Socialist Party (England & Wales) member Kevin Miles is the International Co-ordinator for the Football Supporters Federation - the fans official spokesperson. He is in Germany at the moment, with the "Fan's Embassy".

John Reid, author of Reclaim the Game, interviewed Kevin for The Socialist.

JR: In England there's been an outcry about real England fans not being able to get tickets. What's your general impression about the price and method of distribution of tickets?

KM: Sadly it's as much of a problem now as it has been over the last few tournaments. FIFA show no sign of getting wise to it. Something like 40% of all World Cup tickets are given to sponsors, hospitality packages and non-competing football associations. In other words they're not available for fans directly from FIFA at face value.

That doesn't mean that they don't end up in the hands of fans. What it means is that those fans have to pay hundreds of pounds from touts because those sectors are, in our experience, the biggest source of tickets on the black market. The asking price for a ticket for the England-Trinidad game was €600.

The black market is an outrage and it exploits people's love for the game. Most of the black market ticket deals aren't an individual offloading a ticket but are activities by organised gangs.

But all the measures FIFA have talked about for combating the black market are aimed at punishing the end user. They're aimed at preventing the person who has actually paid out the money for the ticket getting into the stadium.

By definition, every ticket on the black market is a ticket which has been originally supplied by FIFA to somebody who is more interested in making money than watching a football match. That's the essence of the black market.

Very few tickets bought by England fans through official channels find their way onto the black market. Genuine football fans wouldn't part with them for love nor money.

Microcosm

There was a microcosm of the whole black market problem at the Togo Korea game. McDonalds had been running competitions for tickets but no flights or accommodation, so many people didn't pick up the tickets they'd won.

McDonalds realised they'd got hundreds of tickets left. Their official policy is for the reps to go into town to the McDonalds restaurant and give the tickets to staff.

But what they actually did was distribute the tickets in the town. The touts were the first to get their hands on those tickets and walk 100 yards down the road and knock them out for £200.

It's proof that sponsors get too many tickets, proof that they don't really care what happens to them, proof that tickets go to the touts and proof that the touts make a fortune out of it.

JR: The general impression back here is that there's a good atmosphere amongst the fans . Is this true?

KM: The atmosphere is very very very good. In my experience the biggest single factor in whether a tournament passes off peacefully or not is the policing. Inevitably with big crowds, you're going to get all sorts. And some people drink more than is sensible.

The crucial thing is whether the police deal with the one or two minor incidents as minor incidents and keep it that way and have a relaxed approach to everybody else, or whether they escalate things into confrontations with whole groups. So far the German police have had a relaxed approach.

There's a lot of England fans just sick of the reputation that we had and in particular sick of the consequences - fairly brutal policing and suspicion and hostility everywhere we went. That was a reputation won by bad behaviour in the past but the bad behaviour was only ever by a small minority. Over the last few years we've seen a much broader range of people following the English national team.

JR: It's not my view but a lot of people think behaviour has improved because the make up of the fans is more middle class. What's your view?

KM: There is a broader base of England supporters. But the working-class support for the team remains. People said of the last World Cup that Japan was so expensive to get to that you only got nice respectable middle class people travelling. So that was the reason for the good behaviour.

But to get a ticket for the World Cup in Japan through the English FA you had to qualify on their loyalty system. So the people who got the tickets had been to all the qualifying matches.

There were smaller numbers because a lot of people couldn't afford to go. But this is their holiday, this is what they save up for. The World Cup every four years is the big one.

JR: In England the St George's flag is flying not just amongst white working-class people but even small sections of black and Asian people. What's your view on that?

KM: The St George's cross has now been firmly wrested away from the far right. The idea that English national identity has to be nationalistic, xenophobic and racist has completely gone now.

I'm standing looking on the square in Nuremberg. While most of the England fans are still white I can see Asians who are England fans and there's a lot of women.

The white working-class men are still here supporting England but the fan base has definitely moved beyond that. Football fans reflect all the other trends in society and there will be racists among the white English fans. But the idea that they're rallying around the St George's flag supporting the far right has gone.

In the years I've been doing this the atmosphere has become more open-minded and friendly. It also develops over the course of the tournament.

At the first game, people are getting used to the idea of being abroad and mixing with other fans. That's when they tend to keep their national identity. But as the tournament goes on you get more mixing of the fans and people get more relaxed, particularly when they're not encountering hostility all the time.

