After two days of intense political action where the country flocked to the polls, today boozy Brits prepare to engage in another of the nation’s dearly held traditions… heading to the pub to cheer on the Three Lions.
Following last week’s last-minute victory against Slovakia, England will now face off against Switzerland in the Euros quarter-final as fans back home are set to down as many as 45 million pints in a booming day for boozers.
Three million are heading to bars across the country alongside 23 million viewers expected to watch the game from home across BBC1 and iPlayer – the highest figures since the 2022 World Cup.
Pubs are set to benefit from a £150 million spending spree on booze and food as staff are set to serve up 22 million pints.
And at home the number of fans dashing to the fridge to grab more cans at half time is expected to be so significant that the energy network is bracing itself for an electricity spike as big as a nuclear power station’s output.
It comes as tensions are already high as hard-core fans make their way to Germany, with fights breaking out as Brits clashed with the host nation after they crashed out of the tournament last night.
As many as 40,000 England fans are expected in Dusseldorf for their Euros quarter-final with Switzerland – despite an official ticket allocation of just 6,700.
England fans on the train from Hamburg to Dusseldorf ahead of the UEFA Euro 2024, quarter-final match
One fan made the most of his chance to sleep – ducking beneath seats for a good kip to prepare fully for the match
England fans are already arriving in Dusseldorf for the quarter final face-off as Brits are set to head to the pub back home
As many as 40,000 England fans are expected in Dusseldorf for their Euros quarter-final with Switzerland – despite an official ticket allocation of just 6,700
Claire Streeter, 33, from Middlesborough and Simone Laverick, 32, prepare for the England match in Dusseldorf
Nick Mackenzie, CEO of pub chain Greene King, which will sell 425,000 pints in 90 minutes, said: ‘It will be our busiest game of the tournament. The Euros are providing a great boost to pubs as communities come together to cheer on the team.’
And British Beer and Pub Association chief executive Emma McClarkin added: ‘Pub goers know there is no better place to enjoy the game than the pub. An extra eight million pints could be drunk on Saturday.’
Boxpark big screen outdoor venues will be packed in London’s Wembley, Croydon and Shoreditch, as well as in Birmingham, Liverpool and Bristol.
But not everywhere in the country will be embracing Euros fever – as Wimbledon has banned the England game for People’s Saturday.
Now umpires are on alert to interrupt play to tell off noisy spectators cheering while watching the football on their phones, with offenders risking being removed from courts by stewards.
An All England Club spokesperson said: ‘We won’t be showing the Euros. Our screens will be showing the tennis.’
It comes as tensions are already high for England fans overseas after clashes with German supporters last night, following the host nation’s dramatic exit against Spain.
Footage from the streets of Dusselford showed taunts being thrown, before fists flew and police sealed off both sides of the street where fans had been drinking all day in Alstadt.
England and Germany fans clashed in violent scenes after the host nation crashed out of the European Championship
England fans taunted Germany over their loss and sang songs such as ‘have you ever seen the Germans win a war?’
Glasses were used as missiles and beer was thrown over the Germans, as riot police stopped people from entering the area
England fans have been largely well-behaved through the first four weeks of the tournament, with only one incident of violence at the first match with Serbia in Gelsenkerchen
One witness said: ‘The England fans were taunting the Germans about them losing to Spain and then they started singing songs like ‘have you ever seen the Germans win a war?’
‘There were about 20 English men who got involved in confronting a group of Germans and then a couple got involved in a punch up.’
Glasses were used as missiles and beer was thrown over the Germans, as riot police stopped people from entering the area around a bar called Steak-Haus.
The scuffles were over quickly but England fans tried to enflame the situation again by singing ‘La Viva Espanol’.
Police sent officers to patrol and keep rival fans apart.
There were further sporadic outbreaks of violence involving England fans. Beer was thrown at German supporters which led to further fights close to the Mississippi Bar.
Some England fans were seen inhaling from black balloons, while the centre of Alstadt remained tense with riot police charging in through the crowds as fighting broke out in various spots.
British police ‘spotters’ were monitoring the England fans to gather evidence and liase with German colleagues.
