Thousands of England fans go to Russia as Cup fever bites

THOUSANDS of England fans are on their way to Russia after discovering a loophole that allows them entry without a visa or a match ticket.

The win on penalties over Colombia on Tuesday night has prompted a stampede to the quarter-final against Sweden on Saturday and, possibly, a highly charged semi-final with the hosts.

England supporters needed either a visa to enter the country or a special World Cup Fan ID, introduced by Russian authorities for the tournament.

The visa will take too long to process while a Fan ID was thought to be obtainable only when accompanied by a match ticket bought in advance. But supporters have discovered they can get a Fan ID by submitting a ticket stub number online for any cup match, including those already played. The numbers can be copied from any stub to obtain a Fan ID online in minutes. The game with Sweden has sold out but seats are being offered for up to £1,000.

Google searches for “World Cup tickets” spiked immediately after England’s win on Tuesday, analysis showed. The match, televised on ITV, drew 24.4million viewers – the largest TV audience since the London 2012 Olympics closing ceremony.

British Airways said it was laying on larger aircraft on flights “to make sure as many fans as possible are able to travel”. One website said it had seen an 83 per cent increase in flight bookings.

However, now even the smallest flats in Samara are being advertised for rent in excess of £1,000 a night.