The day after the night before for England fans as Three Lions supporters nurse hangovers after partying into the early hours following the team's breathtaking win over the Netherlands

The day after the night before for England fans as Three Lions supporters nurse hangovers after partying into the early hours following the team's breathtaking win over the Netherlands
By: dailymail Posted On: July 11, 2024 View: 207

Three Lions supporters are nursing hangovers today after partying into the early hours following the team's breathtaking win over the Netherlands last night.

England fans are daring to dream after the team moved one step closer to Euro 2024 glory by beating the Netherlands 2-1 in a dramatic semi-final.

Many were out all night celebrating the win after late substitute Ollie Watkins sent the nation into delirium when he fired a stunning strike with just seconds remaining to send Gareth Southgate's men into Sunday's final against Spain in Berlin.

Watkins had replaced captain Harry Kane, who had earlier equalised for England with a penalty in the first-half - cancelling out Xavi Simons' wonder strike which had given the Netherlands the lead inside seven minutes. 

But fans will be feeling the effects of their celebrations this morning as they drag themselves to work.

Three Lions supporters are nursing hangovers today after partying into the early hours following the team's breathtaking win over the Netherlands last night. Pictured are England Fans at Box Park Croydon, out for a drink at the box park in Croydon
An England fan carries a tray of Jager bombs as supporters celebrate their win
England fans in the Camp and Furnace Pub react as England play the Netherlands
Football fans spill out on to the street after consuming one beer too many after England's win
England fans at the AO Arena in Manchester during a screening of the semi-final match
England fans at BOXPark Wembley, London, react after Netherlands's Xavi Simons (not pictured) scores their side's first goal of the game
An England fan at Box Park Croydon celebrates with a drink last night
England fans at Central Park, Newcastle, scream in the rain as England goes through

England's star-studded squad were supported in Dortmund by an army of WAGs and celebrities including Adele and Ed Sheeran as they reached their first ever Euros final on foreign soil. 

Southgate's squad will now attempt to go one step further than Euro 2020, when they also reached the final but lost to Italy on penalties at Wembley.

Nervous England fans suffered early heartbreak when Simons opened the scoring with a thunderbolt shortly after kick-off. But their agony turned into euphoria when Kane equalised from the spot in the 18th minute.

With the game heading to extra-time again, Watkins - who had only been on the pitch nine minutes - clinched a historic winner in the 90th minute, prompting England's substitutes to run onto the pitch, as pints flew across pubs and fan zones at home.

England fans in the Camp and Furnace Pub react as England play the Netherlands
England fans at the AO Arena in Manchester celebrate last night
Ecstatic England fans react at Manchester's AO Arena as England score against Netherlands
England fans dressed as three lions celebrate the win in the stands after the UEFA Euro 2024 semi-final match at the BVB Stadion Dortmund

Among the England fans watching was Sir Keir Starmer who managed to catch Kane's goal in a room with his Dutch counterpart - as they are both in Washington for the Nato summit.

The Prime Minister got out of his seat as the spot-kick was drilled home, then shook hands with the Netherlands' PM Dick Schoof.

Sir Keir, who has confirmed that he will attend the final in Berlin on Sunday, posted on X: 'Picked the right moment to pop out from Nato meetings and check the score...'

Kane's penalty was controversially awarded by VAR after he went down from a Denzel Dumfries challenge in the aftermath of blazing a strike over the crossbar. But the England captain was not going to complain - and made no mistake in dispatching the penalty into the corner.

Ollie Watkins dramatically sent England into the final of the European Championship with a sensational strike
The substitute scored just minutes after coming onto the pitch, prompting England's substitutes to flood onto the pitch
His last minute winner sent England fans wild as the Euros dream inches closer
England fans threw their pints into the air and cheered as Watkins clinched the winner
Ollie Watkins sends the England fans into raptures after scoring a last-minute winner against Netherlands
The dramatic finale to the game saw England book their place in the Euro 2024 final on Sunday
A nervy second half culminated in sheer elation as Ollie Watkins scored an emphatic winner
There was a mixture of euphoria and relief as England reached their first Euros on foreign soil
Confetti exploded over England fans watching the semi-final in Manchester
This England fan simply soaked it all in as he celebrated England's winner
England fans celebrate in Dortmund after Watkins belted the winner home
England fans celebrate as confetti explodes over them following England's dramatic win
The Three Lions crowd around Ollie Watkins after he scored the winner against the Netherlands
English singer-songwriter Adele was in the stands to watch England's historic semi-final win
Ed Sheeran, who has spent time with the England squad in Germany, was also in the stands
An emotional Gareth Southgate celebrates at the full-time whistle after leading England to another final

In a much-improved England performance, the Three Lions then nearly doubled their lead as Phil Foden danced around several defenders in the box before rolling the ball under the keeper only to see his effort hooked off the line by Dumfries at the critical moment. 

