Thousands head south as England and Wales are on the brink of glory
THOUSANDS of England and Wales fans were flooding to the South of France last night – ready for the biggest night of British football in years.
A long convoy of camper vans has headed from Lille and Lens to Saint-Étienne for the England v Slovakia match, and to Toulouse for the Wales game against Russia.
Both countries hope to qualify tomorrow for the final stages of Euro 2016.
Authorities in Saint-Étienne will close off outside drinking and eating areas ahead of the England game in a bid to avoid fan trouble.
Some England supporters managed to grab selfies with manager Roy Hodgson as he and his assistant boss Ray Lewington took a stroll through Chantilly, where the team is based.
Hodgson spent time admiring a £28,000 goldplated wine cooler in a shop 100 yards from the England team hotel.
He chatted for several minutes with wine shop owner Anthony Hubault, who said: “I was explaining about how it worked. The ice is hidden – but it’s very expensive at 35,000 euros (£27,500).”
Among the first Welsh fans to arrive in Toulouse were brothers Jacob and Luke Wallace, aged 24 and 20.
The brothers, who are from Newport, reckon they will have done 2,500 miles in their Seat Ibiza by the time they return to the UK.
The camaraderie between the English and Welsh fans was brilliantly illustrated by a picture of Dominic Moyes. He was pictured in his England shirt in a sea of Welsh fans during Thursday’s match, which Hodgson’s side won 2-1.
He said: “I really hope Wales go through as well.
“Their fans were impeccable – absolutely fantastic.”