The worst face of English football wasn’t just apparent in Leicester Square and online yesterday. And it wasn’t just post-match after the penalty shootout loss when online racists took to their keyboards.<\/h2>\n

The scenes around Wembley were alarming and had been more than five hours before kick-off.<\/p>\n

As early as 3pm, there were inebriate young males throwing lit flares into in the air disinterested in where they landed. Empty beer cans were reckless enough but a full can of Stella landed two feet away from me. As it hit the ground, beer fizzled out the top but had it landed six inches in any other direction, it would have resulted in something infinitely more serious.<\/p>\n

A not so young England fan who accompanied me thought he had seen it all until a lit flare landed centimetres from his right foot and told me “we’re turning back. This is too dangerous”. This was 4pm. And these people had four hours more drinking to do.<\/p>\n

Wembley Way was packed by 4pm. This did not feel like a 65,000 crowd. It felt like full capacity or even more. I’d estimate it was three times as busy as the same area had been two hours before the Denmark kick off.<\/p>\n

The atmosphere was toxic and so different from the earlier games at Wembley. Whereas Danish and England fans had mingled peacefully, any Italy fans had hidden their colours. Wisely as it turned out. Even the Scotland game was far more peaceful and less tense than this.<\/p>\n

There were 30 fans standing on the canopy that shelters those at the front of the queues of the Box Park entrance. It looked likely to collapse under the weight. Had it done so, the occupants would have fallen on at least 30 other people below. It was a miracle that it was cleared of idiots in time before a tragedy occurred. Drunks were climbing traffic lights and street lights.<\/p>\n