Ein Song Fur Europe

‘“ZING VEN YOU’RE WINNING,” says the Star, a finger shoved under its nose as is stifling a derisory snort.

The paper says that “Foreign Office bigwigs” have told England’s brave supporters to sing songs in German at the World Cup.

Singing in German will, as the Foreign Office advice runs, enable the 100,000 England supporters expected to descend on the land of the Hun to bond with their hosts.

As FO Minister Lord Triesman says: “On our website there will be translations of England football songs that might be a bit of fun.”

But before you look up the German for “You’re going home in a St John’s ambulance”, “Dambusters” and the “Ten Bombers” chant, Lord Triesman says, “There is no need to do anything gratuitously offensive.”

Indeed, there is not. There is no need, but sill we expect that lots and lots of England fans will cause offence.

Still the Sun has a go at following this diktat. “Drei lowen auf einem hemd, Jules Rimet noch glanzendes,” says the Sun, getting into the party mood with a German version of Three lions of a shirt, Jules Rimet still gleaming.

And there is more. “Sie singen nicht mehr” (You’re not singing anymore), “Jetz gehts England!” (Come on England), “Fueen Sie den Schweden ab” (Sack the Swede) and “Sind Sie Schottland in derVerkleidung?” (Are you Scotland in disguise) are all given full throat.

But surely this is all unnecessary. As any English football supporter who has ever witnessed a German crowd in full voice knows, the old enemy often sing in fluent and immaculate English.

There is a real danger that some of England’s more obedient supporters will be the only ones belting out a tune in the German language.

It’s a happening that could lead to all sorts of ramifications, not least of all when other less enlightened England fans mistake these singers for Germans and decide to set about them with inflatable aircraft and fists…’

Posted: 20th, April 2006 | In: Back pages Comment | TrackBack | Permalink