Football fan's Euro 2024 beer quest sees him choose Jeremy Clarkson ale to represent England

An avid football fan has become an internet sensation for his unique tradition of collecting beers from every nation in the Euro 2024, stating it "adds another level of excitement" to the event. Since Euro 2016, Gus Hully, 37, has been on a quest to acquire beers from each country participating in major international football tournaments, amassing impressive collections for both the Euros and World Cup events in recent years.

This year, the Cheltenham Town FC fan has invested approximately £70 to secure 24 different beers, symbolising the 24 teams competing in Euro 2024, which is set to begin today (Friday, June 13) with the Germany v Scotland match. The supporter, from Bromley, east London, said: "It adds another level of excitement to it you're excited for the football, excited to be with friends and enjoy the summer."

Hully, who works as a music industry analyst for the Official Charts Company, has previously made headlines for his World Cup beer collections. His latest reveal of the Euro 2024 beer collection has exploded on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, racking up over eight million views, a response he finds "mental".

READ MORE: Couple heading for Spain put on wrong flight at Bristol Airport and end up in Lithuania

READ MORE: Glastonbury-themed naked knitted window display stirs up more controversy

To represent England this year, Mr Hully selected Jeremy Clarkson's Hawkstone Lager, which is brewed near Bourton-on-the-Water in the Cotswolds. "I've done this quite a few times before and you want to try something new each time," he said.

"The Diddly Squat Farm is about 20 miles away from where I grew up and where my parents still live, so I found Hawkstone Lager in a local shop."

Commenting on the viral success, Hully expressed his astonishment: "I find it really bizarre that it gets such a big reaction from a lot of people," and "It seems mental that people really resonate with me buying a few beers and stacking them up, I'm just overwhelmed by it really."

Mr Hully said it is "strange" to encounter viral popularity during the tournament periods, occurring as they do every two years. It's strange but at the same time I'm used to it and my friends are used to it."

"They joke that my posting of the beers is the unofficial opening ceremony of the tournaments."

In readiness for Euro 2024, Mr Hully revealed he has collected an eclectic array of beers over a period of six months. Among his collection are Super Bock from Portugal, Efes Draft from Turkey, and Scotland's Vault City Iron Brew.

"The beers have actually been brewed in their home countries, so the Croatian beer was from Croatia, the Dutch beer was from the Netherlands," he said.

"Most of them I could find (in the UK), so for example I could get a Ukrainian beer from a specific Ukrainian shop. But for Slovenia, I had to import it and I know a guy over there who collects beer and he was able to send it to me."

"I also had to get the one for Albania from abroad but I prefer to get them face-to-face and go to a shop and get them from there."

He remarked that he will savour each beer when the respective country is eliminated from the tournament or when one team has been "crowned as the champion".

Reflecting on England's defeat to Italy in penalties during the Euro 2020 final, he confessed it was "probably the worst beer (he) had ever had".

"I was gutted," he admitted. With Euro 2024 starting, Mr Hully expressed optimism but anticipated a quarter-final exit for England.

He elaborated: "I said in my post (on X) that 'it's coming home' but I think it's probably going to be a quarters knockout. I'd be absolutely buzzing if we won."