ABSTRACT
English fans on the organised trips to Spain were located at hotels, hostales and campsites right along the Cantabrian coast. The Spanish press were keen to chart the difference between the English and French contingents. Officers of the Policia Nacional were in evidence in large numbers around the San Mames stadium for all of England's matches in Bilbao. According to Deia, 6,000 pesetas was a common price to pay for a match ticket on the black market, although around the ground there was evidence of cheaper transactions. The nationalistic fervour among the English generated by the Falklands conflict, later to be supplemented by increasing concern over the Gibraltar issue, resulted in some unexpectedly respectful receptions for the national anthems of their opponents. The Policia Nacional maintained a high profile inside San Mames, with officers in full riot gear stationed with dogs at the front of the terraced sections.
