Drink it in: Pub fans roar England through to Euro 2020 final - in pictures
Ecstatic fans celebrated long and loud in pubs around the West Midlands as England finally made it back to the final of a major tournament.
England secured their place in the final of Euro 2020 against Italy, their first major final since the World Cup final of 1966, after coming from behind in the semi-final to beat Denmark 2-1 in extra-time at Wembley Stadium.
They will return to the national stadium to take on the Italians on Sunday after a dramatic game in front of nearly 60,000 fans.
Victory secured England’s first appearance in the final of a major football tournament since the famous 1966 World Cup win.
And fans were confident of overcoming underdogs Denmark in front of a partisan crowd, where England supporters outnumbered the Danes by around six-to-one.
It was a performance that delighted fans both watching the game live and in pubs across the region.
At the Mount Tavern in Wolverhampton, supporters were gathering more than an hour before the 8pm kick off to get their seats and prepare themselves for the game.
The pub has been a popular venue for football matches and has welcomed fans in throughout the tournament, decking the walls with flags of all the competing nations and having the games on three TVs and a big screen around the pub.
There were chants of “It’s coming home” and tables of fans wearing a wide range of England shirts and singing England songs including Three Lions, Vindaloo and World in Motion.
Mount Tavern manager Melissa Nicholls, 33, from Penn, was keen to talk about how the game had brought people together.
“It’s just nice to see everyone back and cheering for the same thing,” she said.
Sarb Calgotra from Penn, 53, added: “I think it’s a fantastic team that Gareth Southgate has and he’s taken brilliant club players and moulded them into a great international side.”
Before kick-off Anthony Harris said he wasn’t feeling nervous about the match, with the 41-year-old from Penn saying the quality of the squad is what would win the game for England.
The game was a tense occasion to begin with, with supporters nervously watching both sides have early chances.
There were shouts of anger at decisions going against England and roars of support as England made progress.
The tension was palpable as both sides came close with chances on goal, with some supporters unable to look at the screen.
The win for England saw fans celebrate a first major semi- final win in 55 years, with many in the Mount Tavern overjoyed at England’s progress to the final.
John Simpson from Fordhouses said he had felt confident before and the 39-year-old spoke of his joy at the win for England.
He said: “There were a few questions at the beginning, but I think Gareth Southgate has answered them all and produced a great side. Winning tonight means the world to me, it really does, as I’ve waited for this moment since the world cup in 1990 and it’s just so great.”
