There were two senior German police officers in the room at Whitehall on Tuesday to say that England fans at Euro 2024 would be welcome, but songs from a drunken fringe about the Second World War would not.
“You must respect our country. It is important that supporters are informed about what is acceptable,” one said, noting that fans who persisted in the disorder would be fined and taken to a vending machine on site to pay. What was the maximum fine, he was asked. There didn’t seem to be a maximum.
The presence of the Germans at a briefing organized by British police and the Foreign Office revealed how the policing of this event is a far cry from Euro 2016, where intransigent French police had simply deployed the water cannon and unleashed it on the offending fans.
Britain’s most senior football police officer, Mark Roberts, has not experienced a level of international tournament cooperation matched by the Germans during his ten years in the role.
Forces from both countries are going out of their way to help fans who consume too much beer or misbehave avoid arrest. Germans welcome with open arms the presence of British police “spotters” – experienced officers who know the fans and are there to intervene before all hell breaks loose.
German police have warned English fans about their behavior during the upcoming European Championship in Germany this summer.
Forces from England and Germany are going out of their way to help fans who drink too much beer and misbehave avoid arrest.
Gareth Southgate and his England stars will be well supported at the tournament in Germany
“Germans like to drink beer, just like us,” Roberts said. “This minority is not so different from ours. They accept this low level of intervention.
But there is a line and German tolerance towards those who cross it has its limits. British police were not helped at all by the fact that a court inexplicably cut short a four-year banning order imposed on serial hooligan and troublemaker Tommy Robinson, former leader of the English Defense League, thus allowing him to travel to the United Kingdom. tournament.
British officers, who have implemented 2,000 travel bans on hooligans, need Robinson in Germany like a hole in the head because the risk of disorder is undeniable. It is the first tournament close to the United Kingdom since Euro 2016, which concluded with the Russians beating England against fans within an inch of their lives in Marseille.
Police are concerned about the new minority of young offenders who have wreaked havoc on football since Covid, with cocaine as well as alcohol a contributing factor.
Those who decide that songs about “Ten German bombers” and “the British RAF” who “shot them down” should know that the penalties for violating public order vary depending on the German state in which they are located. committed. Germany’s southern states are widely considered the most conservative and least tolerant.
Giving the Nazi salute is punishable by imprisonment in Germany, as is using the swastika. “You have to understand that it’s because of our history,” said one of the German officers. Lighting an Israeli flag can also result in imprisonment.
Stressing that the vast majority of England fans have always brought honor to the nation and calling for them to be judged on their “behavior and not their reputation”, Roberts urged the minority of 300,000 traveling supporters to show good behavior sense.
“Let’s be realistic: with some of these things, you don’t need to say that this is going to be a criminal offense in a Western democracy,” he said. “If you behave as you would in this country, everything will be fine. You do not need to check the intricacies of German legislation.
Former English Defense League manager Tommy Robinson (pictured) is free to travel after a court cut short a four-year banning order imposed on the serial hooligan.
English fans have already clashed with French police during violent scenes during the tournament in France eight years ago.
England fans have been warned they could be prosecuted for breaching the peace if they sing songs about the “10 German bombers” and the “RAF England” who “shot them down”.
The most senior operational British police officer on the ground at the tournament, Chief Superintendent Colette Rose, of Greater Manchester Police, said parents had a role to play.
“We encourage parents to discuss with these children how to behave when traveling abroad.” We will be there to help England fans go and enjoy it and not get into trouble.
The chaos in the UK that can accompany a successful English tournament is another story. The further the team goes, the worse the situation gets, according to police data. There were 123 arrests in the UK during the World Cup in Qatar and 599 during Euro 2020. But it was the conduct on their own soil that German officers had in mind.
“We will work with the British to find out if any of their attackers have a history of trouble.” We always seek to act accordingly, but we cannot be naive. We are paid to police and maintain order.
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