"What we're seeing is that those that pose a risk of disorder are kept at home through the imposition of football banning orders," he added, referring to the 3,143 people banned from travelling for the duration of the tournament.

"That has allowed people to travel here that perhaps wouldn't have considered it if they thought there were risks of disorder. I have spoken to dozens and dozens of fans and there are loads of husbands and wives, fathers and sons, couples who have come away with friends for a holiday combined with the football."

O RLY?

They seem to be placing the credit for this squarely on police measures allowing for an extant cultural shift to flourish.

I think there certainly has been a cultural shift around football in the last decade, and it's a very good thing too, but whether it's sufficient to explain this phenomenon is ... hmmm ... unclear.

What's more likely?

• A cultural shift combined-with and encouraged-by police practices has eradicated the violent minority among the England support.

• A cultural shift and police practices combined with the tournament being held in South Africa mean that:

  • Vast numbers of the less-well-off fans are priced-out.

  • The racist element is uncomfortable with the idea of finding themselves in a country which, despite being 'the rainbow nation', is overwhelmingly black.

  • The disruptive element is a tad unwilling to test South African law enforcement's somewhat 'untimorous' approach to policing violent incidents.

We saw a similar type of thing in Japan: No trouble. Then the Euros in Portugal: Trouble, albeit of a lower magnitude than in previous years.

Call me cynical if you must, but I think I'll wait for Poland/Ukraine before believing the welcome shift is a permanent thing.

Also ...

Unruly Kiwis. Unruly. Kiwis. Unruly. Kiwis.

I didn't know they had it in them. Does not compute ...