At the same time you have people's strongest identification with their nationality and yet more interaction with other nationalities than they do at any other stage of their lives.

JR: How is the Fans Embassy going?

KM: Really well, it gets more and more popular support as we go along. The idea that it's an independent organisation by fans for fans, providing advice and information, has become enormously popular.

The reason it's trusted by supporters is because it's entirely independent. They know they can come to talk to us whoever they are.

Reclaim the Game: The death of the people's game & the great Premier League swindle - By John Reid Football came from the masses; many League clubs were formed by workers. To ensure the survival of every club we must fight to reclaim the game. This new edition published by Socialist Publications in 2005. (84 pages paperback. Seventh edition) You can read selected chapters online by clicking here. Ordering Info: £5stg including postage and packing Buy online: Reclaim the Game Or available from Socialist Books, PO Box 24697, London, E11 1YD Or phone: (++44) (0)20 8988 8789. E- mail: bookshop@socialistparty.org.uk

As every living being in Europe will have understood, last week the world cup started in Germany.

The football virus is spreading over the world, especially through the countries of southern Europe and South America. Although for many people this is an occasion to appreciate quality sport on a world stage and to party, for every football supporter, myself included, it is also interesting to look behind the spectacle, and observe this event from a more political context. This is particularly the case when we look at the effect of the tournament on a country like Portugal which appears to dissolve completely whenever the national team plays a game.

Just as in most Mediterranean countries, Portugal has not caught up with the rest of the European Union, either socially or politically. The economic crisis is devastating, with the European Central Bank maintaining its perspective of zero growth for Portugal while unemployment has spiralled over the last few years. With an average salary of €400 per month, it is difficult for the bosses to put forward the idea in Portugal, as they do in other Western European countries that the main problem with the economy is lack of competitiveness and high wages.

But this doesn’t hold back the bosses from taking their production and capital to other countries with even lower salary levels. This is particularly the case for Portugal’s most important industry; textiles. Factories are relocating to the east in their quest for even higher profits. But the textile sector isn’t an exception. Last week, General Motors decided to close its production in Portugal and as a result 1800 workers will lose their jobs.

On top of this, Portugal is led by a social democratic government that shows no sign of breaking with the neoliberal policies of their colleagues in the rest of Europe. The government of the ‘Partido Socialista’, in power for only one year, is already widely known as the most anti-working class government since the Portuguese revolution of 1974. It seems like no social conquest is safe from its right wing attacks: Decreasing pensions, cut backs in the public sector, on education, in social security, in the health service…

This government has gone so far that the right-wing capitalist Partido Social Democrata (PSD) at its yearly congress stated that they had problems in differentiating themselves from the PS-government since the latter were implementing all their policies and programme. This government has taken the road of the most open neo-liberal policies to an extent never done before in the history of the Portuguese republic.

Last month the government announced the closure of one third of all maternity clinics, especially the ones in the centre of the country. From now on, a lot of pregnant mothers will have to travel more than 80 kilometres to give birth to their child. The list of government decisions continues with a frontal attack on the teachers – now those teachers who don’t have more than five years teaching experience will lose the opportunity of ever having a fixed contract. And finally, Portugal doesn’t escape the Bologna reforms in education either.

Of course this doesn’t pass without protest. May and the beginning of July were marked by tens of demonstrations. Last Tuesday, for example, there was a national day of struggle of FenProf, the largest education union, bringing 10 000 people together in Lisbon calling for the resignation education minister. There were also many protests against the closure of maternity clinics, demonstrations of public sector workers and of textile workers against the closure of their factories. This will conclude in a national strike called for 15 of July, supported by both UGT and CGTP, Portuguese two largest union federations.

History teaches us what methods the ruling class uses in these situations. As a result of the huge danger which the revolution posed in Portugal in 1974 when capitalism the skin of its teeth, reforms were granted to the working class. However, capitalism can no longer afford these and the ruling class has launched brutal neo-liberal attacks to protect its profits. This has gone hand in hand with an increasing monopolisation of the economy partially comparable with the situation of that existed here in the 1920s and 30s.

The favourite method of the bosses to try to control the situation, is to whip up nationalism, and try to portray the Portugal as united and without any internal frictions let alone class antagonisms. As if the whole future of the country depends on every Portuguese person uniting behind the green and red national flag.

