Latest news with #EnglandFans
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Chloe Kelly brings magic and sheer chaos as England abandon all logic
Chloe Kelly walks up to the penalty spot as if she's in her back garden. She stops. She pauses. She picks the ball up and spins it back onto the spot, as if no one is watching or waiting for the kick to keep England's Euro defence alive, after three successive misses. So Kelly waits a little longer. She spins the ball back onto the spot three more times. Kelly actually needs to pee. Some England players on the halfway line have lost track of the score as Kelly steps back. She locks eyes with goalkeeper Jennifer Falk and can't help herself from grinning due to the sheer enormity of the moment. But Kelly sticks with what she knows: she lifts her left leg, skips a little, and, with her right foot, effortlessly places the biggest penalty of her life into the corner. Confident? That doesn't quite cut it. 'She was getting a lot of momentum, the goalkeeper,' Kelly said afterwards. Did Kelly know that Sweden's goalkeeper was up next, with the chance to knock England out and send Sweden through? Probably not. But given the way Kelly turned and roared at the England fans in Zurich as Falk picked herself up to walk to the spot, you wouldn't put it past her. 'It was the same as the Nigerian game,' Kelly said when asked what was going through her mind. 'I was bursting for a wee.' Pure Kelly. Pure chaos. Even when Falk then missed, there was a lot still to unfold in a remarkable, mind-twisting shootout in Zurich. But the player who needed to take the penalty to keep England in the Euros turned out to be the right one. It could only be the right one. Up fifth, Kelly had twice won a penalty shootout for England, against Nigeria in the World Cup and Brazil in the Finalissima. This was her moment to save them, just as Kelly had already done, around 45 minutes before. She began on the sidelines, back in a familiar place. Three years after her role as super-sub won England the Euros, Kelly had yet to escape from the bench and graduate into Sarina Wiegman's starting lineup. But if anyone knows how to make an impact off the bench, it's Kelly. And in Zurich, the Wembley match-winner of Euro 2022 was the saviour of England's Euro 2025. Brought on in the 78th minute, Kelly's first assist came in the 79th, the second in the 81st. Two perfect crosses, played with pace and the desire to change the game, found their targets to turn a quarter-final on its head. 'I felt good, coming onto the pitch, playing to my strengths and trying to put the ball in a box,' she explained. 'We know we have such strong headers of the ball. The girls put the ball in the back of the net and it was incredible.' There was not enough time for snapping her fingers, but England's 'positive clique' had delivered for Wiegman again. With a gameplan in tatters and the Lionesses heading home, perhaps the only souls in Zurich who still believed were those warming the bench. Kelly revealed this week that England's substitutes have their own group chat, separate from the squad, where they can motivate each other into taking their chance should it come. Kelly led from the front, as England forced extra time and then survived it, but she was not alone. Wiegman's substitutes were eclectic, random, and at the time surprising. Protection in midfield? Depth in attack? Control in the buildup? Wiegman appeared to laugh in the face of any concept that wasn't just pure chaos and England were better off with it. 'Sarina knows what she's doing,' Beth Mead said. 'There's method in the madness and I think that showed today.' But England had ended up with a formation that made no sense: Keira Walsh was left by herself in midfield, then it was down to Grace Clinton to cover such a wide expanse of the pitch on her own. Lauren James was allowed to float where she could, sometimes holding next to Walsh, sometimes pushing to join the Arsenal quartet of Kelly, Mead, Michelle Agyemang and the tireless Alessia Russo in attack. James was everywhere and stood up when it mattered most. Lucy Bronze, who has seen it all with England but may not have experienced a comeback quite like this, ended up as a right-winger and plundered England's route back into the game as she arrived at the back post. Alex Greenwood was the last one standing in defence, marshalling Esme Morgan and Niamh Charles, who made a crucial block to keep it 2-2. Hannah Hampton made big saves at 2-0, then helped England survive the onslaught. Never before had Wiegman's intended plan deviated to such a wild extent. England had named the same team that had so comfortably beaten the Netherlands and Wales, but Sweden tore right through it. For England, it came from a collective place of such naivety, bordering even on arrogance, that Sweden couldn't believe what had been handed to them as they raced into a two-goal lead while the Lionesses routinely shot themselves in the foot by playing out from the back. Off came Jess Carter, along with Georgia Stanway and Ella Toone. There was no replacement midfielder. 'People came on the pitch, they had to do different jobs,' Mead explained. 'I was playing as a number six, number 10, as a winger... weirdly, it didn't feel chaotic. I think if Sarina asks you to do it, you do it and as a player, you back yourself.' Instead, England went direct and Kelly produced her magic from the wings: her cross for Bronze's header came just 68 seconds after coming onto the pitch, the second delivery led to more mayhem and Agyemang's equaliser a couple of minutes later. Then penalties arrived and Kelly again knew where she needed to be: spinning the ball on the spot, playing her own game, this time to save England and send them through.
