British and German police presented a united front ahead of today’s World Cup showdown today, mouting joint patrols outside the stadium in Bloemfontein.
Although no England fans have yet been arrested for any football-related violence. the German and British police were hoping to “set the tone” for supporters.
Assistant Chief Constable Andy Holt, leading the UK delegation, said he would not be able to stop distasteful chanting such as “Ten German Bombers” and “Two World Wars, One World Cup”.
But he praised the behaviour of the England fans so far and said he was not predicting any mass disorder. “Hopefully that will set the tone, but it won’t necessarily stop ‘Ten German Bombers’.
“The chants are in poor taste. The German fans and German police are well used to hearing those sorts of chants but they show a commendable attitude towards it, in that they just laugh it off.
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“I don’t think we are going to be able to stop those sort of chants taking place from a small minority of the fans.”
South African police said there were no reports of arrests last night at Bloemfontein’s bars and nightclubs. No England fan has so far been arrested for football related violence.
“They have been very quiet and well behaved,” said a South African Police spokesman. “But we will be keeping a very close watch on things before and after the match.”
Most England fans expected the team to qualify top of their group and booked tickets and accommodation for a game in Rustenburg last night. In the event the United States, who topped the group, lost that game to Ghana infront of a crowd including Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones and Bill Clinton, the former US President.
A thousand extra tickets for the England v Germany match went on sale on Saturday as American fans and corporate guests handed unwanted seats back to Fifa, the World Cup organisers. Hundreds of fans queued outside the Fifa ticket office in the centre of Bloemfontein.
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Meanwhile, the England Wags have a new unofficial leader: the TV presenter Christine Bleakley.
Bleakley vowed not travel to the World Cup but watching a match against Germany in front of an estimated television audience of 25million at home has proved an irresistible lure.
The television presenter will lead the England players’ wives and girlfriends as they compete with the rival German Wags in a battle of the handbags and frocks at Bloemfontein’s Free State Stadium.
The wags will be joined by an estimated 10,000 fans from England with a further 20,000 expats and local supporters who will cheer on Fabio Capello’s men.
However, they all risk being upstaged by the fanatical Siwelele supporters who are famed throughout South Africa for their synchronized dancing, vuvuzela waving and chanting during matches of the local Bloemfontein Celtic team.
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Bleakley, 32, the girlfriend of England midfielder Frank Lampard, has recently signed a reported £6million deal with ITV to reunite her with Adrian Chiles. Her former co-host on the BBC One’s The One Show is now leading ITV’s coverage of the World Cup.
Bleakley, a former public school pupil from Northern Ireland with a politics degree from Queen’s University Belfast, had previously insisted “I’m so not a Wag” and dismissed suggestions that she would fly to South Africa.
“Of course I’ll miss Frank but he’s got a job to do,” she added. “I’ll be watching all the matches and supporting him from home though.”
Capello initially barred the England Wags from attending the tournament but relented after complaints that poor morale in the team was to blame for lackluster draws in the opening two games.
The other Wags already reported to be in South Africa are Joe Cole’s wife Carly; Emile Heskey’s fiancée, Chantelle Tagoe; Matthew Upson’s girlfriend Ellie Darby; Glen Johnson’s wife Laura; Michael Carrick’s wife Lisa, 29and John Terry’s wife Toni Poole.
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Several have brought their young children and have been keeping a low profile. So far there has been no repeat of the nightclubbing and shopping which accompanied their trip to the last World Cup in Germany.
The England Wags will be up against their German counterparts who have been allowed to be with the players in South Africa throughout the World Cup.
They are led by Sarah Brandner, 21, the girlfriend of winger Bastian Schweinsteiger. Other prominent members include Alessia Walch, 22, the fiancée of Dennis Aogo; Claudia Schattenberg, 26, the fiancée of team captain Philipp Lahm; and Anna-Maria Lagerblom, the 28-year-old girlfriend of winger Mesut Oezil.