It was a case of the lull after the storm in Charleroi last night as for the second time in four days the Belgian town prepared to host an England Euro 2000 game. Unlike on Saturday, when the atmosphere prior to the England v Germany game had been tense, the pre-match ambience prior to last night's England v Romania game was much more relaxed.
In the central Place Charles II, scene of last Saturday's disturbances, English fans sat around enjoying the sunshine, the beer and an eclectic concert which featured traditional accordion playing as well as a local U2-style megawatt rock band.
A police spokesman, Maj Michel Rompen, apparently satisfied with the atmosphere, said: "Things are quiet today. We haven't changed our tactics. My men are all around the square, out of sight now but not far away if we need them . . . but I hope we don't." He added with a grin: "Of course, I hope England win tonight."
The major's pro-England enthusiasm had nothing to do with footballing considerations but everything to do with law and order concerns. Unhappy English fans were more likely to cause him and his 2,600-strong force the sort of problems which marred the build-up to Saturday's game.
A repetition of those scenes could have serious repercussions for English soccer since it would almost certainly prompt European soccer's ruling body, UEFA, to act on its threat, issued in Liege on Sunday, to expel England from the tournament if fans continued to provoke disturbances.
In the hope, however, that things would pass off peacefully, Charleroi was determined to put on a brave face yesterday. Nearly all the shop windows broken by hooligans on Saturday night had been replaced. Moreover, any shopkeeper not adequately covered for damages by his own insurance was protected by a special £20 million policy taken out by Charleroi City Council.
The burghers of Charleroi had been determined to greet the English fans with open arms, open shops and, above all, open bars. However, even they, as the consistency of the municipal insurance policy indicates, had been prepared for the worse.
Charleroi's involvement in the tournament ended last night but they might be about to hand over the baton of "fan trouble" to the capital Brussels, whose resident Turkish and North African communities seem to have been stirred by the off-the-field action.
England has not only taught the world how to play football, it has also taught it hooliganism. On the playing field, non-English apprentices have long since far outstripped their English masters. The fatal stabbing of two Leeds United supporters in Istanbul last April served as a reminder that, on the hooligan front too, the apprentices have learned much.