Fever pitch at home – but not in Russia
FOLLOWING months of build-up, excitement reached fever pitch across the nation last night as England prepared to play their World Cup opener against Tunisia.
Pubs and bars were braced for an influx of punters, while retailers saw TV sales rocket.
But things were rather quieter in Volgograd, Russia – where Gareth Southgate’s side will begin their campaign.
As few as 2,000 England fans are expected to attend tonight’s game at the Volgograd Arena, which can hold 45,000. It is the smallest England crowd for a World Cup in recent times.
The run-up to the tournament has been overshadowed by the political row between the British Government and the Kremlin in the wake of the poisoning of Russian ex- spy Sergei Skripal in March.
Other fans may have been put off travelling to Russia amid fears over the football hooligans in the country.
According to the Football Supporters’ Federation, just 2,100 tickets were sold to England fans for the opening game, which kicks off at 7pm.
In comparison, 5,000 England fans travelled to Manaus for the opening match of the Brazil 2014 tournament. In 2010, more than 7,000 supporters went to the Royal Bafokeng Stadium, South Africa, to watch their side’s opening World Cup clash.
And 50,000 travelled to Frankfurt in 2006 for England’s match against Paraguay. Yesterday afternoon there were just a few England fans milling around Volgograd’s city centre. Despite the tensions, England fans in Volgograd, which is 560 miles south of Moscow, last night said they were looking forward to the tournament.
Retired taxi firm owner Tom Trueman is attending his sixth World Cup having seen Bobby Moore lift the trophy at Wembley in 1966, and said he had ‘no second thoughts’ about it.
Warehouse manager Paul Elliott, 46, from Coventry, West Midlands – which is twinned with Volgograd – said: ‘People said we were mad to come here with the threat of trouble.
‘But I’m here with a beer in my hand and a smile on my face. We’ll win our first two games and win the group and can go all the way to the final.’
Carpet firm boss Alan Thompson, 50, added: ‘My family were worried about me coming out here but I’ve had nothing but smiles and hospitality so far.’
Meanwhile, back in the UK the British Beer and Pub Association has predicted that England fans will drink 14million extra pints at the pub during the World Cup group stages.
Elsewhere, figures suggest fans are rushing to dump their old televisions and upgrade for the World Cup.
Waste recycling experts Veolia have seen the number of flat screen TVs being dumped soar by 65 per cent as the tournament kicks off.
Argos said it had seen sales of 65in TVs jump by nearly 200 per cent in the run-up to the competition.