Don't mention the war!

England fans in full voice.

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As England fans prepare for next summer's World Cup in Germany, soccer chiefs want "offensive" songs to be verboten - that's forbidden to the non-German speakers amongst us.

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The countdown to the World Cup in Germany has begun with this plaintive cry - Nur kein Wort vom Kreig - or as Basil Fawlty famously put it, "don't mention the war!"

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Whenever the national team plays, and particularly when our opponents are Germany, the terraces ring to the themes from The Dambusters and The Great Escape.

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The history of victories, both on and off the pitch is summed up rather neatly in possibly the England fans' favourite chant "Two world wars and one world cup!"

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For the next World Cup, soccer officials are hoping that we will have peace in our time in the stands. Leading England stars, such as David Beckham and Michael Owen have recorded video messages to be played before matches, urging supporters to respect the host nation and not sing well known war themes.

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Of particular to concern to the FA is a chant sung to the tune of "She'll be coming round the mountain", which starts "There were ten German bombers in the sky" and is followed by "The RAF from England shot one down" etc.

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Another favourite, sung when England play nations that were occupied by the Germans, goes "If it wasn't for the English you'd be Krauts". ( They really should not forget the Scots who provided some of the best fighting regiments in the UK)

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FA Chief Executive Brian Barwick said "There is this one chant about ten German bombers. In the context of where the tournament is, we'd like to ask supporters to question the logic of singing that, because we've moved a great distance and we'd like to continue the progress."

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Well yes indeed, Britain and our allies moved great distances across Europe in 1944/5 and at great cost, to free the peoples of Europe so they can damn well play football as free men.

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Addionally, Mr Barwick, we could allow our patriotic football supporters to continue honouring the memory of our war dead, particularly the heroes of 616 Squadron and let them pay tribute to the 53 men who did not return in May 1943. Or the fifty RAF aircrew who were shot following their heroic great escape from a POW camp.

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Perhaps when the question is asked in modern day reunified Germany about the background to the tunes and what they mean there will be some reawakening of the awareness of the details of the events. If it upsets the corporate world of football in so doing - tough.

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It is understandable that the Germans would like to forget the wars; they lost but not before their forbearers massacred many millions of fellow Europeans.

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International Football is about national pride. Whilst any form of racial abuse is foul and offensive in the extreme, reference to recent national history is natural. Those that wish to dicourage reference to 'nasty Germans' should consider whether in so doing they are trying to bury the nasty realities of Fascism.