20 June 2024 , 22:28
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Prince William was among the fans celebrating England’s early goal yesterday but there wasn’t much majesty about the way supporters reacted at the final whistle.
There were some boos from Three Lions fans at the ground in Frankfurt because of the disappointing draw. The city enjoyed a carnival atmosphere before and after the match but there were glum faces as supporters filed out of the stadium.
Construction worker Ricky Beck, 35, from Barnsley, South Yorks, said after attending the Euro 2024 game in Germany: “It was terrible.” IT worker Ross Williams, 38, also from Barnsley, said: “It was a tough watch.” And another IT worker, Mark Jones, 51, from Glastonbury in Somerset, said: “It was timid.”
Terry O’Connell, 39, and his 17-year-old son Brandan flew from Perth in Australia to support England. Terry, an electrician originally from Norton, near Middlesbrough, said: “It was a long journey but worth it despite the result. “A win would have been great but it wasn’t to be.”
Brandan said: “It’s been great being in Frankfurt – a very special day.” Prince William, who turns 42 today, was among the 30,000 England fans – including pop star Ed Sheeran, 33 – at the stadium.
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Harry Kane celebrates scoring his team's first goal (Getty Images)
Prince William celebrates Harry Kane's goal (Dave Shopland/REX/Shutterstock)England midfielder Jude Bellingham was cheered on by his younger brother Jobe, 18, and their mum Denise. Three Lions supporters vastly outnumbered Denmark fans inside the ground.
There were over 300 St George’s flags from towns such as Saffron Walden, Pontefract, Tividale and Christchurch. But the supporters did not have much to cheer after Harry Kane ’s goal, with the Danes looking the better side in the 1-1 draw.
Before the game Prince William, who is president of the FA, was spotted laughing and joking with King Frederik X of Denmark. And there were lovely scenes in one of the fanzones as the family of England player Adam Wharton, 20, enjoyed the festival atmosphere by mixing with both sets of supporters. The 14-strong group were all wearing shirts with Adam’s name and his number 25 on.
England fans were initially given plenty to celebrate, before Denmark equalised (AFP via Getty Images)His mum Helen and dad John, both 57, were there with their other sons Scott, 26, and Simon, 24, and other relatives and friends, including Adam’s cousin – who is Danish. Helen, who had the England flag painted on her cheeks, said: “This was a wonderful family occasion.” Scott, who plays for Championship club Blackburn Rovers, said: “The atmosphere here is brilliant and everyone is enjoying themselves.”
Four fans wearing crowns and large ears in tribute to King Charles were applauded by Danes. Clive Jenkins, 69, Phil Sierocinski, 66, Alex Rowson, 63, and Robert Newsome, 69, are golf pros in Germany. Robert said: “The atmosphere was great. All the England and Denmark fans mixed together. It was a laugh.”
Jarrod Bowen's girlfriend, Dani Dyer, was among the crowd in Frankfurt (EURO 2024 News Pool (ENP) - Denmark vs England)
Conor Gallagher's girlfriend Aine Kennedy (Getty Images)A Danish “bus of peace” summed up the spirit of the day. Erik Bro, 55, a Liverpool fan from Aarhus in Denmark, said: “We wanted to bring fans together.”
After driving 650 miles to Frankfurt, the consultant hoisted a St George’s Cross up the bus’s flag pole. He said: “We invited our opponents in for beer. The rule was if a Dane came in with an English fan on his arm, they both have a free pint.”
England fans continued to party into the night – some of them diving into a fountain. A Danish band were cheered when they played Hey Jude in front of a pub full of English supporters. England fans were praised for their overall behaviour and there were only three arrests before the game.
Jobe Bellingham and his mother Denise in the stands (PA)In the main Romerberg Square, there were seemingly no flashpoints as England and Denmark fans mixed in bars and cafes. The United Kingdom Football Policing Unit said: “Around 2,000 England fans were in the city square last night and no major issues were reported. This is indicative of what we’ve seen across Germany so far, with the vast majority of England fans behaving extremely well.
“Three England fans were arrested by German police. One for bottle throwing, one for abusing a UK officer and one for throwing a missile at police and possession of drugs.”
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