1million to pull sickies after England's 1-0 Euros victory over Serbia (2024)

More than a million England fans are expected to pull sickieson 'Hangover Monday' today - and eight million will work form home - after Jude Bellingham dragged the team to a nervy 1-0 win over Serbiaat Euro 2024 in Germany last night.

A diving header from Real Madrid's Jude was the difference in Gelsenkirchen as Gareth Southgate's side started their campaign with a victory - only their second ever win in an opening game at the European Championships.

Inside theArena AufSchalke the majority of the 54,740 supporters inside were from England, including the WAGs and families of the team. The city's fan park was also rammed with 40,000 fans and in a nearby Italian restaurant 7,500 pints of beer were downed in just three days.

Millions watched on TV at home while otherspacked pubs and hundreds of fan zones in England, Benidorm and Magaluf, with thousands of pints of beer being sent airborne as Bellingham put his country ahead in the the 13th minute.

More than a million English fans are expected to skip work today, after 30 million pints were downed in pubs and homes. Another eight million will likely work from home, experts said.

BrightHR, which monitors absence among more than a million employees at 50,000 companies, projected a repeat of the 128 per cent sickness increase the day after England's Euro 2020 Sunday group game.

There were plenty of bleary-eyed England fans in Magaluf today after many partied until dawn in another night of drunken carnage in the wild party town.

Hundreds of young Three Lions fans swarmed the resort's notorious strip after Jude Bellingham put Serbia to the sword - keen to get a result of their own.

QPR fan Alex James, 19, said: 'Mate, I just want to get laid. I don't care who. It's Sh**aluf - that's what we are all here for.

'England won so everyone is buzzing. Everyone is up for it.'

Bars in Magaluf were heaving before kick-off with England fans eager in anticipation of Euro 2024 success.

They belted out The Beatles' hit Hey Jude after the Real Madrid ace put Gareth Southgate's side ahead - before reeling off a rendition of '10 German Bombers', which controversially mocks Nazi casualties of the Second World War.

But the excitement was too much for one inebriated fan who celebrated England's 13th-minute winner by promptly vomiting onto the pavement.

The stricken Spurs fan then spent the rest of the first half creased over with his head resting on his floral pink skirt while his friends continued to watch the action nonplussed.

England's laboured second half performance led to some fans calling it quits, with one rude reveller loudly exclaiming: 'Shall we go to the strip? I can't wait to pull a fat bird.'

Indeed, as full time was blown there was just one thing on the mind of many fresh-faced fans.

Pointing at a giant slingshot ride which propels party-goers 250 feet at 100 miles per hour, one youngster in an red England away kit crudely told our reporter: 'Fancy going on that mate?

'Take a bird up there and f****r her. You're only married in England.'

For some supporters it was Three Loins as young partygoers ventured into strip clubs, where one rep told potential punters: 'It's Coming Home and you could be c*****g too.'

Yards away, sounds of groaning turned heads as an amorous couple fornicated against a shop shutter, oblivious to anyone but each other.

Officials on the Mediterranean had braced themselves for a night of carnage following England's clash with Serbia by drafting in extra police.

And when a patrol car did attempt to navigate through the mass of flaunted flesh, one woman cackled as she daringly twerked against the officer's window - fortunate to be spared any redress.

England fans wearing shirts emblazoned with heroes Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane knocked back free shots from club reps eager to secure their custom as drug dealers brazenly peddled their wares.

Bailey Barton, 18, from Manchester, showed off his blood-stained England top, claiming he had brawled with a Scotland fan. Pals raised eyebrows at his claims before telling of their love for Magaluf on their first holiday together.

Anthony Tunstead, 18, said: 'You come to Magaluf to s**g as much as you can and then you f*** off home. That's what you do. That's what you should write in your journal.'

Wide-eyed Anthony, who risked a €400 fine after taking his top off in breach of strict local laws, added: 'Just look down the street. Every single girl you look at is good.'

His friend Sam Jarvis, 18, added: 'We started drinking at 11am and we'll go through to 7am. Everyone's p****d, everyone's having a good time.

'I'll put it like this - it's like Blackpool in the sun. It's amazing. It's better than Benidorm.'

