By Finlo Rohrer BBC News Online in Bratislava

The mood among England fans in Bratislava was subdued on Saturday afternoon as news of the overnight shootings filtered through, and heavy rain dampened spirits.

Many fans who had planned to gather in the Slovak capital's squares and bars ahead of the evening kick-off instead chose to stay in their hotels.

A large number of bars in the historic town centre were closed, although large numbers of England fans gathered in the few that remained open.

There was no warning, no approach saying disperse, no saying calm down. It was random fire.

John Allen

Others milled around in the rain on Hviezdoslavovo Square where the shootings had taken place, outside the now closed Kelt bar and the England team hotel.

No singing

England fan John Allen, from Ferryhill, County Durham, was one of those who chose to remain in his hotel.

He said he and his friends had been among the crowd of 30-40 fans waiting near a taxi rank when the shooting happened.

Mr Allen told BBC News Online: "There was no trouble, no singing, nothing getting smashed.

"About six or seven cars pulled up. There was no warning, no approach saying disperse, no saying calm down. It was random fire. They weren't picked out."

Fellow fan Gary James said it was hard to distinguish security guards from police who were present at the time of the shooting.

Mr James said the firing had been preceded by the beating of an England fan.

Disperse

Mr Allen said the crowd was quick to disperse in various directions after the shooting started.

"Everybody was stunned, everybody dispersed. When gunshots go off you run like hell," he said.

The locals had been friendly

Pete Kelly

One of the fans gathered in the square on Saturday afternoon, Pete Kelly, from Bootle, Merseyside, said any trouble had been blown out of proportion and partly incited by the media.

Mr Kelly said he and his friends had been gathered in the Kelt bar a couple of hours before the shooting happened and the atmosphere had been convivial.

He said "There were no problems. It was a good atmosphere. The locals had been friendly.

"There was a bit of singing but you get that with all England away games."

Fun

Despite the attacks England fans remained determined to enjoy their trip, and many were as concerned by the possibility of the game may have been postponed because of the weather as they were by the threat of over-zealous policing.

Fan Tom Johns said: "We have been here two days and haven't seen a policeman. It has been a good atmosphere - it has been fun."

Mr Kelly said many England fans probably did not appreciate the cultural differences between Slovakia and England.

Chris Witcher, who had travelled from Portsmouth, was one of dozens of England fans gathered in one of the Slovak capitals many themed bars on Saturday afternoon.

People just want to go to the game and get it over and done with

Chris Witcher

He said the atmosphere in his party was quieter than it had been, particularly as he had also witnessed violence in his hotel with a fan being bludgeoned over the head by a private security guard.

Mr Witcher said: "They hit the guy over the head and they were pointing guns at people.

"They were antagonising us. There had been no trouble."

But the atmosphere in Bratislava had been ruined as much by the closure of bars and restaurants and the rain, as by the threat of violence, he said.

"It is subdued because lots of places are closed. People just want to go to the game and get it over and done with," said Mr Witcher.