The FA has urged England fans to be ‘great guests’ at Euro 2024 after the infamous ’10 German Bombers’ song was chanted during a warm-up friendly earlier this month. Germany’s police chief has already pleaded with supporters not to be ‘d***s’ by singing it at this summer’s tournament.
The chant mocks German casualties in World War Two by putting a spin on the nursery rhyme ‘Ten Green Bottles’, with ’10 German bombers in the air’ being followed by the line: “But the RAF from England shot them down.”
When the possibility of England fans singing it on German soil was put to the FA, they told Express Sport: “We always encourage our fans to positively get behind the team. This includes supporting England in the right way, before, during and after matches, and we want to be great guests at the tournament.”
England fans are already filtering into Gelsenkirchen ahead of Sunday’s clash with Serbia. The Three Lions then face Denmark and Slovenia in their two remaining group games, as Gareth Southgate bids to go all the way after suffering an agonising defeat in the final of Euro 2020.
Signs during England’s warm-up friendlies were more concerning than positive, as they head into the tournament off the back of a humiliating 1-0 defeat to Iceland at Wembley.
Four days earlier, Southgate’s side put a drab first-half performance behind them to beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 3-0 at St James’ Park, where fans could be heard chanting ’10 German Bombers’.
In response, and on the anniversary of D-Day, German police chief Peter Both urged England supporters not to do the same at the Euros. “Please don’t be a d***,” he told The Telegraph. “That’s what I would say to them: Don’t be a d***.
“If they sing a song like this, I can’t change it. It’s not punishable in Germany. I hope that all the other peaceful and law-abiding fans say to them: ‘Stop it.’
“I know, and all people in Germany know, there is a long-lasting sporting rivalry between England and Germany. But it’s important for me to say it’s only a sporting one. Our countries have been, and remain, allies for over seven decades.”
If England finish second in Group C and Germany win Group A – following their rampant victory over Scotland on Friday night – the two nations would meet in the round of 16 on June 29.