BBC News
22-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
England fans show passion ahead of Euro 2025 semi-final
I have never been to Geneva before but I imagine having large crowds of England fans stood outside a pub in the central city on a sunny, hot Tuesday afternoon is not the norm. I arrive to chants of "come on England", accompanied by a drum, followed by trumpet song and shouts of "Sarina" in homage to the England manager Sarina Wiegman. I first meet Lisa and Jen, who have been in Geneva since Thursday after having spent four days hiking in the Alps. "Down here it's a bit busier, as you can imagine, but we're really enjoying it," says Lisa, who turns 50 next week and may be celebrating the milestone on the same day that England play in the final if they beat Italy. "Fingers crossed eh," she says. Both women are among those lucky enough to have tickets to the semi-final and say they are very excited to support the team."I'm probably going to be get quite emotional," she says. Also looking forward to watching the semi-final match at the stadium are Kerry, Chrissy and Charlotte, who have all met as a result of the tournament. "Everyone's really friendly, so you can sort of just talk to anyone," says Chrissy. "It's been more emotional than I was expecting. Last week's game [the quarter-final] really took it out of us," she is not alone in feeling that the nail nail-biting quarter-final match against Sweden was hard for the nerves. Other England fans I spoke to also described it as an "emotional rollercoaster" but they are thrilled the Lionesses came out on top. Charlotte says she developed a real love of the sport when she attended the Euro 2022 final, when England beat Germany."I'm just really excited to kind of go through those emotions again and this time be really passionate about it," she meeting for the first time at the Euros were Manish, who lives in the Swiss city of Bern but supports England, and Stephen, who is British and says he believes Switzerland has been doing a great job as tournament hosts. "It's an amazing place. Great country, great people, great hospitality, it's been wonderful." Fans I have spoken to are particularly keen to support defender Jess Carter, who revealed she has been targeted with racist abuse on social media throughout the tournament."All of the Lionesses... we are truly behind them," Jen tells me she supports the England team in their decision not to take the knee on Tuesday. On Sunday, England's players said they would stand at kick-off instead of kneeling as it was "clear we and football need to find another way to tackle racism". PROFILE: The 'unassuming' teen who plays the piano before scoring winnersWHO ARE THE LIONESSES? Meet the England squad
The Sun
10-06-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
England supporters pay touching tribute to 26-year-old Chelsea fan killed in M1 crash in 26th minute vs Senegal
ENGLAND fans held a minute's applause following the tragic death of 26-year-old Harrison Turner. Turner's beloved Three Lions hosted Senegal at the City Ground, with his cousins in the crowd. 2 Harrison was tragically killed after being struck while working on a motorway hard shoulder on May 30. He suffered serious injuries and died at the scene of the crash close to the southbound slip road at junction 8 of the M1. Harrison's loving family organised for the minute's applause to take place in the 26th minute in his honour. Thomas Tuchel 's side were leading 1-0 after Harry Kane slotted in his 73rd international goal in the seventh minute. According to his family, the youngster was a huge England fan that went home and away. He was also a big Chelsea supporter, regularly attending Stamford Bridge to cheer on the Blues. A man, 58, from Luton, was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, driving while unfit through drink or drugs and failing to stop at the scene of a collision. Det Sgt Ben Heath, from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: "Our thoughts are with the man's loved ones at this difficult time. "Our inquiries are continuing, and I am appealing for anyone with information to please come forward. "Did you see what happened, or witness anything before the collision? "I would like to take this opportunity to thank the public for their patience whilst we put road closures in place." Anyone who saw the crash, has information or dash cam footage has been urged to contact the police.
