England fans are left disappointed after drawing 0-0 with Scotland at Euro 2020
England fans are left disappointed after drawing 0-0 with Scotland at Euro 2020… and getting soaked in the process
England fans across the country have been left disappointed after watching the team’s goalless clash with Scotland in Euro 2020.
Hundreds of supporters had gathered at ticketed fan zones across the country including in Newcastle, Manchester and Hastings as well as in Trafalgar Square, London, where one fan described an ‘electric’ atmosphere.
The area was set up in a socially-distanced way for 750 key workers with two large screens either side of Nelson’s Column.
But fans were left disappointed after the Three Lions failed to score against their rivals at Wembley Stadium in front of 22,500 supporters in the stands.
The much-anticipated match, the 115th in international football’s oldest rivalry, was the first time the two sides have met in a major tournament since Euro 96, when Paul Gascoigne’s famous goal sealed a 2-0 win.
Before the end of the match police cleared fans out of Leicester Square and sealed off the five entrances to the area with squads of police forming a human barrier to stop any fans from entering with the William Shakespeare statue also sealed off.
More than 50 police officers poured into the area shortly after 9pm to take up position across the five routes into the square.
Leicester Square falls within a dispersal area giving police powers to move people out of the area – the fans who had remained did not put up any resistance to being ordered to leave.
One police officer said: ‘No fans are being allowed to congregate here for the rest of the night.’
England fans across the country have been left disappointed after watching the team’s goalless clash with Scotland in Euro 2020. Pictured: Fans in Tobacco Dock, London
Hundreds of supporters had gathered at ticketed fan zones across the country including in Newcastle, Manchester andCroydon (pictured)
Fans were left disappointed after the Three Lions failed to score against their rivals at Wembley Stadium in front of 22,500 supporters in the stands. Pictured: Fans in Tobacco Dock, London
England fans across the country have been left disappointed after watching the team’s goalless clash with Scotland in Euro 2020
Hundreds of supporters had gathered at ticketed fan zones across the country including in Manchester and Hastings (pictured) as well as in Trafalgar Square, London, where one fan described an ‘electric’ atmosphere
Fans were left disappointed after the Three Lions failed to score against their rivals at Wembley Stadium in front of 22,500 supporters in the stands
England fans in Newcastle’s Times Square went through the gamut of emotions as they watched England draw 0-0 against Scotland this evening
Swarms of England fans had descended on central London despite the pouring rain to watch the team’s goalless clash at Wembley tonight
Hundreds of supporters wearing shirts and wrapped in flags have been chanting and singing across the capital for the match on Friday evening
The much-anticipated match, the 115th in international football’s oldest rivalry, was the first time the two sides have met in a major tournament since Euro 96 (fans pictured)
Fans were predicted to buy 3.4 million pints during the game as Wembley Stadium in north-west London hosted 22,500 people in the stands
Fans looked disappointed as they sat outside of Wembley Stadium in the rain to watch England’s goalless draw against Scotland earlier this evening
Other fan zones were set up across the county as supporters gathered to watch the clash. Pictured: Fan zone in Trafford Park, Manchester
One group of friends battled the rain as they took to the streets of Leeds, West Yorkshire, draped in an England flag earlier this evening
England fans enthusiastically reacted to a missed chance as they watched the England v Scotland UEFA Euro 2020 match at Vinegar Yard, London
One fan donned full face paint and draped himself in an England flag to watch this evening’s clash against Scotland from the fan zone in Trafford Park, Manchester
Dozens of fans reacted to a missed chance as they watched the England v Scotland UEFA Euro 2020 match at the fan zone in Trafford Park, Manchester
Fans reacted to the Euro 2020 clash of England v Scotland which was being shown on a large screen at Boxpark Croydon in south London this evening
England fans were left disappointed with the 0-0 scoreline earlier this evening.
Inside the Trafalgar Square fan zone England supporter Jamie Powell had predicted a one nil win for the Three Lions but said whatever the result it will be an ‘enjoyable night’.
The 24-year-old sales representative from London said: ‘The atmosphere on the way here was electric. Everyone was singing.
‘It was really positive vibes. You see both sets of fan singing. It’ll just be quite an enjoyable night for everyone. Even though it’s a big game I don’t think it matters with the England/Scotland rivalry, it’s going be good one.’
Police officer and fellow England fan Marni Oldfield, aged 23 and also from London, had said: ‘It’s nice to be out and to be able to watch it here (in the fan zone) like this.’
