Johnathon Pekar
Three Lions fans on both sides of the Atlantic were roaring last night as England won a thrilling clash against Croatia in their opening World Cup match in Dallas.
Thomas Tuchel’s side were too good for the world No 11 team, with talismanic striker Harry Kane helping himself to a brace before Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford added goals.
Those cheering on England to the 4-2 victory at Dallas Stadium were joined by several WAGs after they flew in from Miami, where the players’ families are staying. They included John Stones’ wife, Olivia, Ollie Watkins’ spouse, Ellie, and Bellingham’s girlfriend, Ashlyn Castro, who were all eager to post about their attendance on social media.
At the final whistle, fans erupted into a loud rendition of Football’s Coming Home.
Among a sell-out crowd of 70,398 fans was management consultant James Bayley, 32, from south London, who said: ‘I have seen a difference in mentality in this England team. Absolutely we can win the World Cup.’
His businessman father Trevor Bayley, 65, a fellow Birmingham City and England super fan, of Gloucestershire, said: ‘It’s unreal. There has been a marked change in solidity, movement and boldness in this team, which I have not seen before. I have been to seven world cups and this is one of the best days I have had.’
John Irvin, 67, from Stokenchurch, Buckinghamshire, who is biking across America and has tickets to all the group games, said: ‘We won, good game, but we do make it hard for ourselves.
‘But second half we were unstoppable. Now it’s back on the bike and on to the next one.’
Mr Irvin, who has spent £25,000 on his month-long trip, said: ‘I’ve left the wife at home, closed my catering business and going to all the England group ones and, if we make the final, that one as well.’
Daniel Marland, 18, a Lancaster University student from Preston, said: ‘It was an incredibly positive result. I am confident we will win it all.’ His father John, 53, added: ‘The most important thing is the win, which puts us in a great position for the next group games.’
Manchester City fan Mike Andrews, 60, a nursery manager from Newquay, Cornwall, who was also at the Dallas game, said: ‘A win is massive to start the tournament. This was our biggest group game test and now we’ve already almost qualified. There’s no reason we can’t go all the way.’
Southend fan James Wombwell, 50, a finance professional from Par in Cornwall, said: ‘It’s the perfect start for us. Croatia are a tough team so it’s a real confidence boost.’
Ricky Wiseman, 39, from London, who runs a youth in football club and was with big sons RJ, eight, and Charlie, ten, said: ‘We got what we deserved. It should have been more. It’s coming home!’
Employers across the country prepared for ‘Hangover Thursday’ as an estimated 16million revellers watched Kane and company at home and in pubs – drinking some 24million pints of beer.
The £355million big match blowout is likely to have brought about Britain’s largest TV audience for two years.
Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, said: ‘We anticipated an extra five million pints being pulled in pubs for England’s first game as we all cheer on the team, in a massive boost for the sector.’
Meanwhile, attendance platform BrightHR – which monitors absence among more than a million employees at over 50,000 UK companies – said sickness rates would double today if the trend from Euro 2024 was repeated.
Chief executive Alan Price said: ‘Employers are bracing for ‘Hangover Thursday’ and we predict a sharp rise in absenteeism due to many fans’ sore heads.’
Some who certainly won’t be making it to the office today are the more than 10,000 England supporters who made the Atlantic odyssey to Texas.
Fans were in a jubilant mood as they began arriving hours before kick-off at the 80,000-capacity Dallas Stadium in Arlington. It is 20 miles west of downtown Dallas, where hundreds took the chance to visit the Grassy Knoll and scene of JFK’s assassination.
Pubs near the venue were busy from 9am as Three Lions supporters clad in white or red shirts and cowboy hats descended. With pints of beer in some of the surrounding bars costing £5 – even cheaper than London – many had a drink before going into the stadium, where Stella Artois was being sold for £13.40.
To combat such high prices, many England and Croatia fans stopped off at supermarkets and fast-food joints to stock up on more beer.
There was also a friendly rivalry with the thousands of Croatian fans who have flocked to Texas for the showdown. The old foes put England out of the 2018 World Cup at the semi-final stage.
Their 40-year-old diminutive star Luka Modric was England’s tormentor in the side which beat the Three Lions 2-1, and their fans were wearing his red-and-white chequered No 10 shirt.
At one pub outside the ground, a boisterous crowd hung a St George’s flag up and was singing along to Oasis classics – interspersed with ‘Ingerland, Ingerland, Ingerland’. Even though it was only 11am, the bar was doing a roaring trade with pints of lager and Guinness being sunk as staff were rushed off their feet.
Charlotte Tate, manager at The Londoner, told the Daily Mail: ‘We have a few pubs across Dallas and it’s been going nuts.
‘We ran out of bottled beer at the downtown Dallas venue and then the barrels went as well. But we’ve been on to our vendors and we are going to get more in. Business has been great and everyone is having a fabulous time. I’m actually going to the game. One of our suppliers has got me a ticket. I know it will be a tough game, but we will win – I’m nervous but confident.’
Engineer Courtenay Claussnitzer, 55, originally from London, was at the bar with his son Miles, 16, having flown in from Atlanta where they live.
They paid $1,100 (£827) for each ticket. Miles said: ‘I’m so excited, Dad is having a beer but I’m too young to drink. The atmosphere is brilliant and being with the fans amazing.’ As the big kick-off approached, the booze seemed to have taken its toll on some.
When England came out for their warm up 40 minutes before the start, they were met with a mixture of boos and cheers.
But such mixed feelings didn’t last for long. As the side carried out their shuttle runs and close passing, fans joined in with the classic terrace World Cup song Vindaloo by Fat Les.
To further liven up the pre-match atmosphere, suspended over the centre of the pitch in Dallas – which had its roof closed to keep the crowd and players cool – was a giant TV screen showing pictures of the crowd and footage of past tournaments.
In the muggy 33C heat, England supporters sang Sweet Caroline and Football’s Coming Home as they marched to the stadium brimming with confidence that this may be the Three Lions’ time.
Croatia were England’s biggest challenge of their three Group L rivals. Tuchel’s squad play Ghana in Boston next Tuesday, then Panama in New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium on June 27. Last night the squad flew straight back to its base in Kansas City.
The Wild West got a bit wilder as England fans hit the town… Shirtless, dancing on tables and singing at the rodeo, England fans made the most of the Wild West in Dallas yesterday.
The partying got so raucous at one bar that police were called to calm things down.
Officers turfed out Stetson-wearing supporters from the Londoner Pub at Mockingbird Station after finding topless Britons gyrating on tables and bellowing out Sweet Caroline.
An outdoor patio and balcony was packed with England fans who had draped a giant St George’s Cross flag over the building. They drank 5,000 beers and spent £30,000 as they sang their hearts out for Harry Kane and the squad.
And it wasn’t just the Texas watering holes being overrun. England fans took over a rodeo with their singing as they watched the bucking broncos, leaving locals bemused.
An army of 10,000 England fans had flown in, and about the same number again of British ex-pats living in America were heading for the Wild West showdown at the Dallas Stadium.
Dozens of die-hard Three Lions fans caught the last flight out of London on Tuesday to make the opening game against Croatia.
American Airlines Flight 81 was packed with supporters, including Chelsea fans John Nagy, 62, and his sons Daniel, 28, and Max, 27, of Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire. Mr Nagy Snr said: ‘It’s cost the best part of £15,000 but you can’t take it with you!’
Source: Dailymail.co.uk | Read the Full Story…
