Supporters question how effective directive will be given potential for major disorder at Serbia game
Fans who feel “unsafe” or “threatened” during England’s powder-keg Euro 2024 opener against Serbia have been told to say “Panama” to police or a member of tournament staff.
The unusual safe words “Wo geht’s nach [Which way to] Panama?” or code word Panama, have been adopted by competition organisers in Gelsenkirchen amid warnings Sunday’s fixture could witness a repeat of the rioting to have plagued the Three Lions at past European Championships.
Staff hearing the word Panama are meant to “immediately offer the possibility of a place to retreat” for the person in distress and potentially activate a Panama team, “a multilingual, multi-professional team trained in crisis intervention, non-violent communication and de-escalation”.
A similar protocol is already used at certain Bundesliga matches and large music festivals in Germany, but fans may question how effective it would be for Sunday’s England-Serbia game given the potential for major fan disorder.
Police have already warned the match could see a repeat of the rioting that has marred England’s most recent Euros campaigns, most notably their 2016 opener against Russia and the final of the last tournament.
Officers are also expecting up to 500 violence-seeking Serbian hooligans to travel to Germany for the tournament, compounding fears of a repeat of the brutal ambush of England fans by Russian thugs eight years ago.
Sunday’s fixture has been branded the most “high risk” of this summer’s tournament, with Telegraph Sport revealing the Football Association had failed to get a booze ban imposed close to the venue and that the game itself is currently the only fixture where low-alcohol beer will be served.
Wilhelm Wessels, Euro 2024 project manager for Gelsenkirchen, said: “All of the city’s law enforcement partners, such as the fire brigade, the police and the municipal public order service, as well as the entire Euro staff on the grounds, are familiar with the Panama rules and can react accordingly.”
He added: “It was important to us to establish an awareness concept during the Euros in order to make the experience and attendance of our Euro 2024 events even safer.”
The initiative was mocked by those attending Sunday’s game.
Simon Harris, a veteran member of the England Supporters Travel Club and a Conservative member of Shropshire Council, told Telegraph Sport: “If you’re in a bar and you’ve got a whole raft of Serbian hooligans threatening you, Panama’s going to be the last thing you’re thinking of. It would be getting out quick, I would think.
“Will they be warning you that there may be foul language, or flashing lights, or something else that might trigger you? At what stage do you say, ‘Do you know what? If you can’t hack it, don’t go’.”
He also warned the system may end up being abused, adding: “You can imagine a lot of p----d-up football people going, ‘Hey, Panama!’”
Asked about the origin of the expression, a Gelsenkirchen spokesman suggested it had come from a popular German children’s story about a tiger and bear and their quest to visit Panama.
Meanwhile, police have suggested it would be better for fans coming to Gelsenkirchen for Sunday’s game to smoke cannabis than drink alcohol.
The Class B drug was legalised in Germany on April 1, although it will not be allowed inside the 62,000-seat Veltins Arena, nor in fan zones, bars or city squares.
Stephan Knipp, a spokesman for Gelsenkirchen police, told The Sun: “It’s no problem for fans to smoke cannabis on the street. If we see a group of people drinking alcohol and looking a bit aggressive, and another group smoking cannabis, of course we’ll look at the group drinking alcohol.
“Drinking alcohol can make someone more aggressive, and smoking cannabis puts people in a chill mood. We want to prevent violence and keep people safe. Our focus will be on fans who are drinking and potentially getting violent.”
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, police warned anyone loading up on alcohol before Sunday’s game risked being refused entry.
Peter Both, Gelsenkirchen’s chief of police, also said he was expecting 20,000 England fans and half as many Serbia supporters had bought tickets for the match.
Ticketless Three Lions fans were urged to watch the game at a dedicated fan zone at the city’s racecourse, which Wessels said would be stocked with 32,000 tonnes of sausage, seven-and-a-half tonnes of chips and 80,000 litres of beer.
England supporters had already begun gathering on Friday evening at a bar at a fan meeting point in Gelsenkirchen’s central Heinrich-Konig-Platz, where they could be heard singing the likes of ‘Vindaloo’ and ‘Scotland get battered, everywhere they go’.
Related Topics
- England Football Team,
- Serbia Football Team
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