Sheffield takes pride in its boys on big stage
Football fever is sweeping England as its young team prepares for a World Cup semi-final showdown against Croatia, and nowhere more so than in Sheffield, the proclaimed birthplace of the modern game.
Around 240 kilometres north of London, the city has a rich football history that continues today.
Three players in the current squad --- quarter-final goal-scoring hero Harry Maguire, defender Kyle Walker and forward Jamie Vardy --- were raised there.
The English flag, known as the St George’s Cross, is omnipresent, flying from flats, cars and businesses throughout the formerly industrial so-called Steel City.
“It makes us feel proud of Sheffield knowing they come from here,” said Fitsroy Turner, 43, a construction worker.
Even a local priest is getting in on the enthusiasm, sporting a waistcoat -- which England manager Gareth Southgate has made famous by wearing for every match -during Sunday mass.
For the first time in this tournament, the local council will show Wednesday’s semifinal on a 43-square-metre screen in the city centre with room for up to 10,000 fans.
The city will be celebrating its local heroes at the fan-zone under the banner “Made in Sheffield”, said Richard Eyre, its head of major events.
Software developer Jonas Bezzubovas, 24, said every England victory had been marked by hours of revelry, but Wednesday promises to be the biggest yet. “It’s a once-ina-lifetime match,” he said. “I feel like the heat and the football have gone to people’s heads,” he added.
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