Telegraph
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Why England football fans have turned on Keir Starmer
When Sir Keir Starmer became Prime Minister during last summer's European Championship, hardcore England fans summed up the expectations of much of the country. 'Not long after Labour won in 1997 England won Le Tournoi. It's coming home,' one member of the England Supporters Travel Club (ESTC) wrote on its official Facebook group. That the post attracted dozens of laughter emojis and comments such as 'every cloud I suppose' suggested hopes were not high the party's landslide general election victory would usher in a new golden age for the UK. At the same time, there was no sign of any open hostility from England 's most loyal fans towards Labour or its leader. That all changed dramatically on Saturday when many of the 7,000 of them who attended the country's 1-0 World Cup qualifying win against Andorra loudly and repeatedly branded Starmer a 'c---' and 'w----r'. Never before had a Prime Minister been singled out for that scale of abuse at a football match. Not Margaret Thatcher after the Poll Tax, Tony Blair after the Iraq War, Boris Johnson after 'Partygate' or Liz Truss after she 'crashed the economy'. Exactly why Starmer was targeted on Saturday is known only to those who took part in the chanting, but the game was played weeks after he lost his first by-election since becoming Prime Minister – as well as scores of seats in local government – to Nigel Farage's Reform UK. It also took place days after the Prime Minister signed a deal with the European Union that political opponents called a 'betrayal' of Brexit and the crossing of the channel by 1,200 migrants in small boats across a single day. 'Reform have got themselves elected on immigration' Among those at Saturday's match was Simon Harris, a veteran member of the ESTC who was also, until recently, a Conservative member of Shropshire Council. Harris, who has followed England home and away for more than a quarter of a century, told Telegraph Sport he did not hear the abuse of Starmer and had not spoken to anyone involved. But the 67-year-old, a 'one-nation' Tory who voted Remain in the EU referendum, said that much of the England fanbase was pro-Brexit. He also acknowledged Starmer's ongoing failure to 'Smash the gangs' responsible for small-boat crossings would not have gone unnoticed by those who had put up 'Stop the Boats' stickers in Germany during Euro 2024. 'When the tide goes out, the immigration thing, it's what Reform have got themselves basically elected on,' Harris added. Watching Saturday's match on television was Richard Caborn, the Labour sports minister for six years in the Blair government. He speculated the reason behind the chanting may have been either the 'rise of Reform or right-wing nationalism coming back into play', adding: 'We've had the National Front and all them who've tried to infiltrate football.' Indeed, footage was posted to social media before Saturday's game purporting to show England fans in a bar in Spain serenading far-right firebrand Tommy Robinson. Downing Street did not respond to requests for comment on why it thought Starmer had been targeted, while Farage told Telegraph Sport simply: 'I have never known a Prime Minister viewed with such contempt by working people.' Unrest over Starmer's EU deal and small-boat crossings are not the only possible reasons for Saturday's chanting about a Prime Minister who took office four days after Jude Bellingham's dramatic overhead kick rescued England from one of their worst ever defeats. Their Euro 2024 last-16 victory against Slovakia ensured a dream start to the job for arguably the most committed football supporter ever to become Prime Minister. Diehard Arsenal supporter Starmer had made his fandom a key plank of his election campaign and he continued to exploit it during England's march to the tournament's final. After their quarter-final penalty shoot-out win over Switzerland, he joked they had 'not missed a penalty under a Labour Government in 2024'. He was photographed watching their last-gasp semi-final win over the Netherlands during a Nato summit in Washington. And he attended the final against Spain, raising hopes of a Bank Holiday if England ended their near 60-year wait for a major trophy – which they did not. A Euro 2024 triumph was always unlikely to buy Starmer an extended honeymoon given the Southport stabbings that followed days later and the riots that ensued. This violence led to him being branded 'two-tier Keir' by Elon Musk over allegations white protestors were being treated more harshly than minorities by the police. #TwoTierKeir — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 6, 2024 The summer had not yet finished when news first broke of what became known as the Labour freebies scandal. It was later reported that Starmer had accepted more than £107,145 worth of gifts, benefits and hospitality since the previous General Election in 2019 – including tickets to Arsenal matches and concerts by Taylor Swift and Coldplay. That is two-and-a-half times more than any other MP during the same period. His use of the directors' box at the Emirates Stadium after becoming Prime Minister caused particular controversy, a move he defended by arguing it would cost the taxpayer more in security for him to sit in his normal seat. With many seeing Labour's landslide election win as less of an endorsement of Labour and more an indictment of Tory sleaze, the freebies scandal could hardly have been a worse start to life in Number 10 for Starmer. It has been followed by the likes of further rows and protests over two-tier policing and sentencing, an inheritance tax raid on farmers and the removal of winter fuel payments to pensioners. Even moves by Starmer to prevent a repeat of the European Super League debacle that caused one of the biggest ever revolts by English football fans has become mired in controversy. An investigation has been launched into accusations of cronyism against Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy's proposed choice to lead the game's new independent regulator. All this and more could be among the reasons England supporters engaged in anti-Starmer chanting less than a year since he took office. 'He needs to convince them he's doing a good job' How much the Prime Minister needs to worry about that with another four years to go until the next general election – after England co-host the next Euros in 2028 – is even more open to debate. These are the same group of fans, after all, who continue to sing 'No Surrender' in the national anthem more than a quarter of a century after the Good Friday Agreement and chant 'Ten German Bombers' following Thomas Tuchel's appointment as England manager. They also unveiled a new song during Saturday's match about Germany having 'never won a war' and, by the end of what was a dull game, were chanting 'Ian, Ian, Ian' at Andorra defender Ian Olivera. Harris said Starmer should be most concerned about the views of those members of the fanbase who had not abused him on Saturday, particularly those who would have once been seen as traditional Labour or working-class Tory voters. 'I think he needs to win them,' he said. 'The centre, which is Keir Starmer, needs to win and convince those people that he's doing a good job. I don't think that is happening.' He added: 'I think he does have a problem. I think all centrist politicians have a problem at the moment. And I think what you may be seeing is a sort of reaction to that and that sense of disengagement which people have got.' Caborn warned it would be wrong to overplay how much those involved on Saturday represented the wider football fanbase, never mind the country at large, but he did say that Starmer should have concerns about his standing among England supporters. 'A Prime Minister that didn't would not be serious,' he said. 'You always take these things seriously and you want to find what the root causes are.' Stressing why football was so important to governments, he added: 'They see that is where their constituency is. It's as simple as that, in my view. What is it Bill Shankly said? Life, death and football.' Asked if Starmer would have a real cause to worry if Saturday's chanting spread to the wider fanbase during England's friendly against Senegal at Nottingham Forest's City Ground on Tuesday night, Caborn replied: 'Absolutely, yeah.'
