Date: 29th June 2016 at 4:22pm
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A fiver, that is what this coffee has just cost me sat in the departure lounge of Manchester airport about to board a plane back to France for the quarter-final weekend of EURO 2016.

In any normal circumstance; I would get a beer, but I don’t feel like celebrating.

It’s now two days since England were knocked out of the tournament by the might of Iceland, who are the smallest country to ever qualify with no professional clubs and who are managed by a part-time dentist.

Photo: Marc Atkins / Offside.

England bowed out of EURO 2016 following Monday’s woeful 2-1 defeat to Iceland in Nice – Photo: Marc Atkins / Offside.

The flights, match tickets and apartment in Paris have all been pre-booked, and after being in mourning since England’s astonishing early exit, the four of us have decided to carry on regardless.

Oh, and if you’re wondering. the match I have tickets for is now France vs Iceland.

It is absolutely sickening that Roy Hodgson and his excuse of a team have robbed a nation of what would have been a once in a generation opportunity to watch England play a host nation in their own backyard, in the quarter-finals of a major tournament – we could have been the party poopers at the Stade de France, instead we have gone home a laughing stock.

I have never been in this situation before with England, where I have financially invested in the team as well as emotionally.

This has been my first-ever international football tournament and the amount of time and money that goes into following your national team could fund a minor political party.

Luckily I booked all this months ago, and whilst paying premium prices, I haven’t been ripped off by ticket touts and airlines jacking up the prices.

A guy in duty free I spoke to bought two tickets hours before England’s defeat to the now France vs Iceland quarter-final clash for €900 and spent £390 on a return flight via two change overs – he still has no accommodation and will be relying on a friend once in Paris.

A small price to pay some might say if England had progressed. However, it has never really hit home in previous tournaments when we have gone out that it leaves a trail of disaster for fans who are still at the tournament, or yet to even arrive like during the 2014 World Cup – where the team was out after six days!

Photo: Presse Sports / Offside

Iceland face tournament hosts France in the quarter-finals on Sunday – Photo: Presse Sports / Offside.

At least I got to enjoy the group stages out in the South of France, that is the silver lining I’m clinging to.

I watched games in host cities Nice, Lyon, Marseille and Saint-Etienne, whilst stopping off in the fantastic principality of Monaco.

The best fans I encountered were without doubt the Northern Irish, Icelandic and Hungarians, who were an absolute joy to be around – the noise generated by them in the stadiums was something else.

I haven’t seen any trouble at all. I went to the England vs Slovakia game in Saint-Etienne, with both sets of fans in good spirits and the match was played in a party atmosphere – even if it was a putrid 0-0 draw!

This will be my second time watching Iceland and their terrific Viking chant – I saw them draw with Hungary in Marseille, so maybe we are kindred spirits, it was meant to be.

I head to Paris as a fan of football. The disappointment of Monday is a bad dream, England can’t hurt me anymore.

 
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One response to “EURO 2016 Blog: Fans pay the price after England’s Icelandic embarassment”

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