New footage has emerged of an England fan appearing to lead ’10 German bombers’ chants on the streets of Dusseldorf ahead of the Three Lions clash against Serbia tonight.
The tattooed oaf wears a replica of England’s away shirt, which retails for £85, while perched on someone’s shoulders holding an inflatable RAF Lancaster toy in one hand and a beer bottle in the other.
He raises his arms and smiles as he encourages the crowd to applaud as he throws the plane to another fan before pumping the air excitedly as he continues to sing the disparaging song.
‘Ten German Bombers’, sung to the tune of ‘If You’re Happy and You Know It’, refers to German casualties in World War II.
It comes after German police warned followers “don’t be stupid!” while the FA wrote a hardline letter saying fans risk having their tickets taken away if they do not behave appropriately.
Do you know the man in the video? Email matt.strudwick@mailonline.co.uk
New images have emerged of the English ‘ringleader’ who led the chants of ’10 German bombers’ on the streets of Dusseldorf.
The tattooed oaf wears a replica of England’s away shirt as he sits on someone’s shoulders holding an inflatable RAF Lancaster toy in one hand and a beer bottle in the other.
He raises his arms and smiles as he throws the plane at another fan before pumping the air with his fist as he continues singing the disparaging song.
The song has been regularly played at England’s matches, including their recent 3-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina on Monday night.
It is feared that this will be repeated frequently in the euros and, despite warnings from the German authorities, they cannot prevent it.
According The Telegraph, Police Chief Peter Both said: “That’s what I would say to them: don’t be stupid.” If they sing a song like this, I can’t change it.
“In Germany it is not punishable. I hope that all other peaceful and law-abiding fans will tell them: ‘Enough.’
‘I know, and all people in Germany know, that there is a long-standing sporting rivalry between England and Germany. But it’s important for me to say that it’s just sports.
“Our countries have been and continue to be allies for more than seven decades.”
The images also prompted the FA to write to the England Supporters Travel Club, according to The Imaking it clear that “any unacceptable behavior while following England may result in… the withdrawal of tickets for future matches (including during the tournament).”
The letter adds: “The FA will not tolerate any excessive behavior and will always investigate reports of inappropriate behavior with the utmost urgency,” the communication reads.
“Members are ambassadors of the England team and must act in a way that continues to improve the image of the English fans and the national team on the world stage.”
The FA will have their own security and security staff at all England matches in the coming days, and will insist they will take drastic action against any fans who misbehave in Germany.
England fans have been warned their tickets could be confiscated if they misbehave at Euro 2024.
The FA, led by chief executive Mark Bullingham (pictured), has told supporters that “unacceptable behaviour” will not be tolerated.
German police have asked English fans not to sing ’10 German Bombers’ during the Euro
Chief Constable Peter Both admitted police will not be able to arrest fans who sing the chant, but urged Three Lions fans not to “be publicity” during the competition.
Tensions are already high ahead of the Group C clash in Gelsenkirchen, where there are fears that 500 Serbian ultras could attack the English (pictured: Red Star Belgrade fans at the Rajko Mitic on May 13 in a match against the FK Radnicki 1923).
Red Star Belgrade fans at the Rajko Mitic on May 13 in a match against FK Radnički 1923
Tensions are already high ahead of the Group C clash in Gelsenkirchen, where there are fears that 500 Serbian ultras could attack the English in the western German city.
Police have marked the tie as “high risk” because it is the only match in the tournament where low-alcohol beer is served in a bid to avoid trouble.
German police have been working with authorities in London and Belgrade to try to prevent ugly scenes in the areas around the stadium and during the match itself.
The lord both said The Guardian that officials in the country did not have “concrete intelligence, concrete information” at this stage.
But they believe that “up to 400 or 500 Serbian hooligans seeking violence will travel to Germany, but we don’t know exactly and that is our problem at the moment.”
He added: “I think the biggest challenge for us will be to identify violent and disruptive groups at an early stage, to separate them from the peaceful and law-abiding fanatics.”
Do you know the man in the video? Email matt.strudwick@mailonline.co.uk