Outside one buzzing bar, a promoter told how she has swapped solicitor work to be a nightclub promoter.

Asking not to be named for fear of her summer job ruining her legal job hunt, the law graduate, on €70 a night, said: 'I've just done six years in uni so I thought f*** it, why not?

'Bet you thought you'd never see your future solicitor standing in the strip in Magaluf. But honestly, it's good. It's like an escape from reality.

'For the last six years I've been grinding doing solicitor work and for two months now I get to live in the sun. I really, really enjoy it.'

As she returned to work, a woman in a revealing fishnet dress toppled from the back of a moped, thudding onto the road before stumbling to her feet.

Further along the drag, a Dutchman in an orange dress, with balloons for breasts, demanded an American tourist perform press-ups on the grubby floor in exchange for a cigarette. He then gave him the cigarette but no lighter.

Meanwhile, in the host city of Gelsenkirchen, thirsty England fans guzzled nearly 7,500 pints of beer over three days at an Italian bar and restaurant which became their headquarters.

Three Lions fans almost drank GE Piazza in the city's old town dry, with owner Ûmit Yavuz revealing he had gone through 60 kegs between Friday and last night.

It was his busiest weekend since England last played in Gelsenkirchen nearly 20-years ago at the 2006 World Cup with the boozy celebrations raking in nearly 50,000 Euros.

He said that on a normal weekend, the bar would only get through two kegs, which contain 124 pints each.

An estimated 40,000 England fans packed into Gelsenkirchen yesterday to see their team edge out Serbia 1-0 in a tense Group C clash.

GE Piazza had been at the centre of the party, England's fans second home where they have been filmed downing pints and shots of Jägermeister and standing on tables singing popular terrace chants.

Ûmit, 43, said: 'This is as busy as we've been for a long, long time… probably since the last time England played in Gelsenkirchen in 2006.

'But back then there were more pubs and bars in the city so this time around everyone has come here.

'I put on an England shirt to entice the supporters in. It's always a popular move. I also put-up flags for all the countries playing in the Euros outside the bar. I think that's why we've been so popular.

'We have Italy and Spain playing in Gelsenkirchen next, I hope their fans join us for the party too. However, they won't drink anywhere near as much as the English. England really likes to drink.'

Ûmit runs the bar with sister Deniz, 38, who explained: 'Usually over a weekend, the most kegs we'd get through is two.

'But since the England fans arrived we have sold about 60. The atmosphere has been great.

'Not everyone has stayed in Gelsenkirchen but Friday got quite busy, Saturday even more so and then yesterday we were packed for most of the day. The English are a thirsty bunch. You drink beer like we drink water.'

England's football heroes beamed as they were reunited with their wives and girlfriends following the Three Lions' nervy 1-0 victory against Serbia atEuro 2024 last night.

CaptainHarry Kanewas seen cuddling and smiling with his wife Kate Goodland in the stands after England's narrow win.

Others wives and girlfriends were also seen snuggling up to their boys and cheering them onto victorythroughout last night's game, including Jordan Pickford and his wife Megan Davison.Dani Dyer also looked in great spirits as she was joined in the stands by boyfriend Jarrod Bowen.

Superstar Jude Bellingham provided the goal to calm the country's nerves in last night's opener against Serbia - with a diving headerin the 13th minute proving to be the difference in Gelsenkirchen as Gareth Southgate's men started their campaign with a gritty victory.

The goal was a rare ray of sunshine after a day of blustery wind, cloud and rain left just 600 hardy souls watching the match on a giant screen at the 40,000-capacity Trabrennbahn Racecourse fan zone on the edge of the German city.

Before kick-off, Pickford's wife waved to fans as she took her seat wearing a cropped England shirt with his No 1 on the front.

Bellingham's parents, Mark and Denise, and footballer brother Jobe, took selfies with the crowd, while the partners of captain Harry Kane and injured full-back Luke Shaw were also seen in the 50,000-capacity Arena AufSchalke.