The heavily-involved Dumfries almost made amends for giving away a penalty minutes later as he crashed a header off the bar from a corner.

But an electric England pushed for another and Foden came inches away from doing so, curling a stunning effort against the woodwork himself, before the break.

During the half-time break, ITV's Mark Pougatch paid tribute to BBC commentator John Hunt - whose wife and two daughters were allegedly shot dead with a crossbow in their home in Bushey, Hertfordshire, last night.

ITV commentator Sam Matterface then said: 'That echoes our thoughts, a wonderful commentator and a wonderful man.' 

In the second-half, England carried on from where they left as Saka drove to the byline and pulled the ball back, but had no support with him.

With 30 minutes remaining, the Netherlands came back into the game, seeing more of the ball as the semi-final became more even as England fans watched the game through their fingers.

Their pressure almost paid off as Virgil Van Dijk forced a smart save out of Pickford to keep the scores level in the 65th minute. 

England fans were sent into raptures again with 11 minutes to go as Saka gave the Three Lions the lead, finishing off a brilliant team goal. But their cheers soon turned to despair as the offside flag ruled that Walker - who cut the ball back for Saka - was offside in the lead-up.

Moving into the final seven minutes, Marc Guehi brilliantly intervened to block Wout Weghorst from scoring at the other end. 

And the memory of Saka's goal being ruled out was all forgotten about when Cole Palmer played Ollie Watkins in, who swiveled his body and fired a strike into the bottom left corner with seconds to go to send England to Berlin.

Shortly after full-time, King Charles and Queen Camilla congratulated the team, with a statement. His Majesty said: 'My wife and I join all our family in wishing you the warmest congratulations on reaching the final of the U.E.F.A. European Championship - and in sending our very best wishes for Sunday's match.

'If I may encourage you to secure victory before the need for any last minute wonder-goals or another penalties drama, I am sure the stresses on the nation's collective heart rate and blood pressure would be greatly alleviated! Good luck, England. Charles R.'

Prince William, the president of the FA and a lifelong Aston Villa fan, tweeted: 'What a beauty, Ollie! Congratulations England! #EURO2024 Finalists. W.'

Ollie Watkins leads the celebrations after scoring a historic winner for England
England fans at Peckham Arches in London celebrate after England's Ollie Watkins scores
England fans celebrate at Boxpark Wembley as the Three Lions reached the Euros final again
England fans at Peckham Arches in London celebrate the win at full-time
England fans celebrate during the UEFA EURO 2024 semi-final match between Netherlands and England
England fans go mental at Boxpark Croydon after the Three Lions' victory
Supporters will be partying long into the night after the sensational win in Dortmund
Fans were left with their hands on their heads after the staggering win
Fans wearing bucket hats were stunned by Watkins' last gasp winner
England fans celebrate Ollie Watkin's goal at the AO Arena in Manchester
The tops were flying off as England fans could not hid their elation
An England fan wearing a David Beckham shirt reacts after Watkins' winner
England fans jump up and down after the winner
England fans at Millennium Square, Leeds, during a screening of England's semi-final
England fans let off flares and get on each other's shoulders at Millenium Square, Leeds
England fans launch pints into the air after Harry Kane's equaliser
Fans were sent into a frenzy after equalising just 10 minutes after conceding
England fans go wild as Kane dispatches his penalty in the first-half of the semi-final
England fans throw pints in the air at Central Park, Newcastle, as Kane scores
Harry Kane celebrates after scoring a penalty against the Netherlands
England's squad, including Saka, Kane and Mainoo celebrate the equaliser in front of the fans
Singer Olly Murs was among those who were watching the game at Boxpark Wembley
Xavi Simons celebrates after opening the scoring with a stunning strike past a helpless Jordan Pickford
Dutch fans celebrate after Xavi gave them an early lead in Dortmund on Wednesday evening
Dumfries hits the crossbar in the first-half
He also cleared the ball off the line after Foden thought he had scored
Foden's curling strike hits the post in the first-half

The build-up to the semi-final was marred by violence as Dutch hooligans injured five England fans in a series of shameless attacks at Dortmund bars.

Thousands of fans who packed out the BVB Stadion Dortmund were also drenched with torrential rain due to a leaking roof. 

But the Three Lions' travelling fan base will be celebrating into the night after a historic win. 

Speaking after the game, Watkins told the BBC: 'I never thought I'd be playing in the Euros for England. You can dream but I am a realist, I just take by day and one step at a time. I was just focused on getting back into the first team at Exeter!

'I have put a lot of work to get to this point, not just this season. I will enjoy every moment.

'Recently I have obviously got a bit frustrated. I don't like to be on the bench, I have had the best season of my career. 

'A few friends messaged me and said be patient and the amount of people who messaged me tonight saying I would score when I come on was ridiculous. Hopefully they can do the same for the final or give me the lottery numbers.'

