ENGLISH HEARTS BROKEN
THREE LIONS VANQUISHED
IT SEEMED for most of the night that football was, indeed, coming home.
But after a flying start with a fifth minute goal, England supporters did what they have done for more than 50 years and rue what could have been.
Pride was restored by Gareth Southgate’s team reaching a creditable semi-final in the World Cup but it didn’t feel that way in Moscow. Or in Leeds where thousands gathered in Millennium Square.
Or in the many pubs, clubs, town and city squares across the county.
Pride may emerge at some point but last night it felt like disappointment as England fans have only a France-Croatia final on Sunday to look forward to. How different it felt early on as England took a lead and seemed to grab the game by the scruff of the neck.
The mood was jolly, thanks to that goal. But there was a feeling that England might suffer for subsequent missed chances. There were thousands gathered at Leeds’ Millennium Square to watch the Three Lions’ biggest game for 28 years. Many supporters arrived in replica T-shirts, with younger members of the audience wearing red and white facepaint.
There were huge crowds outside the venue, which was effectively full 45 minutes before kick-off.
Boos erupted as images of Croatian players were shown on the screen, which fans responded to with a passionate rendition of Three Lions.
Elsewhere, football enthusiasts around the world found ways to share their joy. Soldiers in Afghanistan from the British Army’s Grenadier Guards were pictured on social media celebrating Kieran Trippier’s goal against Croatia.
The footage, posted on the official @GrenadierGds Twitter account, shows soldiers in fatigues leaping out of their seats with joy as the ball flew into the back of the net.
Earlier, British Airways, handed out 300 waistcoats to customers flying from Heathrow to Moscow ahead of the match.
Signs at Terminal 5 showed customers where to “Chec Kane” for the 8.45am flight, with fans being offered St George’s Flag face painting and boarding passes with customer name “Football” and destination “Home”.
The carrier gave away the Marks & Spencer waistcoats, as famously worn by England boss Gareth Southgate, to some of the 860 people flying with them to Moscow for the match.
BA said it had loaded extra champagne and bitter – said to be Southgate’s favourite tipple – on all of its Moscow-bound flights. Meanwhile, on the London Tube, a passenger filmed a train departing from Southgate station in London, where someone has added “Gareth” above the sign, and he whispered “It’s Coming Home” as the train pulled away.
In Greater Manchester, Stagecoach buses had “It’s Coming Home” or “Come on England” on the front display.
George Lee, 59, from Hull, who was in Moscow for the game, had also backed Southgate’s young team to get to the final. He said: “We thought we’d do well because you’ve got all the youngsters in now, you know there’s no superstars where they just walk about, ‘I can do what I like’.
They’re all young, hardworking lads. These are good kids.”
Back in Millennium Square in Leeds, IT consultant Ben Johnson, 28, of Headingley said: “I have come here for the atmosphere. It’s better than sitting at home on your sofa on your own. Everyone here lives and breathes it together.”
Police officer Jack Pattison, 26, of Wetherby, said: “It’s good to be around a big crowd and get properly in amongst it. I was expecting us to get to the quarter finals and I wasn’t really thinking beyond that to be honest.”
England might have overachieved. And Southgate has restored pride. But it still felt like disappointment last night.
It’s good to be around a big crowd and get properly in amongst it. Fan and police officer Jack Pattison, 26, of Wetherby