The president of the republic for example, standing shoulder to shoulder with the national coach, called on all “patriots” to put flags everywhere. Every home, even nearly every window, every lantern or tree, every antenna or car has been decorated with the national flag over the last month. Besides the fact that the national government is trying to spread nationalism, it seems that they’ve got good relations with a few flag-making companies.

And so it goes on; it seems that even parliamentary democracy must bow down to this government-supported “football-nationalism”. Parliamentary activities are cancelled on the day Portugal is playing. All games of the national team are attended by the prime minister, the president and Portugal’s president of European Commission Barrosso… As ‘heads of the nation’, they are asked every game for comments in the national press.

Besides the promotion of nationalism, football is also used to keep peoples attention away from the real problems in the country. Left intellectuals used to say that football in Portugal has replaced religion as the opium of the people. This idea is basically true – The bosses try to hide reality behind the results of the Portuguese football team.

It is more than 2000 years old, but as it was in Roman times, the most accurate recipe against protest still remains: Bread and Circus…

I can hardly call myself the greatest football fan alive. However, I used to be football crazy when I was little and I still remember the excitement of the 1982 World Cup in Madrid; my first "conscious" world football event.

I knew all the players of the German team by the numbers on their shirts and I remember jumping up and down in front of the telly in despair when Uli Stieleke missed the penalty in the semi-finals against France. So obviously, I can understand every football fan's excitement for the World Cup and I also understand their desire to go and see one of the games in the stadium.

But this is where the trouble starts for many ordinary and international football supporters. What is meant to be an event for the mass of the population turns out to be one of the most pro-big business orientated and commercialised events I can possibly imagine.

Ordinary working-class people stand very little chance of getting one of the desirable tickets for any of the games at the Cup. They have to pay money and undergo some "thorough questioning"- allegedly for security reasons - for the 'privilege' of having their names entered in a sort of ticket raffle.

Ironically, some fan organisations estimate that there could be as many as 70,000 vacant seats as 70,000 "hospitality tickets", worth €170 million - €2,400 per ticket - are not likely to be sold.

The International Football Association, FIFA, which better fits the description of a giant corporation, is estimated to receive €1.7 billion in income compared to €580 million in expenditure. Selling TV licenses/broadcasting rights and settling exclusive commercial deals are paying off for this gigantic corporation. It even went to court to try and make sure that bakeries could not use the name World Cup 2006 in, for example, "Word Cup" rolls. This gigantic profit bonanza contrasts with the €40 million in public money which will be spent every day of the Cup on top of the €1.2 billion in public money already spent.

Not surprisingly, big business sees the World Cup and everything around it as an opportunity to make big money.

Wherever such a "possibility" exists, the sex industry is not far away. According to a devastating and revealing article in the Guardian (30 May) the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women (CATW) estimates that an extra 40,000 women will be "imported" into Germany [where prostitution has officially been legalised since 2001]. In Berlin, a 3,000 square metre mega-brothel has been built next to the main World Cup venue which is designed to take as many as 650 "customers" at any one time.

As a woman and a socialist, opposed to prostitution, I must say that this is a disgusting and infuriating scenario. There cannot be a more graphic illustration of how people and women in particular are treated as commodities in a capitalist society.

Also, it is possible, if not most likely, that many of the so-called 'imported' women will be trafficked, illegal and under age and therefore in no position to defend themselves against violence from pimps or 'customers'.

Adrian Cooper, a Football Association (FA) spokesperson is quoted as saying "It is not the concern of the FA if fans go to brothels ... we need to remember we are a football, not a social, body".

Given FIFA's attitude about making profits, this approach does not come as a surprise. Why should we rely on big business to check another big industry? Some critical fan organisations have taken up the issue and so have some women's organisations.

However, I believe if we are to reclaim the game - on all levels - then the trade union movement internationally needs to take up the issue. They are still the strongest organisation of the working class and have the responsibility to make sure that the World Cup turns out to be what most fans want it to be: a truly exciting and enjoyable international event where the 2006 motto "The world: at home with friends" is not an empty phrase which leaves a bitter taste.

Our TV screens, newspapers and advertising hoardings are full of the World Cup. One of the world's biggest sporting occasions is only days away. I can't wait. The opportunity to see some of the world's best players for a month is a mouth-watering prospect..

This tournament is being shown in 189 countries and is likely to attract an audience of five billion. Three million fans are expected to arrive in Germany.

