Cape Town prepares for England fans invasion
Updated on 18 June 2010
As 20,000 supporters are expected to descend on Cape Town for England's second game of their World Cup campaign, Keme Nzerem finds out how the authorities are planning to manage the influx.
There's a very unfamiliar sight in Cape Town this week. The distant peaks that line South Africa's Western Cape Coast are veiled with snow. It might be the depths of winter but for many England fans this is the beginning of their summer holiday.
As many as 20,000 supporters are expected as Fabio's 23 up their bid to make a real impact on this World Cup. And this morning the signs are this town is rapidly being painted red and white. The flags are already up on the sunshine coast of Camps Bay, and Cape Town's famous Waterfront has become the unofficial England fans' HQ.
And with high spirits come the inevitable drunken hijinx. Although there have been a number of serious clashes here between authorities and stewards, who are striking over a pay dispute, the Cape Town police say thus far the most serious incident they have had to deal with is a taxi running over an Englishman's foot.
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Special speedy courts have been set up to make sure that any World Cup related crimes are dealt with immediately, but Rob Young, the chief of police, scotched the myth that special "cattle trains" have been sequestered to hold any English felons they might apprehend.
Partying is fine, he told us, as long as you don't cross the thin blue line. Just how thin is this blue line? Drinking alcohol in public South Africa is technically a crime - but as long as things don't get too messy, they'll turn a blind eye.
What they won't tolerate is drugs. While many fans may have grown accustomed to the odd spliff back at home, with marijuana being declassified then reclassified so many times few people seem to know whether it's legal or not, South African police operate zero tolerance. Get caught smoking a joint in public and you will go to jail - it's as simple as that.
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With a rather different focus are trained British police "spotters", in town looking for known troublemakers, and any early signs of tensions that could spill over to ugly brawls.
We saw a small group of shaven headed men downtown wearing English Defence League shirts - minding their own business and enjoying the Cape Town winter sunshine.
Last night large groups of supporters were mingling noisily in town, and not all of them sporting the St George's Cross. Although the Algerian FA returned a large number of their ticket allocation, they have a significant travelling support.
It must be said England fans appear not to have the monopoly on shell suits - it appears that as well as the ubiquitous flag draped around one's shoulders, green and white polyester running garb is the preferred manner of indicating one's dedication to the "desert foxes" of Algeria.
