Eriksson met with supporters at FA Headquarters on Thursday night to help launch a new campaign called Alltogethernow. And his first message was to call for good behaviour and a fervent party atmosphere in Portugal this summer.

'Alltogethernow' is an FA-backed initiative designed to recapture the spirit of the 2002 World Cup when England fans were praised for their outstanding behaviour and attitude.

Fans will be encouraged to sign up to TheFA.com to receive news from Sven and the England team in the build-up to and during the big tournament. And they will also be sent information about a range of activities run by supporters at home and in Portugal to help create a festival of football.

Sven's message was certainly met with approval by supporters attending his first ever fans' forum in London , and the England Head Coach was impressed.

"I enjoyed it," he said. "When you go into that room you can physically feel the passion the fans have. It's fantastic.

"If the rest of the thousands of fans travelling to Portugal behave like that we'll be OK.

"I'm sure that everyone will behave well. One lady said to me that the fans felt very welcome when England played in Faro recently and I'm sure it will be the same this summer.

"I have managed in Portugal and I know the country very well. They are very friendly people and very kind. And if you know just one word in Portuguese they are even nicer!

"Of course it is very important the fans behave well this summer. This was one small step to get closer to supporters. But I know everyone is working together, The FA, the fans and Portuguese police to avoid trouble because that would be a disaster for the whole nation.

"It would be a small disaster if we leave the tournament early for football reasons but an even bigger one if we had to leave for non-footballing reasons."

Sven is hoping that the Alltogethernow campaign will help foster a good atmosphere amongst supporters in Portugal and help avoid trouble. England fans were well behaved in Japan in 2002 but incidents during the qualifying campaign for Euro 2004 showed there is still much to do. And the possibility that UEFA could try and throw England out of the tournament if there are further serious problems remains a possibility.

Through englandfans, the official England Supporters Club, The FA runs security checks on everyone who receives a ticket, to screen out troublemakers, but clearly this is only part of the picture.

Alltogethernow is about creating a positive climate among England supporters to give decent fans the chance to unite and freeze out the hooligan element.

Sven said: "It is very important we have such great support and the players always tell me how proud it makes them when they run out on the pitch to be greeted by all of the England supporters who travel all over the world following them.

"We all know there have been problems in the past, but together we must build for the future. The behaviour of our supporters in Faro was exemplary and earned lots of praise from the Portuguese authorities.

"We must continue striving to improve our reputation. UEFA have made it very clear that they will not tolerate any further problems with England supporters. We all have our part to play in ensuring we do everything we can, while showing respect to our opponents and hosts of the countries we visit."

As part of his plan to bring supporters and players closer together, Sven has promised his team will always acknowledge fans at the end of a game - whether they have won or lost.

"I understand that after the Sweden game, no players, not even myself, went to say hello to the fans. Of course that's not right. You should always go to the fans, even if you lose the game.

"There are absolutely now excuses and it will not happen again, I can promise you that. I am certain about that.

"The supporters are very important. They are our 12th man and they make a big difference to the players. So we need them to be behind us and we need them to behave well.

"I have always believed that England can win in Euro 2004. I think we have shown it many times in big games. If we are lucky and have no injuries I think we can beat anyone, I am pretty sure about that. Together we can do it."