On the face of it, somebody commenting on the rioting in Marseille from New England may appear a tad odd.

But when it comes to football riots my credentials are pretty solid, having been the Telegraph’s “rotter”, or sports news reporter, for some years.

Following England’s cultural ambassadors around Europe has seen me enter Albania via a trough of sheep dip at the airport, dodge bottles and missiles in assorted places including the ruck to end all rucks in Munich in September 2001.

Yet the nearest I came to serious harm during my time on the Telegraph – and I have been thrown out of Serbia and covered a coup in Haiti – was in Trafalgar Square after England lost to Germany in Euro 1996.

So in short, I have few illusions about the behaviour about England’s travelling support. But I am also very uneasy about Uefa’s response and its whitewashing of the behaviour of the French hooligans and police tactics.