England captain Harry Kane has urged fans to 'celebrate as the sun's rising' as the team shrugged off the kick-off time chaos that has disrupted preparations for the World Cup match against Mexico. Speaking ahead of the game, Kane said: 'I think everyone would love nothing more than to be celebrating as the sun's rising at 5, 6am.'
Pub Owners and Fans Express Anger
Pub owners and supporters have voiced fury over the debacle, which saw the kick-off time changed multiple times. Adam Curtis, landlord of The Cock Inn in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, criticised FIFA: 'What a joke - we make all these plans for a 1am kick off - which takes a lot of organisation then it’s changed to 7pm so we get staffing organised for that. Then they change it back again. There’s no thought at all given to the impact their decision making has.'
Over 500,000 fans are expected to watch the game in 6,000 pubs staying open specially, while 17 million pints are forecast to be consumed across 30,000 pubs on Sunday, giving a major boost to the industry.
Fan Frustration and Travel Chaos
Superfan Gary Taylor said: 'It’s disgraceful to change the time so late in the day and then change it back again. Of course players and fans safety is paramount but this just wasn’t thought through.' Dad-of-seven Owen Pickering, who spent £20,000 on his World Cup trip, added: 'FIFA is rubbish; it's awful. They have no thought about anyone travelling to the game.' Pickering, from Crawley, West Sussex, feared missing the match due to flight schedules: 'We are flying to Orlando and then onto Tampa to fly to Mexico City on Sunday. We do not land until 11 am and it takes 45 minutes to an hour to get to the ground. So with matchday traffic we would have missed it and I would have been heartbroken really.'
Even Mexican manager Javier Aguirre slammed the changes, calling them a 'kick in the stomach.' Some Texas-based England fans had to change flights twice after FIFA's U-turn.
Security and Atmosphere
The England team arrived at their Mexico City hotel to extraordinary security, with hundreds of police in riot gear forming a ring of steel. As Kane and his teammates entered, they were greeted with chants of 'Mexico, Mexico, Mexico.' More than 300 police officers were on duty, many with riot shields, banging them on the ground as the team arrived. Despite the tension, players acknowledged a local band and a handful of England supporters, including one wearing a red Michael Owen shirt from the 1998 finals.
Kane's Message and Weather Concerns
When asked if England wanted a night to remember, Kane said: 'Absolutely! Obviously good news that the pubs are staying open for the fans. We know how much the World Cup means to everyone and all the fans at home. So I'm hoping there will be a few all-nighters to be honest, just going all the way through, and celebrating until the next day and then catch up on some sleep after that.' He added: 'That's what sometimes makes the World Cup unique, is these different timings and different memories that you create. I think everyone would love nothing more than to be celebrating as the sun's rising at 5, 6am.'
Thunderstorms forecast around the Azteca stadium could still cause delays. Fan Gary Taylor, 64, from Harold Wood, Essex, who was caught in terrifying scenes at the fanzone during the opening ceremony, said: 'England v Mexico in the Azteca in Mexico City. It doesn’t get much better than that does it? I can remember as a kid the 1970 World Cup. Those great players like Pele and Jairzinho winning the World Cup at the Azteca. Now England are playing at the same stadium. It’s a dream come true.'
