There was agony and ecstasy on show at Europe’s largest World Cup fan zone as England beat a devastated Wales side 3-0. And it was even sweeter that it was a victory made here in Manchester.
Road To Victory, in Mayfield Depot, hosted thousands of Three Lions fans in their final group game. The match was the first-ever all-British World Cup fixture, and saw England progress as Group B winners and Wales eliminated from the tournament.
It has further fuelled expectations that this may well be England’s year to end decades of hurt. The scenes of sheer euphoria in Manchester, more than 3,000 miles from the pitch in Qatar, show just how welcome that would be.
Amongst jubilant fans was Will Anderson. The Manchester Metropolitan University student, positioned at the front of the standing-room-only-space, said at half-time: “It’s coming home! The quality we gave up front — Kane, Rashford, Mount, Foden — we have had chances but we’ve got to be better. I’ve come here for the atmosphere. That’s why I’m here.”
Moments later, Will was being showered in beer as two of the players he picked out — Foden and Rashford — both scored to get England’s triumphant night off to a blistering start at the beginning of the second half. To make matters even sweeter, both goal scorers were Mancunian men.
Those epic moments were caught on camera by the Manchester Evening News . Drinks were thrust into the air as arms waved frantically overhead after the two goals were nailed in quick succession and were celebrated by fans from their hometown.
Rashford, who grew up in Withington and Wythenshawe, got the party started with an electric free kick. His opener was quickly followed up by Foden, who is the first man to play for England to come from Stockport.
Rashford, assisted by fellow northerner Kalvin Philips, got a third to add the icing to the cake. But not every fan inside Road To Victory was joyful.
“I thought I would treat my friend to getting a battering,” Harri Rawlings, from north Wales joked. “I’m a sad Wales fan,” he went on. “I’m proud, though.”
Harri caught the imagination on social media as he belted out his county’s anthem — their final match at their first World Cup for 64 years — despite being booed by England fans around him. His defeated look as England scored told it a own story.
Ultimately, in this first World Cup all-British World Cup game, pride prevailed. There was pride from Welsh fans seeing their team on the ultimate stage. However, there was more pride from Mancunians who saw their own take the world by storm for the evening.
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