England fans take New York: Three Lions followers flood the Big Apple to cheer on Harry Kane’s men as they bid to beat Panama and reach World Cup knockout stage

Thousands of England fans have flooded into New York for the team’s final group game against Panama and cheer them on into the knockout stages.

Flights from UK were sold out as die-hard fans crossed the Atlantic for the game at New York’s Met Life stadium, which will kick off at 5pm local or 10pm back home.

The huge number of bars and nightlife on offer meant there was no chance fans would drink the Big Apple dry, but they gave it a good go with venues all over Manhattan and Brooklyn packed.

Carragher’s bar, a popular haunt with fans, was taken over as The England Band played ‘Don’t Take Me Home’ and the theme tune to the Great Escape was accompanied by huge cheers.

Many places were charging $10 a beer, but word quickly spread that a bar over the Hudson River in Hoboken, New Jersey, a few minutes from the ground, was charging just $1 beer.

In fact, the Green Rock Tap Grill was positively encouraging fans to come on over with a sign outside advertising the bargain beer ‘especially if you’re British’.

The 78,576 seater stadium is where Oasis played a series of gigs last summer and once again it will echo to the sounds of Wonderwall – if England beat Panama and go on to top Group L.

At least half the stadium is expected to be Three Lions fans, but a sizeable minority of Panama supporters have also made the trip and they took over Times Square dancing and singing to a band and waving flags.

If England win then they will top the group and head off to Atlanta, Georgia, where they could face Ecuador, Senegal, Portugal or the DR Congo, with the picture being clearer from Sunday.

It also means that England are on course to face World Cup co-hosts and favourites Mexico in the legendary Azteca Stadium where Argentina’s Diego Maradona scored his infamous Hand of God goal.

Yet again fans are being asked to fork out ridiculous prices to get to the game from New York with $98 train rides, instead of the usual $20 return.

However they will be hoping skipper Harry Kane can lead the team to victory so they can belt out Wonderwall and recreate the heady atmosphere of Dallas in the first match while putting the damp squib 0-0 draw with Ghana to bed.

There was disappointment at the goalless shut out at Boston stadium and many fans have made the journey from there to New York on the train – a picturesque 4 hour, 180-mile journey through New England countryside.

Among them was merchandising manager Luke Carey, 25, from Watford, who is travelling with friends. He said: ‘It’s been a wicked trip so far.

‘It’s gone pretty quick as well. We started in Orlando, then went to Dallas, where we even took in a rodeo, which was fun then headed to the game which was brilliant.

‘The result, the atmosphere and singing Wonderwall sent shivers down my neck.

‘After that game we went to Nashville to check out the music scene then headed up to Boston for the Ghana match, which sadly was not as good.’

Luke added he would be in North America for a month after kind-hearted bosses allowed him generous annual leave.

He said: ‘Work were OK with me taking all this time off, they said England had better win the tournament and I’m fairly confident we will go far, don’t want to jinx anything yet.

‘I’m not going to the round of 32 game, after New York, I’m heading straight to Mexico where hopefully we should be in the round of 16 if we win. It’s looking as if it could be against Senegal.’

Luke was full of praise for Tuchel and said:’ I think he’s built up a good squad, we looked good in the Florida friendlies and Croatia was outstanding, Ghana was a blip but we should get over it.’

Luke, who is a member of the England Travel Supporters Club, got his tickets through his membership at $200 a price, the second cheapest.

He added: ‘This has been the trip of a lifetime for me, it’s going to cost £8,000 and that’s tickets, travel, accommodation, food and drink.

‘I’ve got an Excel spreadsheet going and at the moment it’s £600 under budget which is good – it’s like being in Race Across The World.’

Also at the station were Martin Dyson, 46, and his son Rex, ten, from Silsden near Bradford, who were travelling with Ciaran Robinson, 38, and his son Ollie, nine. Both children are on unauthorised absences from school meaning hefty fines when they get back.

Mr Dyson told the Daily Mail: ‘We will be here a week. Got here last Saturday and leave on Sunday after the New York game against Panama.

‘It didn’t start too well as obviously the 0-0 draw with Ghana was disappointing, but the boys have had the experience of a lifetime and have some great memories.

‘I think Panama will play like Ghana and put everyone behind the ball, but I’m confident we will score and beat them 2-0.’

Operations manager Mr Dyson explained how he had written to the headteacher of his son’s school, Silsden Primary, in December requesting permission to take Rex away.

He said: ‘But we never heard back from him, we said it was a once in a lifetime opportunity and we were more than happy to take homework with us, but we just didn’t get a response.

‘It means he’s gone down as unauthorised absence and we will get a fine, but we are making such good memories. The fine will be at least £300 which will be a pain, but I’m prepared to take the hit.’

Mr Robinson, from Gisburn, Lancashire, said he had also asked the headteacher at his son’s primary for time off but had been refused.

He said: ‘The crazy thing is apparently they are going to close because of the heat wave back home, but we will still be fined for that day – you can be sure I will bring that up when we go back.’

