Atmosphere surrounding summer of ’96 and Euro 2012 are Poles apart

For there have been that many horror stories and warnings ahead of this year’s European finals, which kick-off on Friday, that football fans seem to be giving the tournament in Poland and Ukraine the red card before a ball has been kicked in anger.

The Foreign Office has already warned about potential racism problems among Poland’s hard-core hooligan groups, while also throwing in caution for gay fans hoping to follow Roy Hodgson’s team.

So if you are white and straight, you may avoid getting assaulted in Donetsk on a Saturday night out. Although with smoking and drinking banned in public places – plus severe penalties for those caught in possession of drugs – it is hardly likely to be the party atmosphere of previous tournaments.

And with one in every 100 people in Ukraine living with HIV – 350,000 adults, 1.1 per cent of the adult population compared to 0.2 per cent in the UK – then a holiday romance is best avoided too.

Hardly the stuff you see in the travel brochure, but enough to convince a large number of England fan to stay at home this summer and watch the games from the safety of their armchairs.

It is all a far cry from Euro ’96, held on theses shores, when Terry Venables’s boys came so close to tournament success.

I was at the group games at Sheffield, where Hillsborough Park – laying in the shadows of the Sheffield Wednesday stadium – was awash with all nationalities as it hosted the fans’ village.

Fans mainly from Croatia, Denmark, Turkey and Portugal mixed freely with England supporters to create an amazing atmosphere. Anyone who has been in the company of the beer-swilling Danish fans knows they can consume alcohol at an alarming rate, but still keep the party spirit.

Inside the stadium, too, I don’t recall a hint of trouble. Brian Laudrup enjoyed playing at Hillsborough, the Denmark playmaker scored in a 1-1 draw with Portugal, before netting twice more in a 3-0 win against Turkey.

But it was the colourful Croatians who really stick in my memory, their red and white chequered shirts offering a vibrant splash of colour inside S6. And their football was not too bad either, Davor Suker scoring twice and Zvonimir Boban grabbing a third in a 3-0 rout of Denmark.

There was also a huge amount of goodwill in the city towards footballs fans and officials. I remember finding an elderly Chinese journalist wandering along Penistone Road on his way to the train station in the city centre, several miles away, lugging his laptop bag and suitcase. I was just a fan then, but was happy to play an embassador role for my home town and give a warmly-received lift to the station.

I cannot imagine, with all these warnings of potential flash points and vigilance, that many visiting fans or media would accept a lift from a local stranger on a murky evening in downtown Ukraine.

Let us just hope that come this year’s final on July 1 at the Olympic Stadium in Kyiv, Ukraine, all the memories of Euro 2012 will be on the pitch and not off it.

England kick-off the tournament next Monday against France in Donetsk, where they also play joint-hosts Ukraine on June 19. In between, they must travel to Kyiv on June 15 to face Sweden.

The Foreign Office reports that visits to Poland and Ukraine are normally “trouble free” for British citizens.

Last year, 70,100 British nationals visited Ukraine and there were just a handful of cases where consular assistance was required. Five were deaths, seven hospitalisations, four detentions and 17 lost or stolen passports. Hardly an epidemic crime spot then, compared to a summer on the party island of Ibiza, but the football will bring associated problems.

That is why the Foreign Office will be providing consular help in all the cities where England play, and they warn fans to to be aware of accommodation shortages and poor travel options between hosting cities.

“Plan your travel carefully to and from the matches,” says a Foreign Office statement.

“Distances between venue cities are significant and road conditions can be poor, so driving times may be much longer than you first expect. If possible, avoid driving at night in Ukraine. Accommodation is at a premium, so you may want to consider booking well in advance.”

While racism is likely to be a problem this summer – Theo Walcott’s family have already said they will not travel to watch the Arsenal winger due to fears over their safety – the Foreign Office are also warning against corruption – “a major problem in Ukraine” – and homophobic attacks.

This comes after a Gay Pride Parade in Kyiv last month was cancelled by organisers, on the advice of police.

A Foreign Office statement read: “Although homosexuality is legal in Ukraine, public attitudes are less tolerant than in the UK and public displays of affection may attract negative attention.

“There is no provision under Ukrainian legislation guaranteeing freedom from discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and there has recently been an increase in hostility towards the LGBT community.

“On the advice of the police, organisers cancelled a Gay Pride Parade in Kyiv, scheduled to take place on 20 May 2012.

“Anti-parade protesters disrupted the press-conference with tear gas and two organisers were attacked and hospitalised.

“A bill ‘prohibiting propaganda of homosexuality towards children’ is currently under consideration in the Rada (Parliament).

“Corruption remains a major problem in Ukraine. If you think you have been mistreated by an official body then you should report your case to the police or State Officials.”

It all adds up to a daunting month ahead for English football fans, who just want to watch their country play football. It makes a Saturday away trip to Millwall seem like a jaunt in the park.

If, like me, you enjoy flag-spotting on TV as you pick out St George’s flags with names of local football clubs emblazoned on them, then it appears like we might have to look a little bit harder over the coming weeks.

As an England fan, I just hope the tournament passes off peacefully and supporters return home safely.

As for Mr Hodgson and his team, I doubt they will need extra luggage on their return to carry home the trophy, but the new manager will certainly have a short honeymoon period if results are not instant.

Good luck Roy.