Intimidation, casual vandalism and generally treating locals like un-people is also a form of xenophobia
Bread, circuses and England defeats. One upshot of England’s alarmingly limp performance in Prague was that it diverted attention, however briefly, from a topic always seemed likely to dominate the noises off around Monday night’s game against Bulgaria in Sofia.
Not so fast. England abroad: it is in many ways the never-ending story. Albeit one that seems in recent years to have involved shining a fearless light on the failings of others, even while the German bombers continue to fall, the Pope gets fucked and the bottles fly across the Baroque town squares. Ever wondered what other countries make of this myopia, the ability to say all the right things about supporter behaviour and issues of race, even while being trailed around by the most regularly disruptive supporters in European football?
Related: If England walk off the pitch because of abuse, racism wins | Howard Gayle
What about the other stuff? Will the England players walk off in Sofia at the first rendition of Ten German Bombers?
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