Lookalike contests to Etsy witch spells: How England supporters are gearing up for tonight’s semi-final with Argentina
With England’s World Cup semi-final clash just hours away, fans across the country are pulling out all the stops in the hope of seeing the Three Lions emerge victorious.
St George’s flags fly in homes and streets and hundreds of thousands of fans flock to pubs and bars to watch the match.
The British Beer and Pub Association has predicted a 75 per cent increase in sales, with pubs expected to fill an extra six million pints on Wednesday.
Ahead of the match, dozens of people gathered at BOXPARK in Shoreditch for a Jude Bellingham lookalike contest; where the winner received a £1,966 Deliveroo credit as a tribute to England’s last win in the World Cup.
Meanwhile, others announced on social media that they were supporting Thomas Tuchel’s team by buying “spells” from self-proclaimed witches on Etsy in the hope that it would guarantee England’s win.
Tuchel said that they are ready to face the Argentinian team, which wants to reach the men’s World Cup final for the first time in 60 years.
Major screenings of the match will be held at venues across the country.
Leeds City Council welcomes fans in Millennium Square to a giant high-definition LED screen with concert-style sound.
At London’s Alexandra Palace, the match will be shown on a “huge indoor screen” and fans will be promised “football anthems, songs and pre-match classics before kick-off”.
Silverworks Island is keeping its main stage open to fans after FISHER’s weekend gig, and Manchester’s outdoor events pavilion Castlefield Bowl will also screen the game with “full festival-style preparation before kick-off”.
Football fans will be able to watch the match in many cinemas, including Vue and Picturehouse Cinemas.
British Airways has promised to keep its crew updated on the scores to inform passengers who cannot watch the match.
If England win, London City Hall will hold a screening for the final, with the O2 identified as a possible venue.
Tonight’s match kicks off at 8pm (BST) in Atlanta and police have stepped up security across the city in anticipation of the “highest risk” match.
The winner will face Spain on Sunday at the New Jersey Stadium in New York.
Sir Keir Starmer faced pleas at the latest Prime Minister’s Questions to end his premiership with a World Cup win.
He said he had “an important appointment with the television” and wished England luck in the last days of the tournament.
The prime minister is expected to declare a public holiday if England win the final, and this announcement is likely to be made following tonight’s victory.