Around 300,000 England fans are expected to travel to Germany during the month-long tournament. An estimated 40,000 were in Gelsenkirchen and nearby Essen and Dusseldorf – where accommodation is more plentiful and cheaper – for last night's match, but only 10,000 had tickets to the Serbia match.

Back home, supporters packed hundreds of fan zones, with thousands of pints of beer being sent airborne as Bellingham put his country ahead.

More than a million English fans are expected to skip work today, after 30 million pints were downed in pubs and homes. Another eight million will likely work from home, experts said.

Megan could be seen waving at fans in the stadium alongside Kane's wife Kate, who shares four children with the star.

Among those gathered to cheer on their significant others were Aine Kennedy, Conor Gallagher's partner,Luke Shaw's partner Anouska Santos andOllie Watkins' partner Ellie Alderson.

Kyle Walker's wife Annie Kilner also sat in the stands and was pictured chatting to the footballer.

The players' families arrived in full force in Gelsenkirchen yesterday evening to cheer on their loved ones as they hoped to get off to a winning start - after painfully losing out in the final toItalyin 2021.

Bukayo Saka's partner Tolami Benson was spotted in the stadium. Tolami is 23 and works in PR.

She has been dating Saka since November 2021, with their romance confirmed during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Elsewhere, Anouska Santos paid a double tribute to her partner, Luke Shaw, on Instagram.

In the sweet image, Luke, and his eldest son Reign, four, smiled for the camera in an England kit.

Meanwhile, their newborn daughter, Lumie, perched on her father's lap and their middle child, Storie, two, sweetly stroked her sister.

Anouska wrote: 'Happy Father's Day Luke Shaw. You make these three babies lives so happy, we're forever proud, but today, just a little more. Love you so much.'

Luke and his long-term partner, Anouska Santos, 33, are believed to have started dating before May 2017.

The couple likes to keep their relationship private and is not accustomed to regularly posting updates on their activities.

Anouska, though, has been seen accompanying her footballer boyfriend at various Man United-related events.

In June last year, Shaw and Santos threw a lavish party to celebrate the first birthday of their daughter Storie.

England fans are also hoping to see Trent Alexander-Arnold's girlfriend Iris Law makes an appearance in Germany. The model's parents are A-listers Jude Law and Sadie Frost.

Trent Alexander-Arnold and Iris Law were first spotted together in early May, and have enjoyed a budding romance ever since.

When paparazzi first caught the pair catching coffee in London two months ago, the attention was barely a drop in the ocean compared to the limelight and glamorous lifestyle she's grown accustomed to.

Dubbed the new 'it couple', sources close to The Sun said the duo first met at a photoshoot in April for Guess Jeans, of which they are both ambassadors.

The budding couple then arranged an impromptu coffee date and a walk around Portobello Market, clearly wanting to spend as much time as possible getting to know each other.

The stunning fashion model made her Paris Fashion week catwalk debut for Miu Miu and has gone on to establish herself as one of British fashion's 'it girls'. She has been the face of Burberry, is a beauty ambassador for Dior and has featured in campaigns for Marc Jacobs.

Meanwhile, Man United defender Luke Shaw's girlfriend Anouska Santos, and Everton goalkeeperJordan Pickford's wife Megan were spotted arriving for their flight on Saturdayahead of yesterday's game.

Anouska made sure comfort was key for the short haul flight in a pair of oversized blue jogging bottoms and a slouch T-shirt.

She carried her essentials in a Mulberry Bayswater bag, which retails at over £1,300, and appeared to go makeup free for the flight.

Meanwhile, Megan - who gave birth last year - flashed her toned abs in a black crop top and leggings, teamed with a chic oversized beige blazer.

The mother-of-two completed the look with chunky trainers, while carrying her belongings ina silver handbag.

Megan met Everton ace Jordan Pickford when they were teenagers. The childhood sweethearts have been dating since she was 14 and he was 16 after meeting at school and share a son, Arlo, five, and baby daughter Astara.

The couple went out on their first date to the cinema while he was a pupil at St Robert of Newminster Catholic School in their native Washington, Tyne and Wear.

Megan, now 28, graduated from university in 2019 while supporting her beau. She even made the move cross country from Sunderland to Liverpool when he signed for Everton for a cool £30million.