Air conditioning engineer Mr Robinson then joked: ‘The funny thing is with the hot weather and my job, I would have been rushed off my feet back home in Yorkshire!

‘My phone has been going mad with calls, but I’ve had to turn them down as I’m out here.’

Speaking with their father’s permission, Ollie said: ‘The Ghana game was rubbish, I’m hoping we win against Panama,’ while Rex said: ‘It wasn’t that good, we should have scored.’

Unsurprisingly both boys chimed: ‘It’s better than being at school,’ when asked how their trip was going. ‘Even if we had homework we wouldn’t do it.’

Mr Robinson said: ‘To be fair we did ask for work and they said they would give it us but nothing ever materialised, we appreciate we are taking them out of education but we did ask them for work.’

Elsewhere, a part of New York became legendary darts venue Alexandra Palace yesterday as hundreds of Three Lions scored a double top attending the darts and England’s World Cup match.

The 5,000-seat Madison Square Garden arena, which has seen epic sports battled across the years, as well as music megastars, was the setting for the US Darts Masters which saw Luke Little and Luke Humphries stepping up to the oche.

Both are already World Cup winners having lifted the darts equivalent earlier this month and will be attending England’s final group match against Panama in the Met Life stadium, with the Three Lions odds on to make it through to the next round.

Gaming streamer Angry Ginge, also known as Morgan Burtwhistle, was spotted in the audience cheering on his friend Littler. 

The England squad were invited to the darts extravaganza, but because of curfew had to decline but Luke The Nuke Littler revealed he had been given tickets after visiting the football team at their St George’s training ground last month.

Speaking to ITV Manchester United fan Littler said: ‘I’ve been watching a lot of the World Cup, I’ve watched the majority the games and the ones that kick off at 3am kick off, I watch the first half and then go to bed.

‘But yeah, it’s been very good. With England the draw to Ghana was not very good but I think we can bounce back and go on to top of the group and hopefully avoid Portugal.’

The darts tournament was part of the PDC World Series and fans were delighted to squeeze in the arrows the night before England played. There was a party atmosphere inside and out.

Among them were a group of England fans dressed in red shirts in a nod to England’s only World Cup win in the 1966 tournament – and they even had a pal dress as the Jules Rimet trophy.

Toby Lester said: ‘It’s a win, win for us, we are here for the darts which is going to be great and then on Saturday we get to see England beat Panama, hopefully, and top their group and go on to the next round.

‘It’s been a great atmosphere so far and the Americans are so friendly and welcoming. Yes it’s a little expensive but this is a once in a lifetime experience and I think we will have sore heads for the next three days.’

Ben Leanse, 28, who works for West Bromwich Albion Football Club, said: ‘The Ghana performance was a bit of a worry, but then again, we always struggle in the second group game at tournaments.

‘I think it was a one off and our attacking talent is so strong, so I’m hoping for a three or four nil at least – I’ve been to the Boston game and if we win against Panama then I will be going to Atlanta for the round of 32.

‘The darts is an added bonus for us, to be honest I should have been at the Dallas game as well, but I ran out of leave. I’m here now for a couple of weeks and will be making the most of it.’

Scattered across the crowds were a variety of fancy dress outfits as has now become a tradition at darts, with lions, gallant knights, nuns and cowboys wearing traffic cones the prevailing themes. 

And not even the $25 a pint beer or $52 gin and tonics could put off the boisterous crowd who broke up the evening noisily chanting ‘Ingerland, Ingerland, Ingerland,’ much to the amusement of the small number of Americans in the crowd.

Tickets for the final were $300 but fans were not bothered about the cost. Cheryl Routledge, 62, from Sheffield, was wearing a cowboy hat and England shirt and standing with her husband Trevor, 66.

She said: ‘We’ve been in New York all week, we went to the darts Thursday, Friday and then Saturday the football.

‘It’s a double whammy for us and we are having a great time,’ she shrieked as Littler bagged a maximum 180 and held up a sign reading the high score, waving it furiously above her head.

‘I think we will win handsomely against Panama and it will be the cherry on the cake for us – I’d love to go to more games. I’m not sure if we can afford it but who knows if we juggle the housekeeping a bit.’

Her husband was a little more prudent: ‘There’s no way we are coming back, we’ve virtually had to remortgage the house for this trip and anyway I can’t see England winning, it will be the same story, a load of excitement that will fizzle out in the quarter finals.’

Ahead of the game, England stayed in the town of Montclair, at the MC Hotel, around 15 miles from the stadium.

Fans gathered outside the hotel to wish the team well and one was even seen throwing a shirt up to a balcony where Jordan Henderson was standing.

The Brentford man who has yet to play in the World Cup caught the jersey, signed it and then dropped back into the grateful fan’s hands.

Montclair is twinned with Barnet, north London, and during the war hundreds of English children were evacuated there to escape the Blitz. Close connections have remained ever since.