England fans danced with joy  and sang 'all the way, all the way' after Watkins' late goal put the Three Lions in the final.

Among the fans who was 69-year-old James Whittaker, from Birmingham.

He said: 'It is one of the best feelings in the world right now. This England team are bringing our country together and giving us all to celebrate.

'I retired last year as a binman and this trip with my family is the first holiday I've had in five years. It's so wonderful.

'I am from Birmingham and Ollie has made the entire Midlands and England fans everywhere so proud.'

Moments before Kane's goal, fans were left devastated by the Netherlands' opener
Many were left stunned by the incredible opening goal that gave England a mountain to climb
England fans were visibly nervous during the semi-final clash in Dortmund on Wednesday night
The England squad huddle together and celebrate after scoring moments after the Netherlands
Harry Kane celebrates with Jude Bellingham after scoring
England fans have packed out the Dortmund stadium
There was euphoria when England equalised
Three Lions fans erupted at Boxpark Wembley when Kane buried his penalty
England fans pose as Three Lions at the Dortmund stadium in Germany on Wednesday night
England fans were running through the emotions as the Three Lions battled for the final against the Netherlands
England fans groan after Bukayo Saka's goal is ruled out for offside
England were electric in the first-half but fans were visibly struggling in the second-half
England fans pray for a Three Lions victory as they watch the game at Boxpark Wembley

Bill Steele, 40, of Manchester, kissed his England badge and raised his beer towards the England team as they celebrated.

Mr Steele said: 'This is just awesome. I was prepared for extra time. And then the unexpected happened we scored a winner. Absolutely amazing.'

Gavin Lee, 47, of Southend, said: 'What a great night for England. For the supporters and the players. I would not have missed this for the world.

'It was such a surprise when we scored with only a few minutes left. I was psyching myself up for an extra half hour and maybe penalties.

'But the atmosphere right now is unbelievable. The fans are just singing and celebrating and we are so happy. Thank you, Harry Kane and the team.

'I just wish I had a ticket for Sunday. It's going to be an incredible final.'

Kieran Maloney of Manchester said: 'This is the best night of my 21 years.

'My heart is still pumping and I just can't believe I am there for this night.

'We showed tonight that we are a team who play for each other and don't give up. When we went a goal down, it could've so easily been over . But we have come back and we're are in the final!'

Callum Kay, 21,  wiped away tears of joy and said: 'I never thought I'd see such a great night, and such a great performance from an England.

'I can't stop crying. My whole body is in shock. But it's such a great feeling.

'I can tell you one thing. I don't have a hotel room tonight so all I can do is go drink loads of beer and just keep celebrating.'

Both sets of supporters descended on Dortmund in their droves - with England's fans outnumbered on a rare occasion. Back in the UK, the motorways were empty at kick-off as fans at home were glued to their screens.

The Orange Army marched through the streets of the German city ahead of kick-off, singing, dancing and letting off flares as they followed an orange double-decker bus to the stadium. 

It was a night to remember for the young England squad - who put on their best performance of the tournament by far. 

The calm before the storm
Gareth Southgate applauds the fans ahead of kick-off at the Dortmund stadium on Wednesday
Megan Davidson, the wife of Jordan Pickford
Love Island star Dani Dyer, the partner of Jarrod Bowen
Anouska Santos, the partner of Luke Shaw
Kyle Walker's wife Annie Kilner was in attendance - having stirred up controversy in recent weeks
Ollie Watkins' partner Ellie Alderson and his family watch on
Lewis Dunk's partner Abi Yaxley
Harry Kane's wife Kate Goodland
English singer-songwriter Adele (L) sits in the stands as she joined A-list celebs at the game

The crunch clash came after tens of thousands of Dutch and England fans had partied the day away in Dortmund. 

Some 40,000 Three Lions supporters are in Dortmund for the game as England played their third semi-final in the past four major tournaments. 

Millions more were watching back home on TV with 28million people expected to tune into ITV's coverage and an estimated 35million pints set to be poured.

The Three Lions topped their group in unconvincing fashion; scraping through against Slovakia after a late Jude Bellingham strike in the last 16; then beating Switzerland on penalties in the quarter-finals.

Britain's pubs were set for a multi-million pound bonanza from fans who are watching at home.

Landlords were expecting to pull an extra eight million pints from the pre-match build up to the final whistle.

Thousands of those pints, including gallons of alcohol-free beers, will flow during the late night licensing hours with pubs in England allowed to remain open until 1am.

The late-night hours were proposed in the last days of the Conservative government and will be enacted unopposed in Parliament tomorrow by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper.

