Grant Ellis's World Cup diary: part 4

South Africa is, as I’m sure you’re aware, known as the Rainbow Nation but it’s taken my experiences here at the World Cup to understand just how accurate a statement that really is. True, you’d expect there to be lots of support for good old England and for the Dutch too bearing in mind the roots of this place, but that frankly just scratches the surface.

For example, I didn’t realise there was such a big Portuguese community here – apparently a good number came here about 50 years ago, although I’m still not exactly sure what the catalyst was. And then there’s the French and the Germans, with their colonial histories in neighbouring countries, a good number of whom have trouped down here, along with large numbers of their former colonists too.

Take Gaston for example. He’s the security guard who looks after the small estate of four houses where we live. He’s originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo – a French speaker, who, according to his account at any rate, has been a teacher in Marseilles, a soldier for the DRC (where he was stationed in North Korea, of all places, for five years) and a professional boxer! Not bad going for a guy in his mid 30s with a wife and five kids who’s names he sometimes forgets!

When we were just about to come over here, he sent me a text saying he was looking forward to seeing me and could I please bring him a French team shirt to aid his support of them! I went one better and took him with us to their opening game with Uruguay – a dreadful nil-nil draw. Needless to say he’s very unhappy about France’s early ignominious exit.

So, when planning where to watch England v Germany in a bar in Cape Town, we turned down the suggestion of the German Brauhouse at the V&A in favour of the ‘Fireman’s Arms’ – described in the guide books as an English bar. In such an environment, we were sure to be surrounded by loads of England supporters, weren’t we?

Well, not really, as it turns out. The place was heaving, but only about 40% of the attendants were supporting England. I was surrounded by German supporters, with just one other England fan standing next to me – a huge South African who’s dad and uncle had both played for West Ham in the 1970s. However, as his mother was German (she called him up at half-time to gloat), even he had split loyalties!

You know the result, so I won’t dwell on it, but think on this. There was zero trouble after the game here, despite all the drink-fuelled fury at the referee and England’s dismal display. The atmosphere was friendly, with rival sets of fans congratulating/consoling each other at the end of the game, and even buying one another drinks!

Can you imagine a bar in Southern Spain with a German/English mixed audience? I dread to think what would have happened.

And that’s what’s been so great about this World Cup – the opportunity to mix with fans from other nations, to engage in friendly banter, showing your support but at the same time being able to enjoy a laugh with your rivals without the fear of any sort of trouble ensuing. I’ve been to dozens of football matches in my time and I cannot remember anywhere where I have felt as safe or at ease.

On Saturday, I’m going to the quarter-final between Germany and Argentina with two South Africans of German extraction, and a German national! So having said all that, I think to be on the safe side, I’d better cheer for Germany too!

Auf Wiedersehen (for now anyway).

Grant Ellis is chairman of The Broker Network.