England fans have begun packing out pubs and fan zones across the country as Thomas Tuchel‘s squad prepares to take on Argentina in a historic semi-final clash tonight.
Anticipation is building across the nation, with supporters anxiously waiting to see if the Three Lions can secure a place in the World Cup final for the first time in 60 years.
And even the Royal Marines have joined in on the football fever with King Charles‘ band playing the Three Lions song outside the Horse Guards Parade today.
Tonight’s match is set to be a nail-biting face-off with Argentina placed as favourites to win, according to Sky Bet.
Harry Kane and his squad are priced at 8/11 to secure victory and book their place in the World Cup final.
Meanwhile, rivals Argentina are slight outsiders at 11/10 as they look to reach back-to-back finals.
Tuchel’s boys are set to begin their match at 8pm. However, many supporters are pondering heading to their local watering holes after work to support the squad.
And while pubs are quickly filling up, a few dedicated fan zones and other venues dotted across the country still have space for football fans.
Among them is SYSheffield in Sheffield, which boasts two huge HD screens, as well as food and a DJ, with tickets priced at £16.95 and a free drink on entry.
Meanwhile, Brixton Jamm, an open-air courtyard with outdoor container bars, still has tickets on sale.
Three Lions fans have begun packing out fan zones across the country as Thomas Tuchel’s squad prepares to take on Argentina in a historic clash tonight
As anticipation builds across the nation, England supporters anxiously prepare to see if the squad will finally bring football home for the first time in 60 years
Argentina fans outside the Atlanta Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, ahead of the match
Forty-seven venues are still taking bookings, according to booking platform Skiddle, but tickets are being snapped up fast.
Meanwhile, England World Cup 1966 Winner Sir Geoff Hurst said: ‘It’s a big day for England.
‘I really believe we can do it tonight! Kane, Bellingham, Rice all world class . Fingers crossed. Good luck for tonight boys. It’s time to win this thing again. Come on boys.’
Among watering holes being gripped by the anticipation is the Greyhound in Diss, Norfolk, with punters promised a free shop for every time England scores.
And with England racking up 13 goals so far, the generous offer has become an expensive one for its pub landlord.
‘To celebrate England, with each goal they score, we have consistently stuck to our word in rewarding our loyal patrons with a free shot for every single customer.
They added: ‘With 13 goals, you can imagine what my accountant thinks, haha.’
And the celebrations do not stop when the whistle blows for the interval, either with customers taking on members of bar staff in a keepy-uppy challenge for a free pint.
‘This has brought the community together with some hilarious moments,’ the publican added.
‘The atmosphere has been incredible throughout, with nothing but respect from customers. This is what pubs are about.’
Another watering hole in South Benfleet, called the Anchor, is to remain open despite a car crashing into the pub. Yet, the Three Lions’ spirit has continued.
England fans gather ahead of the match against Argentina tonight
England fans at a bar near the Atlanta Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, ahead of the match
England fans outside the Atlanta Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia
It comes after a collision involving two cars yesterday afternoon saw one vehicle cause serious damage to the pub wall.
Landlord Hayley Sewell told the BBC: ‘We wanted to remain open for the Benfleet community, who have given us so much.’
And while she said the incident was a ‘nuisance’, the business has managed to keep its doors open by boarding up any damage.
An Essex Police spokesperson said no life-threatening or life-changing injuries were reported following the incident.
A casualty was rescued from one of the cars by fire crews from Grays and Rayleigh Weir and was later attended to by the ambulance service.
Elsewhere, a hunt for the UK’s best Jude Bellingham lookalike has been sparked, with his ‘doppelgängers’ set to gather at BOXPARK Shoreditch ahead of tonight’s match.
The winner is set to receive £1,966 in Deliveroo credit, while fans can also enjoy free drinks and other prizes as part of Deliveroo’s ‘Believeroo’ campaign.
But the palpable joy has not been felt nationwide, as one pub faces losing its licence after a ‘killjoy’ fan made a complaint to the council about fans cheering.
Landlord Antony Lunn was left ‘gobsmacked’ when he received a letter about the ‘ridiculous’ noise complaint at his pub, The Rustic Arms in Ackworth, West Yorkshire.
The warning from Wakefield Council threatened to revoke his licence after reports of ‘particularly bad’ noise levels on Sunday, June 28, after England beat Panama 2-0.
The pub has been ‘absolutely electric’ during the tournament, Mr Lunn said, who has been screening games outside as fans cheer in ‘pure happiness’.
He added that they have caused ‘no trouble’ and that the football has been the ‘only positive thing’, saying it was a real ‘kick in the teeth’ to receive the complaint.
Mr Lunn, 37, said: ‘It’s a ridiculous complaint. It came through yesterday, and I was a bit shocked by it.
‘I looked at it, chucked it on the side, cracked out a laugh and went for a brew. Some people literally need to get a hobby.’
Taking to Facebook, the pub shared a photo of the letter captioned ‘buy a house near a pub then start complaining to the council the noise is too loud at the football’.
Mr Lunn said the letter warned that if they received further complaints, they could revoke his licence, take him to court, or remove any equipment.
Many users took to the pub’s defence, with one user saying the complaint was ‘hilariously stupid’.
The landlord said the pub will ‘absolutely not’ do anything differently when England take on Argentina in the semi-final tonight.
Wakefield Council claims that the complaint relates to multiple occasions of ‘amplified music’ and is not a one-off incident.
However, Mr Lunn claims they have no outside music and that the only noise they make outdoors has been the match, including on the cited evening.
