FRANKFURT has been identified as the most likely flashpoint for any confrontation involving English football hooligans during the World Cup.

England play Paraguay there on June 10 but there are rumours in Germany that domestic hooligans — led by the “ultras”, so-called supporters of Eintracht Frankfurt — may seek a fight with England supporters. Dutch fans may also be milling around the city on the same weekend and there are growing concerns about the threat from Polish hooligans.

The potential for violent clashes is greater in the second phase of the tournament, when England could be drawn against Poland or Germany.

“Anyone who does not behave like a proper guest will have to leave the country rather quickly,” said Volker Bouffier, the Interior Minister of Hesse, who is responsible for security in Frankfurt. “Our main concern is not the stadium but areas around Frankfurt and in front of the public view areas.”

Some 236 giant television screens are to be set up in the 12 cities where games are being held to cater for people without tickets. England’s other first-round games are in Nuremberg (against Trinidad and Tobago on June 15) and Cologne (against Sweden on June 20).

But the Frankfurt game is the one that causes most concern. The city is easily reached by cheap airlines, the game is being played on a weekend and the city’s hooligans have traditionally been ready for a fight.

For the first time, however, English fans are not the greatest concern for police in the tournament’s host nation. An influx of hundreds of thousands of people from Eastern Europe — supporting Poland, Ukraine and Croatia — is a greater worry. Germany and Poland have been drawn together in the same first-round group. Hooligans from the two nations clashed just across the border from Poland last November, which was seen as a rehearsal a World Cup clash. German police calculate that their estimated 9,000 domestic hooligans may target the Poles and reduce the possibility of clashes with the English.

Nevertheless, English fans have been urged to avoid chanting the anti-German songs that are the staple of pre-match drinking sessions.

Britain leads the way in tackling football hooliganism. Tough legislation and a rigorous intelligence regime have enabled police to identify most of Britain’s band of hooligans. The most persistent offenders are barred from travelling.

Home Office statistics show that arrests for football-related offences fell to their lowest level during the 2004-05 season. The number dropped from 4,067 to 3,628, an 11 per cent fall. The 2004-05 season also had the highest league attendances for 35 years. More than 29 million supporters attended league games and the vast majority passed trouble-free, with just 2,725 arrests — equivalent to an arrest rate of one per 10,732 spectators.

In contrast, German hooligans are edging towards the top of the European league table for football violence. A battle between followers of the Bundesliga sides Kaiserslauten and Cologne on February 6 led to 16 arrests. The previous day Hansa Rostock fans smashed up a railway station, while Lok Leipzig supporters shaped their crowd into the form of a human swastika. Shooting fireworks on to the pitch, once an Italian speciality, has become a regular feature of third division German games.

The neo-Nazi influence on games in eastern Germany is becoming more and more obvious. Last December police tried to stop supporters of Energie Cottbus hoisting a banner saying “Jews” during a game against Dresden. The Dresdeners replied by holding up banners saying “Gypsies” and shooting rockets into the crowd.

“The key lies in intelligent policing,” said Gunter Pilz, of Hanover University, who researches football violence. “What do a few flares and fireworks matter in a secure stadium? You have to give the ultras the space to express themselves, otherwise they will be radicalised and become truly dangerous.”

HISTORY OF VIOLENCE

• Number of England fans arrested for violence and disorder at previous tournaments in Europe:

  53 Euro 2004 (Portugal)

  945 Euro 2000 (Belgium and Netherlands)

  278 World Cup 1998 (France)

  942 Euro 1996 (England)

  250 Euro 1992 (Sweden)

• Number of travel bans imposed on fans:

  3,500 World Cup 2006 (predicted)

  2,370 Euro 2004 (Portugal)

  1,053 World Cup 2002 (Japan and Korea)

  105 Euro 2000 (Belgium and Netherlands)

• 40,000 Liverpool fans travelled to the Champions League final in Istanbul in May 2005; there were no arrests for disorder

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