West Midlands England fans ‘gutted but proud’ after Euro 2024 defeat – BBC News

England fans in the West Midlands have described feeling a mix of disappointment and pride after the team’s defeat in the Euro 2024 final.

Johnny Muir, who was watching the game at Droitwich Rugby Club, said he was “gutted”, but he added: “I’m immensely proud of the England team. They have put us back on the map in international football. I’m proud to be British.”

One of the younger fans, nine-year-old Elsie, said: “I’m really devastated about the football. I think we could have done better.”

She was wearing her father’s gold England necklace, which he had when he was a child and said she would have kissed it if England won.

Her ambitions include playing for England’s European Championship-winning women’s team and after the men’s defeat she said: “This is the most angry that I’ve ever been in my whole entire life.

“England, next match, you’d better win.”

Steve Godwin, who watched the game at the Gardeners Arms, at Brown Lees in Staffordshire, said: “However bad I feel, they feel worse. I really thought we had it.”

Gary Leonard was also there and afterwards he said: “You’re either good enough, or you’re not good enough.

“Unfortunately, they just traded it at the end”

In Himley, Staffordshire, a large screen was set up to show the match at the annual Black Country Day celebrations at Himley Hall.

Fans watched the game after being entertained by tribute acts to Taylor Swift, Madness and Michael Buble.

In Shropshire, fans gathered at the Red Brick bar at Wellington Market.

After the final whistle, a disappointed Liam said he was heartbroken and added: “I expected better.”

Back in Droitwich, Louie Hurdman said: “I think if we went to extra time we would have lost anyway.

“Spain were coming on the attack a lot more ferociously than we were.”

He added: “England played some boring football this tournament, but at least they got us to final.”

For pubs and bars that showed the game, it also meant an early end to the night.

Barty Williams, the manager of Droitwich Rugby Club, said: “We were planning on staying out and everyone drinking till late, but now everyone’s cleared off a bit earlier, it’s just not gone our way.”

Steve, the landlord of the Royal Oak in Biddulph, said he was pleased with the support there had been for the games he screened.

“I wasn’t expecting it to be as busy as it was,” he said.

He also said the final defeat had been “a sad result” adding: “We’d have loved to have seen an England win, but in fairness to Spain they played well all tournament.”

One fan who watched the game at the pub told BBC Radio Stoke: “The group stages weren’t so great, but we had belief we thought we were there, the whole country believed we were there.

“You pin your hopes on it, don’t you? Football’s coming home. But when is it?”