English Fans Win World Cup

[Artist 2004]

Yes I confess I'm English, but this is what I read in a Turkish newspaper today. The fans get such negative press that I felt I had to report this. The article was rapturous about the great support and behaviour of the English fans at the match with Portugal, talked about great singing, the tremendous way they boosted the morale of the team, great synchronised slamming of the ref at appropriate moments and so on, and said that the English fans were a model that other countries' fans should aspire to.

The writer made no mention of the 15 or so arrests of bottle throwing drunken "fans" that evening. Unhappily another writer on the same page did! But he quoted an English policeman on duty in Germany as saying "This is nothing, just average for a match back in Manchester", which I thought amusing in a sad sort of way.

 

[rolfw]

No doubt about it, without the hardcore of troublemakers, many of whom were unable to leave the UK islands for the tournament, it meant that it was down to the genuine fans to create the image.

 

[kamaleon]

Looks like at one of the giant screens at Gelsinkerchen some supporters kicked the portuguese fans outside by throwing stones at them... and these were mainly portuguese familes as well.

 

[rolfw]

Not saying that we didn't let a few idiots through the net though.

 

[kamaleon]

I do understand where you're coming from, saying that usually they get such a negative rep that you thought of saying something positive about them... but saying that those english fans were the best of the competition seems a bit too much for me...

 

[rolfw]

Not really, if you are referring to one incident, one which we have not heard of, or have not had confirmation, then we need to hear more.

There have been many reports from the German police, the traders in the towns and visible evidence of their good humour and ardent support of their team. Yes perhaps the comments have been overly favourable due to pre-perceptions/expectations, but that can only be a good thing.

I was in France during the 1998 world cup and was almost embarrassed to show my face in the local village, I know that there were contingents from different countries out to cause problems with the English, but they too often felt the need to retalliate, they seem to have backed away from it this time and I'm quite proud of them.