'Embarrassing' England fan chant at Euros prompts Tartan Army comparison as trouble flares in Gelsenkirchen

Musician and activist Billy Bragg has shared a video of England supporters signing the ‘10 German bombers’ song ahead of their opening match at Euro 2024 and insisted Scotland fans would not be heard doing the same.

German police had warned travelling England followers against singing the song – which mocks the death of German casualties during the Second World War – ahead of the tournament but admitted they are largely powerless to prevent it.

Members of the England Supporters Travel Club caught singing it have faced being banned from future matches since 2017, when it was sung during the team’s friendly in Germany. That was after England manager Gareth Southgate condemned the chant, stating: “It’s completely unacceptable. We’ve moved on from those times, or should have moved on.”

England fans sing their national anthem prior to kick-off ahead of the Euro 2024 group stage match against Serbia at Arena AufSchalke in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)

Footage emerged on Sunday of the offensive soundtrack being sung by a group of England fans in the streets of Dusseldorf in the hours leading up to their match against Serbia in nearby Gelsenkirchen. This prompted Bragg, who released a 1991 song titled The Few condemning the behaviour of England fans during the 1980s, to hit out as he compared the unsavoury incident to the largely positive image portrayed by the Tartan Army at the tournament.

Sharing the video to his 321,600 followers on X, Bragg posted: "Despite Scotland’s industrial areas being a prime target for the German bombers in World War Two, you never hear the Tartan Army singing this embarrassing song."

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There were also violent clashes in Gelsenkirchen ahead of the match with seven Serbian supporters arrested. Videos circulating on social media show trouble brewing on a side street, with tables, chairs and bottles thrown before riot police arrived. Some people were injured, with former England striker Stan Collymore posting a picture of a man covered in blood on the social media site X accompanied by the message: “Police vans en masse in Gelsenkirchen centre now. Kicking off in tiny groups.”

Gelsenkirchen police confirmed that all the arrests were of Serbian citizens. A spokesman said: “There was a confrontation between Serbian and English football fans in the city of Gelsenkirchen. The two fan groups were separated. Seven people were taken into custody. There was also a complaint of grievous bodily harm. The background to this is still unclear.”

A spokesman for the UK Football Policing Unit added: “We are aware of an issue in Gelsenkirchen ahead of the England v Serbia match. Our German colleagues have made a number of arrests of what we currently believe to be Serbian supporters. At this stage we do not believe that any UK nationals have been arrested but enquiries are ongoing. Our officers are at the location speaking to German colleagues. Our investigation team is now reviewing footage of the incident and, if any UK nationals have been involved, football banning orders will be sought.”

Meanwhile, Hamburg police shot a man they say was armed with an “axe-like object” and a “Molotov cocktail” just hours before the city staged its first game of the tournament. The German city’s police force said officers were threatened by the individual and, after he refused to drop the incendiary device, he was shot in the leg. The incident took place near the city’s fan park in the St Pauli district around two-and-a-half hours before the Netherlands faced Poland at Hamburg’s Volksparkstadion.

A statement from Hamburg police read: “According to current findings, a man came out of a locality around 1230pm (CET) and threatened police forces with a pickaxe/axe-like object. He was asked by them to drop this item. He also threatened the police officers with a Molotov cocktail in his hand, which he did not drop despite being asked and continued to walk towards the officers. The police then used their service weapon and shot him in the leg. This prevented further attacks and no emergency services or other bystanders were injured. The police officers immediately provided first aid, which was continued a short time later by medical personnel. The man is currently receiving further care in a hospital.”

Pictures on social media had earlier shown thousands of Netherlands supporters in the city enjoying the build-up to the Group D opener. The incident reportedly took place near to where a large crowd of Dutch supporters were gathered, however the police could not say whether the fans were being targeted. “A football connection cannot currently be determined, nor are there currently any insights into other motivations,” Hamburg police added.

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