England fans have been letting their hair down in Boston ahead of their second World Cup match against Ghana.
The Three Lions secured a statement 4-2 win over Croatia in Dallas in their tournament opener, leaving many fans confident of the team’s chances in the tournament.
Things have been far from smooth sailing off the field though, with the 14,000 supporters who are expected to have travelled to the Massachusetts’ city for the game enduring high ticket costs, transport prices and parking charges.
The England faithful were in fine voice on Monday evening in downtown Boston though, with former Three Lions winger David Bentley leading hundreds in a rendition of Wonderwall by Oasis.
A venue called The Greatest Bar saw a sea of red and white shirts chant and dance with inflatable unicorns and beach balls as the city’s heavy rain failed to dampen England’s spirits before Tuesday’s match – with one fan even sporting a mohawk akin to that of David Beckham from the early 2000s.
England fan Andy Milne, known as ‘That World Cup Guy’ was among the thousands of supporters partying in Boston on Monday night
Former England winger David Bentley leads the fans in song at The Greatest Bar in Boston
At the same event, comic character and Sunday league football manager Steve Bracknall, whose real name is Chris McClure, encouraged supporters to join in with a chant of ‘we’re on our way’ – alluding to England’s potentially successful route to the World Cup final.
Elsewhere in downtown Boston, The White Bull Tavern closed early after Three Lions fans were standing on furniture and knocking chandeliers, according to a staff member.
Members of the UK’s football policing unit were present on Boston’s Union Street and could be seen in conversation with officers from the city’s police department (BPD) after the bar shut its doors.
A line of around 20 BPD officers stood outside the premises as England fans made their way out of the venue and onto the street.
The staff member, who saw around 200 supporters at the bar on Monday evening, predicted a ‘crazy’ night following the match and said he believed the venue, alongside other pubs and bars, would close earlier on Tuesday.
On the eve of England’s second game, fans said the journey to Boston for the game was worth it despite the high prices.
Ahead of the match at the Gillette Stadium in nearby Foxborough, Adam Parkinson, 32, from Barnsley, told the Press Association: ‘It’s a once-in-a-lifetime type of thing, it’s England at a World Cup.
‘We saved up – we kind of had it in mind to come.
‘My brother lives in Canada, so we thought ‘the World Cup’s there, we’re going to go, let’s think about it’ and then we priced it up and we thought ‘OK, that’s going to be a bit more money than we had in mind’.
The Greatest Bar in Boston’s West End had stocked up on beer to cope with England fans
Supporters stripped off and downed American beers – in the same bars loved by Scotland
‘It’s one of them, right? You’ve just got to do it sometimes.’
On England’s chances, Mr Parkinson said: ‘We played well in the first one, so we can be optimistic for once.’
Cameron Gray, 28, from Essex, said he ‘can’t wait’ to experience Boston after hearing about the city from his Scottish father, who attended Scotland’s matches there earlier in the tournament.
He said: ‘I was born in England so I’ve only ever known English.
‘I’ve got a warm heart for the Scots, but England’s mine.’
He added: ‘My dad was actually here in Boston and he said it was amazing so I can’t wait.’
Asked what his father thought of him supporting England, Mr Gray said: ‘He’s never actually put it on me, so he accepts it.’
He said England needed to play the same as they did in the second half against Croatia to secure a win against Ghana.
‘We need to attack, attack, attack,’ he said.
‘I know that’s a cliche, but our attack is, I’d say, the best in the World Cup.
‘We’ve got the best striker in the world, it’s as simple as that.’
Despite the high costs for those travelling from the UK, Three Lions’ fans based in the US said the game was their first opportunity to see the team at a World Cup.
Rhys Thomas, 31, originally from Birmingham, who travelled to the city from Connecticut and is going to the match with his wife and friends, told PA: ‘This is actually the first England game I will have been to.
‘I live in the States and now the World Cup is here, so I was just like ‘we’ve got to go’.
‘It’s never been this close to us, I’ve never been this close to the World Cup. I’m excited.’
England fans have been warned they face early closures and travel difficulties today
He said tickets cost him 490 dollars (£370) but admitted he had ‘heard a lot worse’ from others.
‘For four of us, I jumped on it – it took three times of trying to get through the lottery ticket system and I was ready to probably pay thousands last second, but luckily we just got on it so not too bad,’ he said.
The city of Boston played host to the Tartan Army for the first two games of their World Cup campaign, but England fans were unsure whether they could match Scotland fans’ drinking habits.
Meet Boston, a tourism organisation in the city, estimated about 50,000 Scotland supporters visited for the team’s first two matches.
They said two popular bars – The Dubliner and The Haven – reportedly served more than 300 kegs of Tennent’s beer between them.
Mr Parkinson said: ‘I don’t think we can compete with the Scottish on that front.’
‘The Scots are definitely taking the gold medal, but we’ll give it a good go,’ Leigham Stone, 38, from Essex, added.
Some England fans said they felt ‘lucky’ to have secured tickets for the Ghana game.
Helen Bernacki, 38, who is attending the match with her brother Joe Bernacki, 43, and cousin Matty Peacock, 52, told PA they had planned to travel to Boston even if they had failed to secure tickets.
Ms Bernacki, who grew up in London, said: ‘We’ve been talking about coming out here for a couple of years, saying it would be really good to go, and we didn’t think we’d get tickets.
‘We thought it would still be so great for the atmosphere anyway but we were lucky enough.’
They said they paid 500 dollars (£377) each for a ticket to the game but said staying with a relative in Boston meant they could save money on accommodation.
Mr Peacock, from Medway, Kent, said: ‘That’s why we can afford a ticket.’
Joe Bernacki, 43, who now lives in Massachusetts after living in London, said: ‘That sounds relatively cheap to what I’ve heard other people have paid – but still, Jesus.’
‘It’s the most I’ve ever paid for an England ticket,’ Mr Peacock added.
