ROWDY Scotland and England fans have flooded London in a sea of red, white and blue hours before the biggest clash in the Euros so far.
The capital has been invaded by Buckfast-swigging, kilt-wearing Tartan Army supporters ahead of tonight’s Auld Enemy match against England – hours after two men were arrested ahead of the big game.
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Hundreds of keen and rowdy football fans have packed Leicester Square in London this afternoon ahead of tonight’s game.
Some carried umbrellas or wore raincoats to protect themselves from the downpours hitting the capital but others braved the elements as they loudly sung and chanted together.
Fans draped in Scotland flags filled the square – setting the tone for tonight’s crunch clash.
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Scottish fans made their voices heard yesterday as they overtook parks and landmarks in a boozy display, chanting: “We’ll destroy the English b******s”.
And the raucous behaviour has carried on today with some cheeky fans revealing what a true Scotsman wears under their kilt by baring their backsides.
Others have started letting off flares to choruses of “Yes sir I can boogie” – famously sung by the Scots team as they qualified for the Euros.
And England fans have already started making the pilgrimage to Wembley covered in damp St George’s flags.
The stormy weather hasn’t dampened anyone’s spirits with pubs already filled with the Tartan Army.
And London stations are packed with Scotland supporters spilling out of sold-out trains from Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Around 20,000 fans have made the trip across the border in a huge display of support for their team.
But Scotland have been allocated less than 3,000 tickets for the sellout 21,500 qualifier at Wembley.
The oldest fixture in international football is steeped in history – with the last time England took on the Scots in the Euros way back 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.”
Thousands of boozed-up fans wearing kilts and Scotland jerseys were chanting “we hate f***ing England”.
Others were seen jumping up onto the William Shakespeare fountain in Leicester Square while others partied in Hyde Park.
One naked Scottish fan was led away from his party in Hyde Park ahead of the match tonight.
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