LONDON — There was sheer joy on the faces of England fans at Boxpark in Croydon after England’s win last week
LEEDS — Fans were in delirium as Jude Bellingham scored a stunning equaliser with almost the last kick of the game last week
LEEDS — There was pandemonium at Millennium Square last week after Harry Kane turned the game on its head within the first minute of extra time to make it 2-1
Police have also warned fans that they are in acute danger of falling foul of a shocking cash machine scam is plaguing the city.
Compared with the UK, Germany is surprisingly backward on a digital level, and cash very much remains king.
Though the use of plastic has skyrocketed since Covid, today Euro coins and notes remain the sole means of accepted payment in many pubs and cafes.
‘The victims stated that their EC cards had apparently been withdrawn from the ATMs used.
‘During these operations, the victims heard cracking noises and the display allegedly showed a fault: “This ATM will be ready to service you again in a moment”.’
But England fans now turning to cash points in Duesseldorf are at extremely serious risk of losing their money by being scammed.
In an ‘urgent warning’ statement, a spokesperson for Düsseldorf police said: ‘This week, there has been an increase in offences in connection with the manipulation of ATMs in the city of Düsseldorf.
At this point, the innocent victims then had their cards swallowed by the machine, on the understanding that their cash request would soon be processed.
In an ‘urgent warning’ statement, a spokesperson for Düsseldorf police said: ‘This week, there has been an increase in offences in connection with the manipulation of ATMs in the city of Düsseldorf’. Pictured: An ATM in the city
The England Football Policing Unit is seen arriving at Dusseldorf Airport in June
But instead of being returned, the bank cards were then stolen ‘by unknown perpetrators and subsequently misused at the same ATM or at other locations’.
Düsseldorf police is now urging people not to use an ATM if they notice anything unusual.
And it says that if your card is swallowed, do not leave the location, rather take out your mobile phone and call the bank or the police.
England fans have been largely well-behaved through the first four weeks of the tournament, with only one incident of violence at the first match with Serbia in Gelsenkerchen.
40,000 England fans are set to descend on Dusseldorf – despite an official ticket allocation of just 6,700.
Tens of thousands are due in Germany’s party city for Saturday’s clash, which will see no repeat of the booze restrictions previously deployed for Three Lions’ matches.
Ove the last week, fans have engaged in a desperate scramble for tickets for what will be a sold-out clash at the 47,000-capacity Dusseldorf Arena.
On resale site viagogo on Wednesday night, the cheapest seats were being offered for £457, with one on the front row close to halfway listed at close to £3,000.
Dusseldorf is known as ‘the world’s longest bar’ thanks to the more than 300 pubs in its old town area.
LONDON — Fans were jubilant at Boxpark in Croydon last week as England scraped past Slovakia with a 2-1 win after extra time
LEEDS — Drinks fly into the air and shower fans underneath in jubilant scenes at Millennium Square last week
And a huge contingent of England supporters is set to flood its narrow streets despite an underwhelming tournament from Gareth Southgate’s side so far.
Only a magic moment from Jude Bellingham in the 95th minute saved them from defeat last week as they came back from behind to secure victory in extra time against Slovakia.
The side are yet to play in the city but fans have flocked there ahead of games in nearby areas thanks to its vibrant nightlife with many central hotels are sold out.
Unlike England’s visits to nearby Gelsenkirchen, there will be no special measures when it comes to buying drinks in the stadium.
At the opening game against Serbia, fans were served low-alcohol, 2.8 per cent beer.
At their return, for the last-16 clash with Slovakia, booze was back to normal strength but fans were only allowed to buy two drinks per visit and were not allowed to take them to their seats.
No such restrictions will are expected at Saturday’s match, which kicks off at 6pm.
Today, electricity demand is expected to spike by up to 1,200 megawatts, National Grid figures for previous England major tournament knockout games showed.
The spike is set to be as big the 1,188MW output of Sizewell B nuclear power station, Suffolk.
National Grid declined to comment, but has said previously: ‘Fridge doors are opened at the same time as fans get another drink.
‘We are experienced in managing demands in real time, so a power cut is a very low risk. If demand is too high, we can increase power stations’ output.’
England’s semi-final defeat to West Germany at the Italy 1990 World Cup saw Britain’s record sudden power surge of 2,800MW.
