Frankfurt awaiting England fans

By Tom Geoghegan
BBC News, Frankfurt

Fans will enjoy watching action on the big screen

Three days before England's opening World Cup match, how is Frankfurt preparing for the estimated 40,000 fans?

The giant video screen looks majestic perched in the middle of the River Main.

Viewers from the south bank will enjoy a backdrop of the old and new Frankfurt - the Kaiserdom and the skyscrapers - if they allow their eyes to stray from the action.

About 15,000 fans will watch each World Cup match unfold in this "Fanfest" area, free of charge, sitting in the huge stands on either bank or lounging by the water.

Dozens of beer tents and food stalls are stocked up with bratwursts, pretzels and the famed German lager.

Now all that's needed are people.

As the countdown to England's first game against Paraguay falls to three days, there are very few fans around the city centre.

And the atmosphere is somewhat muted as a result, despite the sprinkling of fans from Mexico and Ecuador trying to spice things up.

Foreign fans descend on Frankfurt ahead of the World Cup In pictures

The main square, Romerplatz, seems to be enjoying its last few hours of quiet, in the knowledge that it is about to endure three days of the Three Lions chorus.

About 40,000 England supporters are expected in Frankfurt for Saturday's match, but the convenience of travel means most are leaving it late.

However, those that have come early are enjoying the German hospitality, and many for the first time.

Andrew Wade, 23, from Oldham, near the end of a six-month world tour, said: "So far they've been good hosts. It's silly, the way we've been brought up about the Germans, because I would never think of coming here if it wasn't for the football. But this could be a turning point."

Others also mentioned that their expectations had been challenged by a warm welcome.

Travel experts in the UK have long been puzzled by the reluctance of Britons to explore Germany.

Simon Calder, travel editor of the Independent, recently told this website that the way German tourism had failed to develop was an "extraordinary story" and mainly due to the war.

The people of Frankfurt look forward to hosting football fans In pictures

In recognition of its image problem, the German organisers made the slogan of the tournament "Time To Make Friends" and in an unprecedented step, invited all fans without tickets to come and enjoy the atmosphere.

This is a fan-friendly country, drawing envy in England for its low ticket prices and standing areas in stadiums. So the huge efforts to accommodate the ticketless on the banks of the Main should be no surprise.

It is the homeless that could have more of a problem.

Several fans said they had nowhere to stay on Friday and Saturday and everywhere was booked up. But two new city campsites due to open on Thursday offer them hope.

Despite such characteristically impeccable organisation, the attitude of the German hosts is curious.

On the one hand there was not one German football shirt in sight (only one tracksuit), no flags on houses or cars, and little evidence of national support.

There was none of the fervour so evident, to the disgust of some commentators, in England which is only a participant.

ENGLAND'S AWAY SUPPORT Portugal 2004: 80,000 (one arrest) Japan/S Korea 2002: 10,000 (no arrests) Holland/Belgium 2000: 30,000 (945 arrests) France 1998: 40,000 (900 arrests)

Some Germans have explained this by saying sensitivities since the war mean nationalism can be a little muted.

But flags do not make people more patriotic. And Frankfurt is a very international city, with one in four inhabitants a foreign national.

At the same time, it is clear from conversations with people that they are full of enthusiasm for the job of host and very proud to have so many nationalities visiting for a few weeks.

Bratwurst-seller Marcus Langsdorf, 28, said: "England has great football fans, great clubs and a great football history like Man United and Liverpool, so they will be welcomed.

"I don't think people think about the hooligans any more; it's too much in the past."

Let's hope the England fans are as ready to forget the past and just enjoy the party.