Looking for a new England fan

By Tom Geoghegan
BBC News, Frankfurt

After years of penalty heartbreak and perceptions of rife hooliganism, England still has the largest away support of any footballing nation. But what drives these fans to spend thousands attending tournaments, and has support evolved in the 21st Century?

Gazza cried, Stuart Pearce missed his penalty and a nation was entranced.

The drama of that night in Turin when England faced West Germany in the semi-finals of Italia 90 was partly responsible for sparking a renewed popularity in football which cast off any stigma caused by two decades of violence.

Sixteen years later, flag-wavers for the national side form such a broad church that the state of a certain metatarsal bone heads news bulletins.

There are more older supporters and more women going now, but I do think it might lose its passion if it becomes too middle-class Eileen Rigby

But has England's away support, dogged in the past by a violent minority, broadened in the same way?

Hours after England's opening match in the World Cup, hundreds of fans were gathered outside an Irish bar near Frankfurt's main railway station.

They were singing Ten German Bombers, a song singled out by Sven-Goran Eriksson himself as unacceptable, while German police kept a watchful eye. This in a city which was partly destroyed by Allied bombers 60 years ago.

Friendly atmosphere

They were mostly white men aged between 18 and 30, which for years has been the typical profile of a football supporter, at home and abroad. But this scene does not tell the whole story.

At the same time, a few blocks away from the station, English families wearing football shirts sat in squares enjoying the open-air music. Fans wearing funny hats and face paint were having their pictures taken with German officers.

Now fans go to games to have a drink, enjoy themselves, mix with everyone else and soak up the atmosphere, it's a 100% transformation Mark Shaw

And thousands more were drinking in bars amicably with every nationality to be found in Frankfurt.

Of course, appearance and behaviour are not linked, and there were tattooed, beer-bellied England fans shaking hands and socialising happily with Paraguayans after their defeat.

Earlier in the day, when thousands of fans streamed into the city ahead of the match, there were men and women of all ages and ethnic backgrounds wearing England colours.

Acceptance of women

Among them was Eileen Rigby, who is in her 60s and has been following her beloved Bolton for 50 years.

For most of her England trips, she leaves her husband Eric at home. "He's resigned to it," she says. To pay for her travels she has started working part-time in retirement.

"I would say the majority of England fans are still young men aged 18 to 40 but I've always had no problem with that, they're smashing," she says.

I went to France '98 on my own and thought I'd come up against the typical, thuggish England fan but it went against the stereotype Permi Jhooti

"I've met loads of great lads and they accept me, they don't say 'you're a woman, you don't know anything'.

"The mix of people has certainly got better, there are more older supporters and more women going now, but I do think it might lose its passion if it becomes too middle-class."

Accompanying his 23-year-old daughter to the match against Paraguay, Mark Shaw, 50, recalls the days of the 1970s when, although only tiny numbers were guilty of serious fighting, many more could be involved in some form of disorder. Every England fan was treated like a hooligan.

"Now fans go to games to have a drink, enjoy themselves, mix with everyone else and soak up the atmosphere, it's a 100% transformation," he says.

European misconceptions

That change came about first in domestic football, driven by all-seater stadiums and the renewed interest in football, which helped to attract more families and women into the grounds.

For the last year, Andy Battson, a football attache who works for the Foreign Office, has been trying to correct misconceptions about England's support, ahead of the World Cup.

"I've been explaining to the Germans that the stereotype fan as a football hooligan with tattoos is a thing of the past," he says.

Euro 2004 represented a watershed for perception of England fans

"That image still exists but there are families and ethnic minorities coming here, and the banning orders have meant troublemakers have stayed at home."

He accepts jingoism is still a problem but believes the profile of fans travelling with England began to change before the 2002 World Cup, although people did not realise it until Portugal 2004. Both tournaments were trouble-free and the last few years has seen several fans' groups holding "goodwill" visits to schools and hospitals in venue cities, in order to present a more positive image.

But perceptions take longer to change - one Frankfurt cabbie said many of his colleagues had stopped work while England fans were in town. And back home, the anti-social image remains a barrier to people from ethnic minorities, says Permi Jhooti, 35.

The former professional player, in Frankfurt to watch the match, says: "People who have no experience of what it's like are really fearful of it. I went to France '98 on my own and thought I'd come up against the typical, thuggish England fan but it went against the stereotype. It was everything I hoped it would be."