England fans at Peckham Arches in London during a screening of the UEFA Euro 2024 semi-final match
Three Lions supporters throw their pints in the air at Boxpark Croydon as they celebrate Kane's goal
England fans in the Camp and Furnace Pub react as England play the Netherlands in the semi-final
England fans celebrate their side's first goal of the game, scored by Harry Kane
England supporters celebrate at the Boxpark Fan Zone while watching a public screening at Boxpark
These England fans are backing the Three Lions to make the final in Berlin against Spain on Sunday
Former England defender Rio Ferdinand takes a selfie with the fans
England fans watching the game in Manchester react during the semi-final clash on Wednesday

Emma McClarkin, Chief Executive of the British Beer And Pub Association hailed the boost.

She said: 'We expect an incredible eight million extra pints to be poured in our pubs during England's semi-final against the Netherlands.

'This amounts to an amazing £40 million in additional trade for pubs and breweries.

'And let's not forget that England making it to the semi finals now means pubs will be licensed to stay open until 1am on Wednesday night, giving fans even more time to enjoy the game and support our pubs.

In Dortmund today, Netherlands supporters turned the city into a sea of orange as they danced, chanted and let off flares.

Most do not have match tickets but made the journey to watch the game in one of the city's two fan parks, causing one to put the 'full house' signs up seven hours before kick off.

Dutch fans appeared to attack England supporters for 'no reason' around the city of Dortmund
UK Police have said groups of 'risk supporters' are known to be among the 80,000 strong Dutch support that has descended on the German city, as they warned England fans to seek refuge in areas populated by German police
Stools, benches and bottles were flung during the fracas ahead of England's semi-final
Many were seen accepting their fate and jumping around in the rain
England fans cheer and use mops to try and dry their seats
Water comes down from the edge of the stadium roof following heavy rainfall
Stadium staff attempt to clear the rain before kick-off at the Dortmund stadium on Sunday
The rain was crashing down in Dortmund on Wednesday night
Thousands of England fans made the trip to Dortmund
England and Netherlands fans have descended on Dortmund
An England win would set up a Euros final against Spain
England will make history if they reach the final
England and Netherlands fans mess around before kick-off

Thousands were jammed into the city centre, on trams on the city's underground and outside their team's hotel near the BVB Stadion.

Supporters started a two-mile march to the stadium some five hours before kick-off, led by an orange double-decker bus. 

The exciting day was thrown into chaos, however, when Dutch hooligans started attacking England fans - as The Euros exploded into sickening violence.

Videos surfaced on X of swathes of people dressed in the iconic bright orange football shirts throwing stools and benches outside of Sausalitos restaurant and bar in Germany ahead of kick-off.

UK Police have said groups of 'risk supporters' are known to be in Dortmund and warned England fans to seek refuge in areas populated by German police.

In one of the clips locals attempted to guard the cafe, with fans who chose to venture out and engage with the mob being quickly set upon.

England fans party in Dortmund
An England fans lets off a flare in Dortmund
England fans can be seen chanting, with beers in hand in Dortmund as the Three Lions face off against the Netherlands in their semi-final match on Wednesday
England fans are in good spirits ahead of the Three Lions' Wednesday night crunch match against the Netherlands
An England fan sips a beer on the shoulders of his mate amid a sea of Netherlands fans
Netherland supporters cheer in the streets of Dortmund, western Germany, on July 10
England fans in Dortmund for the Three Lions' semi-final match against the Netherlands

A bar staff member at the restaurant claimed that the fight broke out after Dutch fans attempted to steal a flag from England supporters.

Speaking to the MailOnline Leo Woeho said: 'There was provocation from both sides. They were singing songs.

'The Dutch were saying to the English that they were going to go home and lose tonight.

'Then I saw the Dutch fans trying to take the England flag and that's when the trouble started.

'The Dutch fans started throwing things like tables and chairs and bottles and then the England fans retaliated.'

'He said nobody was seriously injured, although police made several arrests.

'There is a lot of damage, a TV has been smashed, furniture broken and damage is elsewhere.

'It was quite scary and it is a shame. It means we have to close and open now until tomorrow.'

A spokesperson for the UK Football Policing Unit said: 'We are aware of some reports and videos circulating of disorder in Dortmund.

Dutch fans, led by an orange double-decker bus, make their way to Dortmund's stadium for the semi-final
A sea of orange made its way through the German city ahead of the crunch-semi final clash
The Dutch are set to outnumber the England fans as they make the trip across the border
Topless Dutch fans cheer in the streets of Dortmund

'It appears that there have been several instances of Dutch fans attacking England fans in bars and attempting to steal flags.

'We understand this has resulted in minor injuries to five people. We are also aware that in addition to the tens of thousands of Dutch fans there to enjoy the game, there are groups of risk supporters who have travelled to Dortmund from the Netherlands.

'Our officers are at the location supporting German colleagues. We would advise supporters to be aware of their surroundings and seek areas where there is a German Police presence.'

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