Barber who shaved St George cross into his hair among fans in Berlin
Fans of England and Spain gathered near the Brandenburg Gate on Sunday as excitement built ahead of the match.
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A barber who shaved a St George cross into his hair is among the England fans who have travelled to Berlin for the Euro 2024 final.
Sam Tattersall, 29, and friends made the journey from Nottingham by car, after they decided on Friday to go to the German capital and soak up the atmosphere.
In honour of the final, Mr Tattersall shaved a cross into his hair and dyed it red.
He said: ” I was going to get my hair cut and I thought I’d go for it with the St George’s cross because football’s coming home.
“I keep forgetting about my hair and noticing people looking at me. I wish I had done it with permanent dye not a spray because it’s coming off in the rain.
“If we lose it’s going to have to go on Tuesday, but if we win it could stay for a year.”
He posed for pictures with Spanish and English fans who spotted his unusual hairdo.
England supporter Rob Cheetham, 24, from Wiltshire, was looking forward to the end of tournament after an extended camping trip in Essen, Germany.
He said: “We been camping since June 12. I can’t really fully express myself on how that’s been but I want to go home.
“It’s been great fun, every time we’ve gone to a game we’ve come back with different groups of people, been chatting, we’ve had barbecues at our campsite.”
He added: “We’ve camped through eight thunderstorms so far, it’s meant to be June and July. Eight thunderstorms, it’s a joke, mate.”
Fans of England and Spain gathered near the Brandenburg Gate on Sunday as excitement built ahead of the match.
England fans set off flares and sang on one side of Wilhelmstrasse while Spanish supporters danced and waved flags on the other side.
German police with riot gear stood to one side near the England fans.
One man in an England shirt climbed a flagpole while others stood on tables drinking beer and chanting.
Among the football songs sung by supporters was Ten German Bombers, which refers to the “RAF from England” shooting German aircraft down.
England manager Gareth Southgate has previously described chants referring to the First and Second World Wars as “unacceptable”.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.