Fans at Euro 2024: 'The atmosphere has been really good'

Euro 2024 is well under way in Germany, with hundreds of thousands of football fans in the country to enjoy the tournament. Three sets of fans from Essex have been talking about the lengths they went to in order to witness the action live.

Tom Free and three of his friends drove to Germany from Chelmsford on Saturday to watch England's opening 1-0 win against Serbia on Sunday.

Mr Free, 24, who did the driving, said they had been travelling around Europe to watch England play for about four years to build up loyalty points to qualify for tickets.

Previous games saw trips to Poland, Italy and San Marino and the friends are due to stay in Germany until England's match against Denmark later.

"The atmosphere has been really good," he said.

Mr Free estimated the trip had cost about £800 each.

Samuel Adams, 26, a financial analyst, said: "It has been really good. Everyone was having a good time."

Football fan Ross Hamilton has been using annual leave to fly out for Scotland games.

He was in Germany to watch his team lose the opening match of the tournament 5-1.

"We didn't do ourselves justice but we are eternal optimists," he said.

He returned home but flew back in time for Scotland's game against Switzerland on Wednesday night.

The insurance worker, who has lived in Colchester for the past 11 years, said: "It's a good way to reconnect with my country so that is why I am travelling."

Jack Pittman, 27, from Thurrock, was in Germany to watch Spain win 3-0 against Croatia on Saturday.

"I travelled to a different country to watch two countries I don't support," he said.

"I am buzzed that I went to go and watch a Euro 2024 game."

He travelled to Berlin with his dad Andrew and childhood friend Liam Wilson.

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