England fans threatened with ban by FA if they chant 'Ten German Bombers' at last-16 match
Fans attending England’s European Championship showdown with Germany have been threatened with a ban if they take part in any “discriminatory or disrespectful” chanting amid concerns over the song ‘Ten German Bombers’.
The Football Association told Telegraph Sport it would “strongly condemn” such behaviour after it emerged a report had been submitted to Uefa accusing supporters attending England’s Euro 2020 matches of performing the illicit song, which mocks German casualties during the Second World War to the tune of ‘She’ll be Coming Round the Mountain’.
Video footage was also uploaded to Twitter of it being sung outside Wembley before England’s opening game against Croatia.
The song became a talking point on the social media site following confirmation England would face Germany amid fears of a repeat of the shameful scenes which marred a friendly between them in Dortmund four years ago. England have not played in Germany since.
Game starts in two hours. pic.twitter.com/5NeaYqk3EZ
— Darren Lewis (@MirrorDarren) June 13, 2021
The singing during last week’s Croatia game of what was on Thursday branded an “ultra-nationalist” song was referenced in an official report submitted to Uefa by the FARE network, which operates the governing body’s anti-discrimination monitoring system.
The FA said: “We always encourage our fans to positively get behind the team, and this includes supporting England in the right way, before, during and after the match. This message will be shared with them once again before Tuesday’s fixture, as well as thanking them for their support.
“We will also strongly condemn any behaviour at Wembley Stadium that is discriminatory or disrespectful, and we will take action where appropriate as we try to ensure all England matches are a safe and enjoyable experience.”
The FA banned members of the England Supporters Travel Club (ESTC) involved in singing the song in Dortmund in March 2017 but identifying anyone performing the chant on Tuesday could be made more difficult by the requirement for those attending matches at Wembley to wear masks.
Piara Powar, the executive director of FARE, told Telegraph Sport: “We would classify it as an ultra-nationalist song that, sung within certain contexts, would be seen as an insult and discriminatory.”
England manager Gareth Southgate condemned the chant ahead of his sides’ most recent meeting with Germany in November 2017, saying: “It’s unacceptable, completely unacceptable. We’ve moved on from those times, or should have moved on from those times. They don’t represent us as a team, the people who do that.”
The chanting in Dortmund had also been denounced by the former chairman of the Bomber Command Association, Malcolm White, a veteran of conflicts in the Falklands, Belize and the former Yugoslavia.
White, who spent half of his Royal Air Force career in Germany, told the Telegraph yesterday he stood by his comments from the time, when he said: “We just don’t need this sort of stuff. I just don’t get it, it’s unhelpful, it’s not right.”
He added: “It’s divisive and it adds nothing to the understanding of the generations that are following us about exactly what went on and why it went on.
“It saddens me deeply and I don’t see why it should be perpetuated, frankly. I don’t know what the culture is that enables some of the folk who turn up to watch football to be acting that way. It’s very unhelpful when you get into jingoistic-type comments. Maybe the football audience could be slightly more thoughtful.”
Simon Harris, an ESTC member who said his father was in bomber command during World War Two, was torn over whether fans should be banned for singing ‘Ten German Bombers’.
“My view is that it’s a rather daft song which goes on for a very long time,” he said. “I would be crushingly embarrassed for my German friends and acquaintances if they heard that song.”