Dozens of England fans took to Twitter to voice their excitement ahead of their upcoming trips to boozers across the UK to watch the match with one saying: ‘The good thing about tonight’s game is we can go to the pub, regardless of the result I’m expecting it’s going to be a class occasion.’
And another said: ‘All the lads working on site will be fizzing today, it’s Friday, it’s pouring with rain so they’ll get rained off just in time to go pub all day and watch England v Scotland.’
While another one wrote: ‘What a day to be rained off!!!! Let the madness begin.’
But others were left disappointed as heavily-booked pubs have forced them to watch the match at home or at friends’ houses.
One unnamed fan said: ‘People are being overly cautious in a country that has the world’s best vaccine programme and as a result of the Covid regulations you have to book ages in advance.
‘My mates and I tried with five days to go till the match and came up blank over several boroughs in London. It’s a f****** joke.’
Fans were ultimately left disappointed after the Three Lions failed to score against their rivals at Wembley Stadium in front of 22,500 supporters in the stands (crowds in Croydon)
Fans draped themselves in England flags as they watched the clash with Scotland at 4TheFans Park, Manchester, earlier this evening
England fans in Newcastle’s Times Square have gone through a range emotions as they watched England take on Scotland this evening during Euro 2020
Supporters reacted to the big screen at the 4TheFans Fan Park at Event City in Manchester during the highly-anticipated match earlier today
One England fan committed himself to supporting the team as he arrived prior to the UEFA Euro 2020 football match between England and Scotland at Wembley
Fans gathered in Newcastle’s Times Square to watch England take on Scotland this evening during Euro 2020 as supporters of the two nations watched the Wembley action outdoors on big screens across the UK
Hundreds of supporters wearing shirts and wrapped in flags made their way to the stadium for the much-anticipated clash that ended 0-0
Fans wrapped themselves in England flags as they took to the stands of Wembley Stadium to cheer on their team in the clash this evening
England fans in Newcastle’s Times Square went through a range emotions as they watched England take on Scotland this evening during Euro 2020
Hundreds of fans gathered to watch the England v Scotland UEFA Euro 2020 match at the fan zone in Trafford Park, Manchester
Euro 2020 football tournament fever grips England fans in Newcastle upon Tyne who had gathered to watch the goalless draw earlier this evening
The England v Scotland clash which was held at Wembley Stadium left fans in Trafford Park, Manchester, on the edge of their seats
One England fan wore a face mask depicting Harry Maguire prior to the UEFA Euro 2020 match between England and Scotland that ended goalless
England fans gathered outside of the stadium as Wembley Stadium hosted 22,500 people for the England vs Scotland game that kicked off at 8pm on Friday
Fans were predicted to have bought 3.4 million pints during the game, with a total of 14.8 million sold across England and Scotland across the match day, according to estimates by the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA).
But the trade association claimed that due to Covid-19 restrictions, including social distancing, rule of six and no standing, that beer sales were reduced by almost 850,000 pints – causing a revenue loss of around £3.2 million for pubs across England and Scotland.
Chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association Emma McClarkin said: ‘Whether you’re supporting England or Scotland, nothing beats watching the game at the pub.
‘Given pubs have been closed or faced restrictions for more than a year in both England and Scotland, every little helps and is critical to their recovery and survival.
Swarms of England fans descended on fan zones despite the pouring rain for the team’s clash with Scotland in Euro 2020 this evening. Pictured: Fans at the Hastings Pier
Supporters cheered on their team at the 4TheFans Fan Park in Manchester while watching the UEFA Euro 2020 football match between England and Scotland
Fan zones were set up across the county as supports gathered to watch the clash at Wembley Stadium. Pictured: England fans in Manchester
England fans donned flags and face masks as they arrived for the clash at Wembley Stadium earlier this evening
Hundreds of supporters wearing shirts and wrapped in flags gathered outside Wembley Stadium in north-west London for this evening’s clash
Hundreds of fans were left on the edge of their seats as they watched the highly-anticipated clash at the fan zone in Trafford Park, Manchester
England supporters posed for a photograph as they prepared to cheer England on against Scotland at the 4TheFans Fan Park in Manchester which ended 0-0
England fans in Newcastle’s Times Square went through the gamut of emotions as they watched England take on Scotland this evening
Supporters arrived wearing a different kind of mask to watch the England v Scotland UEFA Euro 2020 match at the socially-distanced fan zone in Trafford Park, Manchester
Dozens of fans were undeterred by the pouring rain this evening as they gathered at Vinegar Yard, London, to watch the England match
Dozens of fans were left disappointed after watching the England v Scotland UEFA Euro 2020 match at the Hastings Pier fan zone earlier this evening
‘Given the delay in England to the lockdown and with rumours suggesting a similar delay could be coming in Scotland, it is a real great shame that fans will not even be able to enjoy the tournament without restrictions in the latter stages.