Telegraph
09-06-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
‘Ten German Bombers' video posted on FA-run England fans page
A video showing England fans singing 'Ten German Bombers' in front of a young boy has been posted to a Facebook group run by the Football Association. The 22-second clip was uploaded to the official page of the England Supporters Travel Club (ESTC) a little under two hours before Thomas Tuchel's first away game as national team manager. The footage shows a number of fans singing the illicit chant in a bar, including a man carrying on his shoulders a young boy wearing a red England top with Harry Kane's name on the back. The video is captioned: 'If I ever wanted to be a Dad! Parenting correctly. Memories made.' It remained available to watch on the ESTC Facebook group on Monday, despite that group being run by the FA itself and despite attracting a comment which read, 'FA staff currently scanning the video to issue bans', along with crying-with-laughter emoji. The footage appears to have been filmed in Barcelona, where England's 1-0 World Cup qualifying victory over Andorra took place on Saturday. Another comment on the video read: 'Superb. Was the lads [sic] second away game (after Ireland last Sept) and they're heading to Salou now. What a dad.' An FA spokesperson said: 'We have been made aware of this video, and it has been deleted. It is inappropriate and disrespectful. We always ask fans to follow us in the right way – showing support for the team and respecting others, as so many did in great number in Barcelona. We are working with our security team and the England Supporters Travel Club membership team on the appropriate next steps.' The video was posted shortly before England fans were heard singing about Sir Keir Starmer at Saturday's match, calling the Prime Minister a 'c---' and 'w-----'. Tuchel said afterwards he had not heard any offensive chanting but added: 'If it happened, it's not acceptable.' Telegraph Sport has been told that supporters were singing what appears to be a new song about Germany having 'never won a war' during the match. A clip was uploaded to X the previous evening purporting to show fans in what appears to be a bar in Spain performing the same chant. On top of this, footage appeared on Saturday night claiming to show fans serenading far-right firebrand Tommy Robinson. The respective videos have been viewed more than one million and more than two million times. The FA had no direct control over the dissemination of the material on X, unlike that posted to the ESTC Facebook group, which is private and accessible only to paid-up members of England's most loyal fans. The group, which has more than 10,000 members, has strict rules governing what can be uploaded, the number one being that users must 'Represent England the right way'. It adds: 'Members should act as ambassadors for the England team, and behave in such a way that will continue to enhance the image of English supporters.' The video is the first evidence of ESTC members continuing to chant 'Ten German Bombers' since Tuchel officially started as England's first German manager In January. In November, Telegraph Sport revealed how his appointment had failed to stop fans singing the song after the team's 5-0 thrashing of Republic of Ireland. Audio recorded by this newspaper showed it being performed loudly while supporters were being funnelled into Wembley Park underground station following the Nations League game. That was after some England fans responded to Tuchel's appointment by posting on social media that they hoped it would finally kill off the shameful soundtrack – which mocks German casualties during the Second World War to the tune of She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain. Before last summer's European Championship in Germany, police in Gelsenkirchen told any supporter thinking of singing the song at the tournament: 'Don't be a d---.' But that was immediately ignored ahead of England's opening match against Serbia in the city and it continued to be sung during the country's run to the final. At the previous Euros in 2021, the Fare Network, which operates Uefa's anti-discrimination monitoring system, submitted an official report to European football's governing body about the song being performed during England's opening fixture against Croatia. Piara Powar, the executive director of Fare, told Telegraph Sport at the time: 'We would classify it as an ultra-nationalist song that, sung within certain contexts, would be seen as an insult and discriminatory.' But the incident was not deemed to meet the threshold for sanctions to be imposed upon the FA, which would also have been hampered attempting to identify anyone singing it by coronavirus restrictions that included the wearing of masks at matches. Four years earlier, the song was loudly sung in England's friendly against Germany in Dortmund and accompanied by gestures mimicking aircraft in flight.
