England supporters spent the early hours of Tuesday morning drinking in the bars of Volgograd, as the team’s first game at the tournament went off without trouble, despite fears before the tournament.

England were cheered on to a 2-1 win against Tunisia by a much smaller contingent of supporters than usual for a major tournament, with poisonous bilateral relations and the fears of a repeat of the violence in Marseille two years ago putting many fans off making the trip. But those who came were almost uniformly positive about the experience so far. At a central Volgograd bar in the early hours of Tuesday, Craig and Tommy, two Sunderland fans, were practising Russian phrases with obliging locals and said they had spent three days in “fantastic” Volgograd, bonding with the locals and taking military history tours.

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“We’re sick of people talking about trouble. If you’re respectful there won’t be any problems,” said Tommy.

The tournament is taking place amid unprecedented tension between London and Moscow, and the Foreign Office has been strongly critical of Russian authorities in the wake of the poisoning of Sergei Skripal in Salisbury and British officials are boycotting the tournament. In March, foreign secretary Boris Johnson compared Russia hosting the World Cup to the 1936 Olympics, held in Nazi Germany. The week before the tournament, a group of MPs warned that anyone wearing the St George’s cross could be subjected to attacks from Russians.

But yesterday, British diplomats and football officials struck a very different tone, lavishing praise on the organisation of the World Cup and speaking positively of the hosts. “The warmth of the welcome here has been absolutely outstanding. All the fans have commented on that and Volgograd seems delighted to welcome everybody,” said Lindsay Skoll, the deputy British ambassador to Russia.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest The turnout of England fans in Russia is the lowest at a World Cup for decades. Photograph: Gleb Garanich/Reuters

Skoll spoke at a wreath-laying ceremony at a memorial here, the scene of one of the most brutal battles of the second world war when it was known as Stalingrad, spoke warmly about the city and played up the common history between Britain and Russia.

Despite concerns about the safety of LGBT fans travelling to the finals, England’s match against Tunisia featured England flags supporting gay rights in the stadium. The LGBT campaigner Di Cunningham, who works with England’s football authorities, unfurled an England banner which combined the cross of St George and the rainbow colours of the LGBT rights movement.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Di Cunningham with the 3 Lions Pride flag. Photograph: Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images

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“The idea of coming to Russia or going to Qatar and supporting England is difficult for an LGBT-plus fan,” Cunningham said, but having made friends during her trip to Volgograd, she added: “I cannot believe that those people wouldn’t be able to take messages of solidarity and togetherness back to their countries, so all power to the World Cup wherever it’s held. It does have the power to change things.”