At least the supporters have restored England's reputation

What with the poor football, dodgy substitutes and whingeing players leaking stuff to the red tops, we've found it difficult to really get behind the England team this tournament.

Before Sunday's debacle against Germany, I had raised just enough hope to think they might be able to do something in this World Cup, only to see my optimism ripped to shreds by those pesky Germans. Rubbish.

My hurt was not at the sight of Messrs Lampard, Terry and Rooney trudging home, but at the exit of England because of what the fans have added to the World Cup experience in South Africa.

Fans streamed out of the bar on the Durban beachfront where we were watching Sunday's match long before the final whistle, as the German supporters slowly took over. The English fans will be missed.

Alongside the United States, Australia, Holland and Germany, England has been one of the best represented countries in South Africa.

Before the tournament, our reputation certainly preceded us.

The police presence around towns where England played was huge, in Cape Town and Port Elizabeth they even employed those massive bullet-proof riot control tanks on the road.

Radio stations had reported the likelihood of fans rioting and I was asked repeatedly about hooligans by many young, mainly Afrikaans men in bars.

But the reality has been totally different.

We have seen fans of all ages from right across the country over here and hardly anyone behaving out of line.

It was not the case in Germany four years ago, when some of the fans we saw made our toes curl as they hurled bottles and roared songs about the Second World War.

The papers here have even branded the English supporters the 'Smarmy Army', saying they are more likely to be seen eating tapas and sushi and sipping on a glass of chilled chardonnay than scoffing 12 burgers and downing a pint.

But from what I've seen this isn't the case.

The money involved has stopped a lot from coming but there are plenty of normal fans I have met who have saved up for years and made huge sacrifices to get to this tournament.

I think it is this which has tempered the behaviour of our fans.

For most, this is the trip of a lifetime and nobody wants to spend it banged up in a prison cell.

So while England's route one football will hardly be missed in South Africa, our fans most definitely will.

A re-enactment of the match between England and Germany, this time with fans at 4am, has left me with a few bruised bones and a painfully twisted ankle.

Luckily, I've got four years to recover.

Joe Shute is a football fan in South Africa. Writing for the Yorkshire Post website, he gives his unique take on the World Cup in the Rainbow Nation. Read his blog at www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/

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