Gareth Southgate has called on England supporters to behave themselves ahead of Tuesday’s Nations League meeting with Germany in Munich – admitting any pre-match issues always have a negative impact on his camp.
England have been given an allocation of 3,466 at the Allianz Arena but it is expected some supporters will travel without tickets or will have purchased those on sale in home sections of the stadium.
Inclement weather could curtail any major pre-match clashes but there will be a police delegation dispatched to Munich to partner with local law-enforcement, with Football Association safety and security advisers also at the stadium and in the city.
England manager Gareth Southgate urges fans to behave ahead of match in Germany
Lee Smith
Not since September 2019 has a full England allocation travelled to an away game and there are currently 1122 banning orders in place.
Asked if it was important for England fans to behave on a big occasion in Germany, Southgate replied: “Yes, it is.
“I think we know because of the landscape at the moment that the spotlight is going to be on so we all want to be coming away talking about a brilliant night and be talking about good football and a stunning atmosphere.
“We don’t have any control over that. We can only ask that’s what our supporters deliver.”
There have been over 70,000 checks on applications to join the England Supporters Travel Club since 2014 as the authorities look to clamp down on allowing known troublemakers to attend away fixtures.
Dozens of England fans were arrested in Amsterdam ahead of a friendly win over Holland in March 2018, with the Covid pandemic severely limiting the chances to follow the Three Lions abroad recently.
Southgate said such behaviour leading into matches does affect the squad and that he is left “embarrassed” when it does happen.
England fans during the international friendly match at the Amsterdam ArenA in 2018
Nick Potts
“It definitely has an impact,” he said. “Staff are working on things detracting from the main part of their job. You are embarrassed when you hear about it, because you know it’s a representation of your country.
“In the same way, there’s been a brilliant representation of that across the world in the last couple of days (for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations).
“So we’re always conscious of that. I think we can only give the correct messages – it’s then you’ve got to rely on people behaving themselves.
“I think we have supporters from all parts of the country who travel brilliantly, and leave foreign countries with a great feeling about England and English supporters.
“We know that there’s always been others that do it a different way, and that’s been the same for 40-odd years. We’ve still got to try to police that as well as we can, and make sure we keep stopping people from doing those things. That’s not easy to control, frankly.”
Leeds midfielder Kalvin Phillips echoed the comments of Southgate, calling on fans to show respect while travelling.
“I think there is a lot of issues,” he said. “There’s always going to be issues, but we want our fans to go there and be respectful to Munich and be respectful in a different country.
“We’d expect the same back. When Germany came to our country, it was very respectful.
English fans kick and stand on a litter bin in Piccadilly Circus, London, after Italy beat England on penalties to win the UEFA Euro 2020 Final.
Victoria Jones
“The fans support us well and when they behave well and when they act like real fans, which they always do, I think they’re no problem.”
The England Supporters Travel Club issued a statement through the FA to those making the journey to Munich, also calling for fans to be on their best behaviour.
“This will be the Three Lions’ biggest away ticket allocation since supporters were allowed back into grounds,” it read. “Naturally, there is a lot of excitement around the fixture.
“England players always talk about the privilege of representing their country. It is no different for us as fans.
“Every time we travel abroad, we have the honour of wearing the Three Lions and being ambassadors for the nation.
“If you witness any xenophobic, racist, homophobic or anti-social behaviour before, during or after the match, you can report it in confidence. Please be aware that the FA will always investigate reports of inappropriate behaviour at an England game.”