Thousands of England Fans Pack Pubs After Leaving Work Early

England supporters have filled pubs, bars and fan zones nationwide as Thomas Tuchel’s side faces Argentina tonight in a landmark World Cup semi-final.

Excitement has been rising throughout the day, with fans hoping the Three Lions can book a place in the final for the first time in 60 years.

The football mood even reached the ceremonial heart of London, where the Royal Marines joined the celebrations as King Charles’ band performed the Three Lions anthem outside Horse Guards Parade.

Kick-off was at 8pm UK time in Atlanta, Georgia. While thousands of travelling fans have made the journey to the United States, millions more are following the semi-final at packed screenings across England.

In London, BOXPARK Shoreditch is among the venues staging major fan events, complete with a Jude Bellingham lookalike competition to add to the pre-match buzz.

Further north, around 4,500 England fans have descended on Millennium Square in Leeds, turning the city centre into a sea of red and white as they roar on Tuchel’s team.

Supporters wearing Three Lions shirts from both the current era and tournaments past arrived in upbeat mood, creating a lively atmosphere well before the opening whistle.

The crowds were warmed up with a DJ-led England soundtrack, featuring fan favourites including Fat Les hit Vindaloo and World In Motion.

More than 3,000 pints had been poured before the 8pm kick-off – with vendors ordering in extra kegs to cope with demand at the sold-out fan zone.

Student paramedic Kaye Davey, 19, out with Findlay Thomas, 20, a pipefitter, had a vision of how the World Cup semi-final would pan out.

She said: ‘I’ve predicted all the England games correctly up until now. I think this one will be 3-2 to us – and then we’ll beat Spain in the final. It’s going to be a night to remember.’

Construction worker Tony Jenkinson, 44, from Leeds, was slightly more cautious.

He said: ‘I think England have done amazingly well to get this far – but it’s going to be really tough.

‘We’ve got to keep Messi quiet to stand a chance and just hope that the referee is strong and doesn’t fall for the Argentine dark arts.

‘I think it’s going to go the distance – extra time and penalties. Then it’s a complete lottery.

‘If we do come through it, then I think our name is on the trophy.’

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 shot 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.

They said: ‘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.

‘With 13 goals, you can imagine what my accountant thinks, haha.’

Another pub in South Benfleet, called the Anchor, is to remain open despite a car crashing into the pub. Yet, the Three Lions’ spirit has continued.

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.

Meanwhile fans in London hoping to rush to homes and pubs to watch the crucial match could face potential delays following reports that the E-bike rental app Lime is down across the capital. 

The Daily Mail have contacted Lime for a comment. 

Elsewhere in London, 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.