Central London was positively buzzing on Friday night as swarms of England and Scotland fans descended on parts of the capital in the pouring rain ahead of the teams’ Euro 2020 clash at Wembley.
Hundreds of supporters wearing their country’s shirts, flags and kilts were seen chanting, singing and playing bagpipes across a number of central London spots.
Thousands of Scottish fans headed in and around Leicester Square, where they set off blue smoke bombs. Some England fans were also seen in the square wearing team shirts and draped in England’s flag.
Others were seen climbing into the fountain of William Shakespeare in the square and splashing around in the water while others climbed on top of the statue and put a cone on the playwright’s head. Others rolled around in the mud and threw paper cups up into the air.
Fun scenes such as this were taking place...
Scotland fans in Leicester square 🤦🏻♂️😂 pic.twitter.com/VpDJmTe6cU
— Alex (@mralexthfc) June 18, 2021
But, as a result of all the activity, piles of litter were left across the capital, with some of the streets covered in plastic bags, drinks bottles and other rubbish.
Ahead of the 8pm game, Scotland fans, wearing kilts and the country’s football shirts, were seen using brooms and rubbish bags to help clear some of the debris off the streets.
However, parts of the capital were still covered in rubbish this morning, with Westminster council workers up early to clear the streets.
The Shakespeare fountain in Leicester Square tells a story this morning #SCOENG pic.twitter.com/x2mYKfVNQq
— Steven Godden (@Godden78) June 19, 2021
After the scoreless draw, crowds thronged into Leicester Square again, where red flares were set off as fans sang and cheered. Others kicked footballs, some held aloft bottles of alcohol and many belted out the Scottish national anthem and chanted “No Scotland, no party”.
Meanwhile, a total of 30 people were arrested in central London as part of the policing operation for the game, Met Police said.
The force added 25 of the arrests were in central London while five people were arrested in the vicinity of Wembley.
Scotland Yard said in a tweet: “13 arrests were for public order offences, 6 for drunk and disorderly, 4 for assault on police, 3 for assault, 2 related to Class A drugs and one each for breaching a dispersal order and breaching a banning order.”
The Met said officers entered Leicester Square at about 12.45am and encouraged those still at the scene to leave the area, with the square finally cleared by 1.15am.
The much-anticipated match, the 115th in international football’s oldest rivalry, was the first time the two sides have met in a major tournament since Euro 96, when Paul Gascoigne’s famous goal sealed a 2-0 win.
