As Gareth Bale’s long-range free-kick hit the back of the net, the England fan dressed as a crusader slumped to the ground, his expression forlorn under the mock chainmail helmet. A Welsh fan in a full-length dragon outfit standing next to him offered a sympathetic shoulder rub.
This was the official Uefa fanzone near the station just outside the centre of Lille, the northern French city chosen as the mid-group base for many supporters from both nations, with the game itself taking place in nearby but relatively tiny Lens.
The atmosphere was raucous, fairly drunken but mutually supportive. When Jamie Vardy equalised for England, the dragon bought a fortifying new round of beers. After Daniel Sturridge’s last-gasp goal sealed a 2-1 England win, it was the dragon who was lying prone, his clawed paws getting grasped and shaken by consoling England supporters walking past.
For all the media focus on misbehaving England fans in Lille the evening before, this was arguably a truer picture of the greater mass of supporters. Some noisy, yes, some also pretty drunk, but not generally seeking conflict. Plenty more were barely noticeable at all, quietly enjoying meals and drinks away from the busy bars.
On Wednesday, a total of 27 people were arrested following occasional skirmishes involving a few England fans and Russian supporters, amid efforts by French riot police to clear singing crowds with CS gas. Figures provided later by British officers working in France said 13 of these were British, and five Britons were hospitalised with minor injuries.
It amounted to “a few minor incidents of antisocial behaviour and disorder that were quickly and effectively dealt with by the French police”, according to assistant chief constable Mark Roberts, the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s lead for football policing.
A midnight curfew in Lille and a ban on sales of glass bottles and cans had helped prevent any violence escalating, Roberts said, and more UK police were now in France to liaise with French officers.
As Thursday evening progressed, there was no initial trouble beyond one minor scuffle after a photographer chased an England fan who had pushed him over and run away amid a mass pursuit by other football supporters. Large numbers of French CRS riot police were stationed in Lille centre, some carrying CS gas launchers.
While some locals appeared slightly intimidated by the noisy, chanting English and Welsh guests, some of whom began occupying the bars at around 9am, other looked on amused, filming the scenes on their phones. “I like them,” said one woman working at a cafe adjoining a bar full of singing fans, when asked for her thoughts. Her colleague added: “They sing a lot. It gives a good atmosphere.”
As evening fell, Phil Parker, 63, and his 27-year-old daughter Lucy, from Warwickshire, were watching yet more fans singing and climbing on each other’s shoulders outside another bar near Lille’s station.
They had watched the match at the fanzone, said Lucy, a youth charity worker, after failing to find a bar showing it on TV. “It was really, really good, though we got covered in beer when the goals were scored. We’re pretty sticky.”
Her father said he hoped French police would be tolerant of the post-victory scenes. “For me it’s part of the atmosphere of football,” he said. “Some people here might just not be used to it. We did see some of the shopkeepers sort of hiding. It’s quite an English thing. But I don’t think these fans are looking for trouble, just having good time.”
