and infrastructure has been loud, with revelations of dangerous working environments, dreadful accommodation and contractual conditions akin to slavery.

And Human Rights Watch assesses “discriminatory laws against women continue” and LGBT people face discrimination in the emirate.

The club did not respond to a request for comment, but an unnamed club official is reported to have said: “It became abundantly clear this was a game not to play.”

Watford’s best-known fan and honorary life president, Elton John, is a long-time activist for LGBT rights.

The fan groups said: “We look forward to continue our discussions with the club on all equality, diversity and inclusion issues.”