German authorities were taking aggressive steps to ease any tensions amongst football fans, especially as the Euro 2024 campaign progressed. They urged English supporters to stop singing their version of the problematic “Ten German Bombers.” Gelsenkirchen authorities said the song could trigger hostilities between supporters of both countries and build unnecessary tension in the aftermath of England’s opening group game against Serbia.
The police chief of Gelsenkirchen, Peter Both, announced clearly and bluntly: “Don’t be a dick!” This, of course, after football authorities and officials like Garreth Southgate asked fans to stop the chant. Still, the appearance of this chant in matches has been continuously witnessed, for example, during one recent friendly recently between England and Bosnia and Herzegovina. As Both and others emphasize, though the song is not illegal according to German laws, it may insult people and result in superfluous provocations during the tournament.
The “Ten German Bombers” Chant History
The “Ten German Bombers” chant is sung to the melody of the classic song She’ll Be Coming Round the Mountain. The song’s lyrics connect to World War II dogfighting, with each verse indicating German planes being shot down by the Royal Air Force. It begins like this: “There were ten German bombers in the air, and the RAF from the UK shot one down.” By the end of the song, there are no bombers left in the skies. It was popularized in the 1980s within football circles as a taunt, most particularly against German teams or fans.
The chant is a raw reminder of World War II, especially with the bombing campaigns by the Luftwaffe and the role of the RAF in Britain’s defense. It has long been associated with English football, but this recent resurgence in international games brought with it renewed attention and criticism. To many Germans, the chant recalls a very painful time in history; although some brush off its rude humor, others find it disrespecting and provocatively pointless.
Why Is “Ten German Bombers” Offensive?
To a great number of Germans, the song “Ten German Bombers” represents much more than some harmless jibe; a recollection of when their nation was the cause of many reprehensible acts is something they wish to forget, such as the bombings that took place in many cities of the country during World War II. Cologne, Frankfurt, and Gelsenkirchen were some of the cities to go under devastating Allied bombings, resulting in thousands of civilian casualties. It, therefore, makes the chanting go deep in the hearts of those who have direct family connections to the war or some kind of national pride for overcoming those troubled times.
The chants are, at best, in poor taste and, at worst, highly provocative, given that Germany has made so many amends to distance itself from its Nazi past and has such good relations with other nations, including the UK. By the same token, German football fans generally avoid patriotic songs that might be linked to wartime nationalism and instead use other chants to praise the game itself.
To the English fans, the chant could be the last vestige of football hooliganism, the era in the 1980s when the beautiful game was marked by outright violence and nationalism. Yet despite alleged attempts to reform the image of English fans abroad, songs such as “Ten German Bombers” remain the stain on that reputation. In truth, many people believe it is a kind of lyrical presentation of football hooliganism, in which fans use annoying chants to irritate their opponents.
The Power of Chanting
The rising adoption of the “Ten German Bombers” shout pushed football officials to take a more forceful response. In 2017, Gareth Southgate attacked the song as “completely unacceptable,” and yet it has remained a staple of certain sections of fans. England’s Football Association has even threatened bans for those who continue to sing it. Yet despite these warnings, footage of fans singing the chant in Germany has already emerged, with Euro 2024 on the horizon.
The problem is greater than that of embarrassment, however. As spokesmen for the UK Football Policing Unit have warned, singing “Ten German Bombers” in German cities could result in fines or other penalties. More significantly, it raises tension among fans, turning what should be a celebration of the beautiful game into a reminiscent awareness of historical conflicts.
German police have indicated that though the chant itself is not criminal, public order would quickly be disrupted if the chant spread throughout the tournament. As Peter Both noted, the risk of “heightened hostility” is very real, especially for cities like Frankfurt and Cologne, which were heavily bombed during World War II.
A Reflection of Hooliganism
The “Ten German Bombers” chant reflects a persistent character in English football culture that may be connected back to 1980s hooliganism. Back then, hooligans applied nationalistic songs and chants to scare others. Today, while the physical violence associated with hooliganism has diminished, the provocative behavior from some sets of fans remains a thorn in the side of English football’s international reputation.
But chants such as “Ten German Bombers” symbolize a kind of nostalgia for an imagined rivalry from another era. As Southgate said, the war was almost 80 years ago, and both countries have long since moved into a phase of reconciliation. Yet, for a section of English supporters, the act of singing about wartime victories remains something to be proud of.
If the FA and other governing bodies wish to eradicate hooliganism from the English game once and for all, then leniency cannot be shown towards such chants. International Football Tournaments should be remembered for all the right reasons, fans should be encouraged to enjoy the game rather than create dividation, so that relationships between different countries remain friendly.
Should the Chant Be Banned?
While the “Ten German Bombers” chant is not illegal in Germany, the offensive nature of it cannot be denied. It makes a sport like football, which should bind people from different backgrounds and nations together, break that very spirit. The chant perhaps does not result in physical violence as it used to earlier, but it is a certain form of verbal hooliganism that has no place in modern football.
It is hard to ban such a chant because of the history behind it, but it is time for the English fans to come to terms with just how hurtful the chants are. If football is to move on, then chants like “Ten German Bombers” are best left in the past with the conflicts they commemorate. This calls for a need, therefore, for soccer authorities, fans, and players to continue to push for a culture of respect and mutual enjoyment so that football can keep being a universal language of joy and not division.
