'Electric' - lucky Norfolk fans tell of their Wembley delirium
Ray Clarke, Steven Trett, Tommy Tyler, Calvin Goffin, Geoff Maddison, Glen Smith, Brad Ellis and Graham Hall outside Wembley stadium after the 2-0 victory over Germany in the second round of Euro 2020. - Credit: Submitted
Football fans from Norfolk lucky enough to be at Wembley stadium for England's win over Germany have described the atmosphere.
Tony Watson, from Belton, went with his son Ross, 37, and said it was "electric".
Even though capacity was halved, limited to 45,000 spectators due to Covid restrictions, it "sounded like there were 90,000", the 63-year-old said.
Belton man Tony Watson, right, pictured with his son Ross, said the atmosphere at the England versus Germany match was "electric". - Credit: Ross Watson
He put it down to a combination of the occasion itself and people having lived under various states of lockdown for over a year.
"It was like New Year's Day and VE Day rolled into one," he said.
The Watsons were sitting in the upper tier, only three rows from the back of the stadium, and when Raheem Sterling scored the first goal, the place "went absolutely ballistic".
Tony and Ross Watson, from Belton, outside Wembley stadium for England's match against Germany on June 29. - Credit: Ross Watson
"After the final whistle, we were sitting there, trying to take it all in, what had happened, the atmosphere. We sat there as long as we could, until we were very politely chucked out by a steward."
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Mr Watson was eight years old in 1966 when England won the World Cup.
"We celebrated then with a packet of crisps and a bottle of Fanta," he said.
Ray Clarke, Geoff Maddison and Tommy Tyler outside Wembley stadium. - Credit: Submitted
Geoff Maddison, the nominated driver for a group of fans from Yarmouth, said he was "still buzzing after last night".
"We drove up early yesterday morning from Yarmouth and met with some Norwich guys there."
The group had a few drinks before the game and getting into the stadium was a "pretty simple process of showing you've got two vaccinations or a negative test".
Fans react at the England versus Germany match at Euro 2020 on June 29. - Credit: Submitted
Their seats were in the lower tier.
"The atmosphere in the stadium was really good. Bearing in mind it was a game against the Germans it was always going to be a pretty good atmosphere anyway.
"When Sterling scored the first goal, that was absolutely amazing, there were people falling over rows of seats.
"I said 'I hope this isn't going to be another France game', like the night before, where the Germans would come back.
"But once we got the second one, the celebrations were even better than the first one. At that stage of the game, you could see that was it and we were going to win.
England's players applaud fans after the final whistle in the Euro 2020 second round match against Germany. - Credit: Submitted
"After the final whistle, the atmosphere was unbelievable. The singing, no-one left the ground, that was really good."
