Fans stay away from Ukraine/ Poland

It is not just UK Ministers who are shunning the delights of Krakow and Kiev. It comes as no great surprise that the numbers of England fans going to Euro 2012 are drastically reduced from previous tournaments. Less than 10,000 are expected to follow the national team compared to over 100,000 who travelled to Germany for the World Cup six years ago. Firstly, there is a remarkably low level of expectation on how the team will perform coupled with a squad which has suffered from a variety of withdrawals, so not even the usually myopic optimism of English fans can mask the truth that the team that will struggle to get past the group stage. Furthermore, Eastern Europe may have many hidden gems but most football fans are not on a voyage of discovery, more a journey of hope and the unfamiliar surroundings will have had a negative impact on the lure of Lviv or the delights of Donetsk. So even before the unedifying spectacle of overt racism which was uncovered by the recent Panorama programme, there was never going to be much in the way of travelling support. The disgraceful scenes of both Polish and Ukrainian fans revelling in racist chanting would have deterred anyone thinking of making a last minute dash. Finally the harsh economic climate may have dissuaded many thousands from travelling abroad and spending time in hotels where prices have been jacked up by people aiming to exploit the expected influx of Westerners, especially as the standard of hospitality may be variable, if not disappointing. So with all those conditions it will probably be one of the friendliest, the most good-natured of tournaments and no doubt be topped off with a resounding English success. Remember where you read this first.