But the new fans have not been unconditionally welcomed. Mark Perryman, in his book Ingerland: Travels with a Football Nation, says some people wrongly blame the wider fan base for sanitising football and causing higher ticket prices, restricted ticket numbers and the removal of terraces.

It's like everyone around you is like you, all supporting the same team Danny Hilton, nine

But it is really the football authorities who are to blame for that, he argues, and it is the "rough edge" of football that attracted these people in the first place.

One of England's longest-serving fans, Roy Lamkin, 74, is in a good position to judge. With more than 50 years of watching England, he says the greater mix of people, far from diluting the atmosphere, has made it better.

"There are more families now and Portugal 2004 was the best tournament ever," he says.

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Add your comments on this story, using the form below.

On a day when I hear news reports of an increase in domestic violence simlpy because of drunken footbal supporters not getting the quality of match they want, then this latest article seems at best naive. We need to wait until the competition is properly underway before heralding any permanent change in the behaviour of these so called 'fans'
Shaun Gilder, Poole

Fantastic news regarding the transformation of the English fan. However, it will be interesting to see whether the good-natured socialising continues should Engalnd suffer a defeat.
Mark McPhee, Manchester

I think its great to see the face painting and the fans having a good time. I even saw a multi-national conga break out at one point. Its much better than lots of louts in river island clothes and hankies on their heads calling people rude names. I predict the trinidad game will be one long carnival. And an even longer conga. Possibly 100-strong.
Gee, London

I'm an England fan, but not proud to be English. This is not because I have a problem with my nationality, but because I fail to understand why I should be proud of it. Nationality is an abstraction, birth is chance. Come 9 July, I'll be watching England lift the cup. Even if its not England, I'll watch anyway.
Mat Sumner, Mulhouse, France

I'm just back from Frankfurt and had a great time. The idiots singing "10 German Bombers" were quite prevalent but up against a very patient and tolerant police force they came across as pathetic rather than threatening. Most of the Germans I spoke to saw them as an embarrassing side show and thankfully didn't judge the vast majority of us by association. There were plenty of fans who would match the stereotype look of an England fan but a German fast food stand owner I chatted to was typical of most people I spoke to out there as she was genuinely surprised how pleasant these "large tattooed men" had been. Although she couldn't get past their complete aversion to sun cream.
Phil, Dublin

In many ways we have evolved as England supporters, like the fans who are in Germany now are making friends with the locals and opposing teams which is great. The only problem is over here with this world cup being over-hyped by the press, it is starting to build up too many emotions with "unhinged" England fans. Also I think the press, for whatever they believe in should be thoughtful on the coverage and portrayal of this world cup. If we go back to the 1996 euro championships of "Achtung, surrender" front pages, this would only set our mentallity back rather than forwards.
Hambo, Stouport

It's still a shame, however, that hooligans cause trouble at home - as witnessed in Liverpool on Saturday when riot police had to be called in to calm the violence surrounding the BBC Big Screen.
Dave, Manchester

My friends and i descided to spend a sunny match day afternoon watching the large open air screen in Canary wharf. The atmosphere there was fantastic until the second half of the match, when drunken teenagers decided it would be fun to throw bottles. as a result the screen was turned off and the police called to stop the mini riot. Alcohol, hot weather and over excited 'children' do not go well when mixed with the exitement of an international game. A new breed of hooligans maybe?
james, london

The media love the stereotypical image as its more news worthy. They love stories about England fans fighting with foreign police and locals but never print stories or pictures of fans drinking together and generally getting on with each other. One BBC news bulletin and Sky considered the arrest of 12 English fans out of 70,000 in Frankfurt to be worthy of a main news headline... that is what we are up against!
John Lee, Preston, England

I think if you ask most football fans who go every week to follow their own team who would they rather see do well, their own team or England then most would say their own team. What annoys most hardcore football supporters is the hangers on who have latched onto football recently and try to make out they know everything about the game. Personally I follow my local team home and away (West Ham) and cannot stand the new breed of sanitised fans. They are all thats bad about football today.
Rob, London

Football fans have seen that you can win world championships, support your teams and have a damn good time without shaming our country. Fans behaving in host countries will also help out team, interviews with the manager and captain will be centered around their game and not adding pressure by asking for commemts on riots and racist behaviour. Well done England fans - keep us proud!
Dan, Stafford

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