England fever grips Manchester as fanzone descends into chaos after Euro victory

'Gareth Southgate's barmy army' sang a man wearing a vintage 1990 England shirt, with a flag of St George draped around his neck, as he walked arm-in-arm with his pal through the huge swinging doors.

All around this cavernous Northern Quarter venue were the words Road to Victory, the official name of one of the city's biggest Euros fan parks, this year being housed at Diecast.

And for the hundreds of Mancunian Three Lions fans who packed in to roar them on, the road to victory started here in earnest.

READ MORE England v Serbia live - score, Bellingham goal, stream and updates after supporters clash

Before the match, you could have been forgiven for thinking you were in Marbella, not Manchester as fans sank beers and sipped cocktails as they soaked up some rarely seen summer sun in the beer garden.

But as kick-off approached, the enormous beer hall, big enough to house 2,000 fans, with a giant projector screen at the front and several more dotted around, began to fill up.

There were nerves, but also excitement. "We've got to win. Got to batter them or else what's the point" said Tom O'Brien, 27, from Rochdale.

"It's coming home mate!" fellow England fan Ethan said. "I f*****g love these tournaments. Every time I'm straight out. It's a great excuse to get out of your mates. But I love England too. Serbia are a strong side, but I think we've got it."

Whilst there was a lot of love for the local boy, dubbed by one England fan Suren Patidar, 30, from Salford, as 'the Stockport Pele', Phil Foden.

As a clock counting down to kick-off ticked down, there were renditions of fan favourites World in Motion, Three Lions, and a very boisterous singalong to Sweet Caroline.

Just before kick-off, the 'road to victory' was displayed in huge letters on the screen against a black background. 2018 World Cup – semi-final. Euro 2020 – final. 2022 World Cup – beaten by a finalist. And there was a huge roar as the words 'This is our time' flashed up.

But that was nothing compared to the chaos that ensured when Jude Bellingham headed in Bukayo Saka's deflected cross to give England a 13th-minute lead.

The standing section was a sea of arms as beer went flying through the air, and fans hugged friends and strangers with equal ferocity.

In the minutes after there were several choruses of The Beatles' Hey Jude in Bellingham's honour. And Three Lions rang around again, only this time with a noticeable increase in feeling. It was a party atmosphere at half-time. But the energy and enthusiasm started to drain away as a tense and turgid second half drew on. There were gasps as Jordan Pickford and Harry Kane both prevented their side from conceding an equaliser.

It looked like the tension was about to be lifted, and the crowd was all set to erupt again when Harry Kane met sub Jarrod Bowen's cross. And some were left sprawled out on the floor in disbelief as it was tipped onto the crossbar and cleared.

For many the second half must have felt like four and a half hours rather than 45 minutes. The roar that greeted the final whistle was as much one of relief, as joy. Yet when the DJ followed it up with Atomic Kitten's Whole Again, everyone was ready to party once more.

Groups gathered in big hugs as they belted 'Southgate you're on the one, you still turn me on, football's coming home again....' as they headed out into the wet Manchester night. England fever has gripped the city once more.