Good News For Hooligans:

England have two thorns in their side; the infamous 'left sided problem' and the even more infamous hooligan problem. Ashley and Joe Cole are providing some answers down the left, while David Swift was having some success with the other problem.

As the Association of Chief Police Officers' lead officer on football, Swift was responsible for the recent rehabilitation of English fans. The days of fearful foreign barmen soiling their black slacks at the mere sight of a St. George were on the way out. Swift had developed good relations with the FA, the supporters' groups, and his overseas counterparts. After a promisingly peaceful Euro 2004, Swift had expected to be in charge for 2006, and was taking German lessons in preparation.

However, Swift has been promoted to the post of acting chief constable in Staffordshire, and will no longer be available to lead the way in Germany. The timing seems awful. After two World Wars and two semi-final penalty defeats Germany is the focal point of English xenophobia, and Swift's replacement now has less than six months to prepare. German barmen might want to invest in a spare pair of slacks.

Source: The Guardian

What do you think? Are England's days as a nation of meatheads finally over, or is Germany 2006 just an accident waiting to happen?