England and Serbia supporters took turns whistling at anthems while Phil Foden got his own Springsteen tribute song
t was all too easy to lose count of how many flags there were: 50? 60? 100, or more? Leicester, Coventry, “our mate Jimmy Lockett”, Marwood Whites, Courthouse Reds, Oulton Broad and Hereford. It seems there was no part ofthat hadn’t had a run on its polyester flags of St George. And for that matter Belgrade might be short on flags too – there was barely an inch of Gelsenkirchen hoarding that wasn’t marked out as territory by fans of either Serbia or England.
Consistent drinking, for good or bad, is a consistent and abiding part of football fan culture, just as displaying flags is, or wearing that precise vintage of shirt, or singing a new chant about Phil Foden to the tune of Bruce Springsteen’s Dancing in the Dark. More than that, being a football fan is about being among crowds, about losing yourself amid a horde, again for good or bad.
There have been challenges. The weather, much as in the UK, has been miserable. The logistics, in the north at least, have been frustrating, with cancellations and confusion. The striking scenes before this match were not of violent incident but of thousands of leathered England fans, who had been on the beers since they woke up, having to walk four miles in a downpour to get from Gelsenkirchen station to the game because there was no other option available.
From there we went into the Foden song, and before long a gutsy succession of “Juuuuude” calls as England’s main man powered home the opening goal and left his opposing defender in a heap. It wasn’t until the 26th minute that anyone even felt the need to crack out Three Lions, and only in the second half did we hear the national anthem again. The Serbs, largely outsung, for their part stuck to booing Bukayo Saka when he touched the ball and making claims about Kosovo.
But while the atmosphere of this opening week is likely to be the headiest we will see, it will be enough to serve as a marker. It is a reminder of the culture that exists outside of those who own the game, and by whom it cannot be bought. Football is about people, primarily, and in Germany this summer the people are back.
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