Clearly with such a global audience major companies are lining up to make the most of the opportunities, spending $16 billion on advertising. No wonder companies are prepared to pay this when, for example, Adidas expect to sell $1.5 billion of footballing merchandise this year.

The impact of the World Cup on New York when USA hosted the event in 1994 was an extra $452m in revenue. But it's more than just the money to be made by those companies directly involved in the World Cup.

Electrical retailer Curry's is selling flat-screen TV's at the rate of one every 15 seconds and has seen sales of these increase by 92% year on year. With these companies set to make a fortune, Mastercard have got exclusive rights inside all the World Cup stadia.

What about the fans? About 100,000 England fans are expected to head to Germany yet only 8% of the stadia's capacities at the three group games are being made available to the fans (about 4,000 to 5,000 for each game).

Of the three million tickets available, a million have been given to the sponsors. Whilst officially the cheapest prices start at e35, tickets for the group games are already swapping hands at over $1,000. Tickets for the final are already being sold for around $3,000.

England's opening group game with Paraguay underlines the disparities in the world game. The press are full of stories of the £100,000 plus a week wages that players in the premiership get. In Paraguay, players in the top division get paid £105 a month or less. In the four English professional leagues there are big disparities in wages with players in league one and two being paid around the average wage in the UK.

The World Cup underlines how football is dominated by big business whether it's through the super-exploitation of workers who produce the boots and kits for companies like Adidas and Nike or the sponsorship deals agreed with Coca Cola.

The enormous amount of money in football should be used for the benefit of everyone who plays and watches football through affordable ticket prices for spectators, It should also be used to vastly improve the quality of facilities at every level.

For every one Ronaldhino, how many potential Ronaldinhos are there who never get the chance to develop their talents because of lack of facilities. Taking football out of the hands of big business, would see the World Cup develop as a real celebration of world football.

Sports fans look forward to the world cup that takes place every four years. The greatest players and teams compete for what is considered the greatest prize in soccer. This championship comes only second in scale to the Olympics.

With up to four matches a day the tournament dominates television coverage and is a topic of conversation in workplaces, homes, schools and colleges.

Sport does not occur in a bubble. Capitalism’s rule of profit exists in sport. We can clearly see this at the world cup.

FIFA, the world football federation that organises the competition, is a very corrupt body. Its top officials receive generous kick-backs and bribes from big business. Votes at FIFA congresses are openly bought. The decision to hold the current world cup in Germany was subject to much controversy when votes were changed in the last minute by delegates against the wishes of their home associations. The FIFA president Seth Blather put envelopes under the doors of delegates before his election.

FIFA, which is based in Switzerland, is currently under investigation by the Swiss authorities for corrupt practices. Corrupt bureaucrats run many local football associations. The leaders of the North American federation, CONCACAF, have recently been exposed. The head of this federation is living a luxurious lifestyle due to bribes he receives for contracts. He has even used his position in the Trinidad and Tobago association to give contracts and exclusive world cup tickets a travel agency owned by members of his family

Multinational companies make massive profits from exclusive rights relating to the world cup. Advertising, television rights, corporate tickets and sponsorship bring in massive money. For example Budweiser is the ‘official beer’ and they deny all other drinks companies access to world cup events.

The world cup is used for political purposes. Nationalism is whipped up by many in the media and political establishment when the national team is in the world cup. For example in England ‘Rule Britannia’ and ‘God Save the Queen’ are played at matches to boost English nationalism. The most rabid chauvinism can be seen in the tabloid press. Matches are portrayed as a continuation of past imperial wars and terms such as ‘krauts’, ‘huns’ or ‘argies’ are used to describe opponents. Of course it is not only the English establishment that does this. Most states participating have nationalism and chauvanism whipped up in some form or other. Ireland is no stranger to nationalism and sectarianism in sports.

Socialists stand for sport that is free of corruption, corporate interests, nationalism and sectarianism. The control of sports at all levels should be in the hands of the players and fans. Socialists stand for using the massive wealth that exists in society for investment in sports at a grassroots level, in schools and communities. The large football clubs should be taken away from big business and put in the hands of the local community, it’s workers, and it’s fans to be democratically run. Socialists stand for a world soccer tournament that is not used as an opportunity to make super profits by exploiting players and fans. Instead it should be about the enjoyment of top quality football.