‘All restrictions on pubs in England and Scotland must be removed as soon as possible for our sector to survive and recover.’
Earlier in the day the Met Police’s football chief had warned fans not to travel to Wembley without a ticket.
Chief Inspector Joseph Stokoe said: ‘It’s a shame, it feels like there aren’t enough places for the fans to enjoy themselves, but that’s why the message has always been – if you don’t have a ticket, don’t travel.
‘Enjoy the match, enjoy the event locally, in a safer event… don’t come here, because unfortunately because of what’s gone on across the world, we’ve been unable to provide the amount of fan zones you might expect in normal times.’
Fans were predicted to buy 3.4 million pints during the game, with a total of 14.8 million sold across England and Scotland on match day, according to estimates by the British Beer and Pub Association
Mounted police patrolled outside of Wembley Stadium as fans arrived ahead of the UEFA Euro 2020 Group D match between England and Scotland
Fan zones were set up across the county as supports gathered to watch the clash at Wembley Stadium in north-west London. Pictured: Supporters in Trafford Park, Manchester
Police watched on as fans gathered outside of Wembley Stadium for the UEFA Euro 2020 Group D match between England and Scotland
Hundreds of supporters wearing shirts and wrapped in flags gathered at the ticketed fan zone in Trafalgar Square, London, this evening
Supporters reacted at the 4TheFans Fan Park in Manchester as they watched the UEFA EURO 2020 football match between England and Scotland
One England fan even took a ball to Wembley Stadium as supporters gathered ahead of the UEFA Euro clash with Scotland this evening
England fans appeared to be in good spirits as they cheered from the stands of Wembley Stadium ahead of the clash earlier this evening
He said officers have been reminding fans that some Londoners are ‘still living under the fear of the pandemic’, adding that spreading the Met’s resources between fighting crime and policing the football is ‘a balancing act’.
Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon echoed the warning for Scottish fans to stay away from London, adding that coronavirus is not a fan of Scotland or England’s men’s football team.
She said: ‘I know these precautions are tiresome for everybody in every context and they’re particularly tiresome when people are trying to enjoy the normal pleasures of a football match.
‘But this virus, it doesn’t care about football – it’s not a Scotland fan or an England fan, it only cares about spreading from one person to another.’
But the arrival of crowds of fans from Scotland in London was ‘inevitable’ due to the ‘once in a generation’ nature of the event, said one supporter.
Supporters of England were in high spirits prior to the UEFA Euro 2020 match between England and Scotland at Wembley Stadium this evening
Fans gathered to watch the highly-anticipated England v Scotland UEFA Euro 2020 match at the fan zone in Trafford Park, Manchester
Other fan zones were set up across the county as supports gather to watch the clash at Wembley Stadium in north-west London. Pictured: Fans in Manchester
The much-anticipated match, the 115th in international football’s oldest rivalry, was the first time the two sides have met in a major tournament since Euro 96. Pictured: Fans outside Wembley
One England supporter was seen sporting some statement headgear as he arrived at the fan zone in Trafford Park, Manchester
Hundreds of fans could barely contain their emotions as they watched England in their tense Euro 2020 clash against Scotland
England fans went all out to show their support in the stands of Wembley Stadium prior to the highly-anticipated UEFA Euro 2020 clash
Hundreds of football fans gathered to watch the England v Scotland UEFA Euro 2020 match at Vinegar Yard, London, earlier today
Gary, a Glaswegian who did not want to give his surname, said people have likely made an ‘educated assessment of the risk’.
The 30-year-old consultant who lives in London said: ‘It was inevitable, regardless of restrictions in place. You can’t stop the masses coming down to celebrate a once in a generation event.
‘We’re in a situation where we’ve had enough vaccinations so we have some protection. Obviously there’s the risk with the Delta variant, but I think there’s been an educated assessment of the risk.
‘Of course you want everybody to go and enjoy themselves.’
He had predicted a 2-1 win for Scotland, he added: ‘99% of the rivalry will be friendly. It’ll be a laugh.’
Officers arrested two men on Thursday night, including a 25-year-old for indecent exposure in Hyde Park, before later releasing him.
Another man was arrested for attempted theft of a police officer’s hat, assault with intent of avoiding arrest and assault of an emergency services worker.
He is currently being held at a south London police station.
