- England drew 1-1 with Denmark in their second match of Euro 2024 on Thursday
- Three Lions fans enjoyed Frankfurt much more than Gelsenkirchen
- Listen to It all starts! Why are England already being instructed about ignoring the noise from outside the camp?
England’s disappointing start to Euro 2024 continued as Gareth Southgate’s men drew 1-1 with Denmark on Thursday.
The Three Lions made another good start, with Harry Kane opening the scoring after good work from Kyle Walker in the 18th minute.
However, the Danes hit back through a nice attack from Morten Hjulmand and England did little to achieve a winner.
Here, Mail Sport’s Mike Keegan takes you through some of the things you might have missed from Friday’s match at Wembley.
Deutsche Bank Park has also served as a concert venue, and while English fans performed their version of Dancing in the Dark in honor of Phil Foden, the original was actually performed here by the Boss himself, during his Born in the USA tour back in 1985.
Adam’s army becomes trapped
Adam Wharton’s family decided to make the most of their experience by mingling with England and Denmark supporters in the bustling fan zone next to the River Main.
A group of as many as fourteen wore shirts with the Crystal Palace star’s name on the back, along with his squad number, 25. Wharton’s brother Scott is predicting a place in the semi-finals.
“You’ll definitely have to play one of the really good teams, so who knows after that,” he said. The group, from Wharton’s native Blackburn, included his fiancée and best friend, while Wharton’s mother Helen had St. George’s cross painted on her cheeks.
Fans on scooters and real beer!
English fans in Frankfurt enjoyed a very different experience to Gelsenkirchen. City residents could take trams, trains or taxis to the stadium, while messages were relayed over the loudspeaker from 2pm urging those in attendance to think about going to the ground.
Some were even spotted on scooters, which work on a similar system to London’s Boris bikes.
Once at the venue, supporters were met by dozens of outdoor bars selling full 4.8 percent Bitburger, rather than the lower strength 2.8 percent beer served at the Three Lions opener.
Three lions stood their ground
England’s arrival was slightly delayed as the team bus had to crawl through thousands of fans in chaotic scenes outside the stadium, while Denmark’s supporters made obscene gestures at the players just a few yards away.
The Danish coach transporting their players had already arrived when the English bus approached the entrance 10 minutes later.
However, no designated route or road had been arranged and stewards were needed to hastily clear a path for fans of both countries.
Legends gather before the match
Some familiar faces from yesteryear gathered in the media café in the interior of the stadium before kick-off.
Peter Schmeichel, Conor Coady, Stuart Pearce and Owen Hargreaves all mixed in, prompting one observer to note that they were a striker down from a decent five-a-side team.
Gelsenkirchen’s criticism strikes a chord
The criticism of Gelsenkirchen from the English fans and media seems to have struck a chord.
The Rheinische Post published an impassioned defense of the industrial city, denying that it was the ‘hole’ referred to online.
Under the title: ‘Dear English people, we have to talk about Gelsenkirchen’, it turned out that there are cities in England, such as Bradford, Bolton and Blackpool, that are also not pleasant to see.
The quick answer to this could be that these cities will not host 50,000 people for a European Championship match. Should England return for the last 16, some have discussed missing it.