England football supporters are showing how confident they are feeling about the Three Lions' World Cup prospects, with many already securing tickets and flights for a knockout stage fixture in Atlanta, despite a recent goalless draw against Ghana.
To top their group, England must now equal or surpass Ghana's result against Croatia when they face Panama in New Jersey on Saturday.
Failure to do so would mean a knockout match in Toronto, a destination some fans are reportedly less keen on, with a few suggesting they would not make the journey.
Richard Bean, a 51-year-old Manchester United fan from Manchester, expressed a mix of hope and conditional commitment. "Before the Ghana game, if someone says you can’t beat Ghana, you can’t beat Panama… I’m doubting why I’m even going if we can’t beat one of those two," he told the Press Association.
Looking ahead to Saturday, he added: "I think it’ll be like a home game, they’ve had the little blip against Ghana, they weren’t quite as good, and then hopefully do what we did to Panama when we last played them in 2018. Then we’ll be happy enough and off to Atlanta for a few days.""
After the Ghana draw, captain Harry Kane said he was “pretty sure” England would win against Panama, saying: “We, of course, want to finish with a win on the weekend, just for the momentum and the feeling among the group.”
England fans shared their confidence as they made the most of their trip to New York ahead of the game by doing some sightseeing.
Speaking from Times Square, Halifax Town fan Chandler Hallwood, 28, told PA: “Yeah, we’ll go to the round of 32 – we’ve got our hotel and flights booked for the round of 32 already.
“We booked that before the tournament even started so we’re confident we’re going to top the group and get out there.”
He added: “I’m still confident – I’ll never not be confident when it comes to England.”
Mr Hallwood said he felt he could spend more money on the tournament having lived in the US for a number of years – booking a proposed trip to Atlanta, and potential knockout ties in Mexico City and Miami.
“I planned it years in advance that if they ever came to the US, I’m living here, so I thought I may as well spend the money while I’m here,” he said.
“But I always said I was going to go ahead and do it and book the round of 32, and then Mexico afterwards, then it’ll be in Miami the one after that.
“So kind of planned ahead – but hey, may as well plan ahead… the worst case that happens, you just don’t go.”
Despite planning for England to at least make the quarter finals, Mr Hallwood said he would not be going to the games if the Three Lions finished second in the group.
He told PA: “No, I won’t be going to Toronto.
“Toronto is one of my favourite cities around here – but yeah, we’ll not be going to Toronto unfortunately. But never say never, who knows?
“I follow England away so we could be going anywhere.”
He said tickets had cost him anywhere between 200 and 1,200 dollars, adding: “It’s kind of a once in a lifetime, so might as well do it.”
Mr Bean similarly said he would not be going to Toronto if England finished second in the group.
He told PA: “So we’ve got the last 32 after this – we had Boston last Saturday then the last 32 in Atlanta hopefully, because if it isn’t Atlanta, we’re not going.
“We’ve had to buy the tickets and the flights and this, that and the other.
“But if we do well and get to the final, we’ll be back for that.”
He continued: “Obviously, when you’re booking, you don’t know where you’re going to be.
“It’s just that not knowing. But the prices are such that we’ve just had to take a punt.”
Other England fans were grateful for the team’s draw against Ghana so the Panama game is not “meaningless”.
Talking to PA from Grand Central Station, Phil Young, 58, from Blackburn said: “When we found out about these tickets back in December, we were panicking that it was going to be a meaningless game.
“So to us, the draw the other night was actually quite a good thing for us, because it’s the only game we’re coming to.
“At least it means there’s something on Saturday now.
“So I’m hoping for a goalfest, Kane to get a hat-trick, and I’ll go home a very happy guy.”
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