BOOZY football fans trashed Leicester Square last night as England faced Scotland in a Euro 2020 showdown at Wembley.
Tartan Army supporters swigging Buckfast from the bottle left huge piles of rubbish as they invaded London ahead of the nail-biting tie – which ended in a tense 0-0 draw.
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Thousands of diehard fans made the trip to the capital ahead of the Euros clash, despite only 3,000 having tickets for the game due to Covid restrictions.
They donned Scotland shirts, kilts and fancy dress as they made their way to train stations at the crack of dawn to make it in plenty of time for kick off.
With no official fan zone, supporters filled Leicester Square’s fountain with bubbles before having a dip and soaking cops with booze.
They were in high spirits as they chanted “no Scotland, no party” and did the conga through the streets.
Others draped in Scottish flags braved the downpours to play the bagpipes – setting the tone for the crunch clash.
Elsewhere, rowdy England fans flooded London’s pubs and outdoor screenings, ready for the auld rivals fixture.
The Met Police’s two-day order warning fans to not congregate in the West End seemingly failed, as revellers on both sides partied.
But the square – which does not have a massive screen this year – emptied as the game began and fans headed to pubs to watch the action.
As the crowds parted, the aftermath of mounds of discarded cans, bags and flags was clearly visible.
A sensible few stuck around to try to clean up the bottles and rubbish strewn across the square.
Both teams came away with one point after a goal-less 90 minutes, but it was clear which supporters were happier with the result.
While Three Lions fans rued a lacklustre performance, crowds of noisy Scots sang and danced into the night in the West End watched by ranks of cops.
Avid fans had draped themselves in flags and covered themselves in paint for the game – the first time England has taken on the Scots in a major championship since 1996.
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Before kick-off, cheers drowned out boos as players from both sides took the knee in support of racial equality.
Then massive roars of support echoed across pubs in London as the nail-biting game unfolded.
Within the first minutes, John Stones hit the post in a spectacular effort for the England team.
And England fans were left in suspense as Reece James headed the ball off the line as the Scots took a shot at the goal in the 60th minute.
After a last desperate scramble in Scotland’s box, fans celebrated their first Euros point as they cheered and danced in the street.
Fans packed their previous haunt Leicester Square – where boisterous Scots lit flares and joined raucous chants.
Police confirmed that 18 people had been arrested last night as fans continued to crowd London’s streets.
The Met tweeted: “As of 22.30hrs 18 people had been arrested as part of our policing operation during the England v Scotland game.
“The majority of these were in central London and in the vicinity of Wembley Stadium. Officers continue to engage with crowds.”
It didn’t stop fans letting off flares to choruses of “Yes sir I can boogie” – famously sung by the Scots team as they qualified for the Euros.
One topless Scotland fan was even spotted “Klinsmann diving” down a soaking London street.
The Tartan Army foot soldier launched himself onto a city centre pavement through puddles as fellow supporters cheered him on.
Speaking after the match, Malcolm Gillespie, from Falkirk but living in London, said the draw was an “amazing” result for Scotland.
He praised the setup at the central London designated key worker area in Trafalgar Square.
The 41-year-old, who watched with his son Santiago, eight, said: “I’m happy but I definitely think we could have edged a win. They’ve played really well.
“It’s been fantastic, a really nice atmosphere.
“I spoke to some English fans who were really friendly. We’ve loved every minute of it.”
The stormy weather didn’t dampened anyone’s spirits with pubs filled with the Tartan Army.
And London stations were packed with Scotland supporters spilling out of sold-out trains from Glasgow and Edinburgh in the 24 hours before the game.
Around 20,000 fans made the trip across the border in a huge display of support for their team.
But Scotland was allocated less than 3,000 tickets for the sellout 21,500 qualifier at Wembley.
And others have questioned why Nicola Sturgeon allowed the fans to travel across the border – despite current Covid rules and prolonged lockdown.
Supporters gathered in Trafalgar Square to watch the match – with the area set up in a socially-distanced way for 750 key workers, with two large screens either side of Nelson’s Column.
Inside, England supporter Jamie Powell predicted a one nil win for the Three Lions but said whatever the result it will be an “enjoyable night”.
The 24-year-old sales representative from London said: “The atmosphere on the way here was electric. Everyone was singing.
“It was really positive vibes. You see both sets of fan singing. It’ll just be quite an enjoyable night for everyone.
“Even though it’s a big game I don’t think it matters with the England/Scotland rivalry, it’s going be good one.”
The oldest fixture in international football is steeped in history – with the last time England took on the Scots in the Euros in 1996.
Gazza marked his winning goal with his infamous dentist chair celebration as the Three Lions went on to win 2-0.
Wembley historically hasn’t been a happy hunting ground for Scotland – with England beating the Auld Enemy 18 times in 32 games at the stadium.
The last time the two teams met at Wembley saw Daniel Sturridge, Adam Lallana and Gary Cahill steering England to a 3-0 win for the World Cup qualifier in 2016.
Scotland fans had been urged not to travel without tickets or having arranged a safe place to watch the game.
The Met Police were forced to issue a 48-hour dispersal order in central London yesterday allowing officers to remove troublemakers from the streets.
Chief Inspector Joe Stokoe, spokesperson for the Met’s policing operation during Euro 2020, said: “We are delighted to be hosting the Euros in London. People have waited a long time for this to take place and we know that everyone is very excited, so we ask members of the public to look after themselves and each other and enjoy the occasion safely and responsibly.
“Our officers are here to look after you so please speak to them if you have any concerns.
“Stay vigilant and report anything suspicious to police, and please be mindful of the weather too, which is not expected to be good.
“There will of course be people in London who won’t be watching the game and we urge you to consider those people and behave respectfully.
“London also remains in a public health crisis. There are government guidelines in place and we ask people to follow these and remain socially distanced.
“We have contingency plans to deal with any number of potential incidents as they arise but my message is clear: if you don’t have ticket to the matches, fan zone or officially booked into a pub, bar or club, please do not come to London – you could end up missing the game.”
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One naked Scottish fan was led away from his party in Hyde Park ahead of the match.
Police confirmed a 25-year-old man was arrested for indecent exposure in Hyde Park but later cautioned and released.
And a second man was arrested for the attempted theft of a police officer’s hat, assault with intent of avoiding arrest and assault of emergency worker.
Scotland lost their first qualifier to the Czech Republic 2-0 on Monday, the day after England beat Croatia 1-0.
The teams last played competitively in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, with England winning 3-0 at Wembley and the teams drawing 2-2 at Hampden.
Scotland and England played each other in a friendly at the end of each season for decades.
But the traditional joust was scrapped over repeated crowd trouble.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
