INSIDE FRANKFURT FAN PARK FOR PINTS, X-RATED CHANTS FROM KIDS AND ENGLAND'S DISMAL DRAW

"Oh I keep forgetting that the soccer is here," a woman tells her companion as she boards a busy tram at Frankfurt's Hamburger Allee station. The question of how on earth that is possible immediately comes to mind.

Because England are in town and Frankfurt is turning red, white and blue as a huge number of fans mill about the city, most in retro kits from the 1980s and 90s, while there's a 2002 Jonathan Woodgate top providing a bit of something different.

England are playing Denmark at the city's Deutsche Bank Park, but that 'only' holds 58,000 people and that isn't enough, so the vast majority of the remaining fans head for the fan park at Mainufer, a sprawling construction along the side of the river with bars, food stalls, shops, E-sports stations and big screens scattered throughout, including one enormous one on the river itself.

The 6pm kick-off time gives us a perfect chance to view Frankfurt in microcosm. Busy-looking professionals get on and off the tram after a day of doing busy professional things, with Frankfurt a hub of financial work in Germany, while around the main train station there is a hugely different side to life.

We're going past there though, and down into the fan park where we're met with a rousing chorus of 'Hey Jude' as England fans get in the mood to cheer on Bellingham and the boys.

The way the fan park is constructed, essentially along the riverbank, means that there is plenty of room, and supporters are able to move freely between the bars and food stalls, either sitting on the grass or grabbing a seat. One fan in a Wales shirt, presumably dragged along by his English mates, stares blankly ahead with the look of a man invited to the wrong party.

And the party is getting started now. Those who aren't in England shirts are in fancy dress, and there's not much of it for one fan wearing nothing but a pair of pants with a St George's Cross on it and a wig. He's singing the loudest as God Save The King is belted out, with the anthem met with polite applause from the Denmark fans who have gathered.

And there is a fair few of them too. Their red flag with the white cross providing contrast to England's, with an apparent competition going on between them to see who can wear the most images of the flag upon their person. One man dressed head to toe in a suit made entirely of flags is probably the winner. He and his compatriots smile and laugh as England fans playfully taunt them with chants of "you're s*** but your birds are fit."

Flags are the fashion around the edges of the fan park too, with supporters putting theirs up to show where they've travelled from. Middlesbrough, Blackburn and Hull get an airing, while there's the New Orleans Owls, a Sheffield Wednesday supporters' group, and a 'Bristol Loyal' flag featuring a poppy, the name of Lee Rigby and the Red Hand of Ulster.

Spirits are high as England start well, and although concerns are quickly raised about the state of the pitch, they are forgotten about as Harry Kane put his side one up. The German commentary feed rises and gives you the impression that describing Harry Kane goals in German has become a regular occurrence in the past year.

England have a perfect platform to build upon now, and most in the fan park settle in for what could be a comfortable win from here. More and more pints of German lager - Bitburger, €7, we had three just to check - are consumed, and a football is belted up into the air in jubilation.

But then comes the realisation that England aren't really playing very well, with Gareth Southgate's side sitting back and allowing Denmark back into the game. It is an approach punished when Morten Hjulmand brilliantly finds the back of the net from range to spark delirium among the Danes.

England fans' mild concerns had now become full on worries, and the mood shifts in the second half as frustration over the disjointed nature of the performance. There is widespread agreement that Trent Alexander-Arnold should be substituted, but then shock at the triple change which included Kane coming off.

One young fan, no older than eight or nine, enjoyed that though, and chooses to welcome the arrival of Jarrod Bowen with a rather, er, X-rated chant concerning Bowen's girlfriend Dani Dyer. Dad stands behind him, pleased as punch in his boy.

Towards the end of the game a level of apathy had begun to take over though, with Declan Rice planting the ball straight into touch the cue for a couple of fans with No.69 on the back of their shirts to turn and leave. Many of those that do stay greet the end of the match with boos, with plenty also happily chatting to pleased Danes and congratulating them on their team's performance.

"Disappointing, we were poor throughout to be honest," says England fan Ian. "It's classic, as soon as we scored we just sat back, let them pressure us. They had a fluke goal, but beyond that we were terrible tonight."

That seems to be the prevailing mood, but concerns are washed away with another Bitburger - yep, we really had to check - as the last of the day's sunshine is soaked up. At the bar, the server says this is the busiest she's seen the fan park since it opened. "The first match, Germany vs Scotland, was busy, but this is the most beer we've sold."

That's one victory for England at least, with the show rolling on to Cologne on Tuesday when Southgate's side take on Slovenia.

Images of the Cologne fan park flash up on the screen ahead of the game between Spain and Italy, the city braced for what's coming. Better get those extra Bitburgers in.

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2024-06-21T11:10:48Z dg43tfdfdgfd