Gareth No to parade
GARETH Southgate last night agreed with the decision not to hold a homecoming parade for his team.
The England manager also said he is desperate to win against Belgium today, in the play-off for the World Cup’s third-place spot.
Plans were drawn up for a “welcome home” event in Trafalgar Square if England reached the final but there will be no festivities after the loss to Croatia.
Southgate said: “It’s not my decision but I agree with the decision. If we’d made the final it’s maybe different.
“And if we’d had a parade, that would have been one part of the country and we represent the whole country.” Sports Minister Tracey Crouch is likely to host an official reception for the team.
And Sheffield city council has said it is keen to be involved in any celebration, with a quarter of the squad, including Kyle Walker and Jamie Vardy, born in the area. Around 200,000 people attended a
» Southgate: We don’t need a celebration
» He wants third-place win against Belgium
parade in Luton after the England team, including Paul Gascoigne, lost to West Germany in the Italia ’90 semi-final.
If England beat Belgium today, it will be the team’s highest tournament finish since winning the World Cup in 1966.
Southgate said ahead of the 3pm clash: “Emotionally, it’s been a very diffi- cult few days. But the players are incredible – their energy in training. We owe it as much to ourselves as to our public and the nation to finish the tournament well. Everybody wants to play. It won’t be exactly the same starting 11.”
Around 3,000 fans are expected at the match in St Petersburg today but there could be many empty seats. Fan Chris Davies, 47, from Banbury, Oxon, said: “Of course we’d rather be in the final in Moscow but that’s football but we are all incredibly proud of the team.”
Yesterday, England’s full 23-man squad took part in training. They are due to fly back to Birmingham tomorrow, when Croatia plays France in the final.
England’s clash with Croatia was the most-watched TV event since Princess Diana’s funeral in 1997, with an average of 24.3 million people tuning in.
It has helped to propel David Baddiel and Frank Skinner’s Three Lions song back to No.1.
The comedians’ collaboration with The Lightning Seeds is the first song in the chart’s 66-year history to have four spells at No.1 one with the same artists.
It topped the charts twice in 1996, when it was originally released for the Euros, and a re-release for the ’98 World Cup spent three weeks at No.1.