There was jubilation, exhaustion and plenty of caffeine across England on Monday after the Three Lion’s dramatic 3-2 win over Mexico sending them into the World Cup quarter-finals.
Fans powered through a 02:00 BST kick-off gathering in packed pubs, while other celebrated quietly from their sofas, and a few woke up devastated to realise they slept through the game.
Here are the stories you shared with us.
Schools watch the game ‘as-live’
At Malmesbury Church of England Primary School in Wiltshire, pupils arrived early to watch the game “as-live” at school so they could “enjoy the game together as a community”.
When Jude Bellingham scored two goals in two minutes in the first half, one pupil told the BBC it was “looking really” good for England, but they had a gut feeling that “Mexico are going to win”.
Little did they know…
When the final whistle blew, excited pupils celebrated as though they had watched it live.
“It was better [watching] with my friends than it was with my parents,” one pupil said.
Meanwhile, children watching the match at Castleway Primary in Leasowe, Wirral, were told they would miss playtime for the rest of the week if they spoiled the result for anyone.
‘An incredible evening’
Image source, PA MediaPubs across the country remained open all night after the government U-turn on licensing laws permitted them to stay open until 05:00.
About 350 people watched the game at the Brittania Inn in St Austell, Cornwall.
Landlord Phil Lafferty said it was “an incredible evening and something we have never done before”.
He said: “Japan in 2002 was something else, playing at 06:00, but nothing like this. It was amazing.”
Sarah Badrock, manager of The Ship Inn in Trefin, Pembrokeshire was one of the few pubs in Wales that stayed open until 05:00 for the England game.
She was offering a free drink for every goal scored… but only four people turned up, including actor Keith Allen, who wrote the iconic 1998 England World Cup song Vindaloo.
Image source, Sarah BadrockThea Barratt, who runs Cramptons Sports Bar in Broadstairs, Kent, said: “I took more money than I did on New Year’s Eve.”
The bar added extra portaloos and an outside bar to accommodate more revellers. Thea says she expects to top last night’s takings for Saturday’s quarter-finals: “Long may they [England] continue and hopefully get to the final”.
England’s run ‘beyond magical’
Image source, Jess ClarkIt is not just those of legal-drinking age that pulled an all-nighter.
Keen eight-year-old fan Wren was not supposed to be up for England’s late-night fixture, but mum Jess Clarke told the BBC she couldn’t resist waking him to celebrate.
“It was incredible, my son and I were jumping up and down hugging each other singing Wonderwall – it was just a dream,” she says.
Jess says experiencing England’s success at the World Cup so far has been “beyond magical”.
‘I watched the match over a taxi driver’s shoulder’
Michelle, from Evesham, ended up watching part of the game in a car park at Birmingham Airport.
She was there early to pick up her husband from a work trip, with two daughters in tow, and they were “trying to get some sleep” as they waited.
“There was a couple of cheers and I jumped out of the car and… ran over to a taxi driver who was watching it on his phone, so I managed to get the second goal and then also our penalty,” she told BBC Radio 2’s Jeremy Vine.
“I got so excited when Harry Kane scored that I hit the guy on the shoulder.”
Sadly Michelle didn’t get to watch the whole game because “obviously the taxi driver had to go off and do his job”, she said.
‘I slept in and missed it all’
Image source, Getty ImagesBut spare a thought for those who tried and failed to stay up for the match, including BBC radio presenter former Olympian Katharine Merry.
“I ploughed on through yesterday, thinking I’m not going to take a tactical nap,” the ex-English sprinter explained.
But when the kick-off was delayed from 01:00 to 02:00, Merry says her husband wandered off for a nap.
“Half past one I was still awake, all still bright-eyed, and kind of bushy-tailed, and then I went horizontal and dozed off,” she recalled.
“My husband never came back. I woke up at 06:30 and missed everything.”
‘Cushions were thrown’
Some supporters who did not make it to a pub were faced with the risk of waking up their sleeping children if their celebrations became too rowdy.
As England took the lead it was a battle to stay silent, said BBC journalist Owen Amos, who watched the game “as-live” from 03:30 before an early start at work.
He performed “a silent leap off the sofa” as Bellingham scored his first, which was rapidly followed by a “wild (but equally silent) fist pumping” when the second goal went in less than a minute later.
As Mexico pulled one back “cushions were thrown” and there was a quiet “peep of dissent when England’s Jarell Quansah was sent off”, he said.
Fortunately though, “despite the best efforts of the VAR “, Amos managed to keep the volume down for the full game and – crucially – his sons stayed asleep.
Elsewhere, journalist Mark Ansell from BBC Look North said a strict no-phones policy was in play to stop anyone knowing the final score as four families gathered at his place to watch the game on playback from 06:00.
“Six adults skipped to work, happier than ever as our dream of a World Cup win continues”, he added.
‘We watched the game on our night shift’
“Text your bosses and tell them you’re not coming in.”
That was the advice from man-of-the-match Bellingham who scored two goals within two minutes in the first half.
While some industries like manufacturing and retail were less able to provide flexibility, others offered bleary-eyed fans later starts so they can catch up on sleep.
Workers at a distribution centre in Rochdale didn’t need to follow Bellingham’s advice as they watched the game while on shift.
“It’s not good for my heart, but football’s my heart,” said one worker.
Joshua Elash, who runs London-based firm MT Finance Group, allowed his staff to start work at 11:00, telling the BBC it was a “no-brainer”.
“It’s good for morale,” he added, saying it will be worth it even if Monday isn’t particularly productive.
Octopus Energy allowed engineers to start home visits a couple of hours late, while staff in office or home-based roles looking after customers can also start and finish later.
Kevin Craig, founder and chief executive of communications agency PLMR, is a huge football fan and went to see England v Panama game last weekend.
He gave his staff – around 100 employees across four offices in London, Coventry, Birmingham and Ipswich – permission to start at 12:00 if they wanted to stay up and watch the match.
“I just instinctively knew it was the right thing to do,” he told the BBC.
“We try to be pro-family alongside making money. I know it’s not possible for all organisations in the land but… these days are special.”
But it was business as usual for supermarkets Sainsbury’s and Aldi in their stores on Monday. There was also no change for the car manufacturer Nissan.
Image source, PA Media‘Ten espressos and a Red Bull chaser’
Parents who stayed up to watch might be feeling a little like Labour MP for Walthamstow Stella Creasy as they headed off on the school run on Monday morning.
“I have no idea how I do the school run this morning after a red card and a penalty… Like having had ten espressos and a red bull chaser,” she wrote on X at 03:28 BST.
Meanwhile, BBC DJ Sara Cox’s husband had the result spoiled by cheering neighbours – after deciding to sleep downstairs so as not to disturb his wife ahead of her Radio 2 debut on Monday.
She told listeners her husband heard the result ruined by revellers coming down their street, chanting: “Where were you when we won 3-2.”
-
How did you watch the game – and how are you feeling now? Are you croaky like Harry Kane? Send us your stories and pictures here, external.
