17 October 2023 , 12:20
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England's defeat to Italy in the Euro 2020 final at Wembley will go down in history for all the wrong reasons.
While the Three Lions lost on penalties to the Azzurri, it was events off the pitch that would cause huge embarrassment. Played on a wet summer's evening, the match saw an unprecedented amount of fan disorder.
The match was the first major fixture to take place after Covid-19 restrictions had been relaxed and was also the biggest international match in England since the 1966 World Cup final.
Police and security struggled to regain control as fans without tickets attempted to storm the stadium. Families were left terrified, the FA were fined and England were forced to play a home game behind closed doors as UEFA took action in response.
A report commissioned by the FA and led by Louise Casey examined the day's events. It was scathing of the authorities, insisting that fatalities were only narrowly avoided on a day of "national shame".
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Crowds gathered along Olympic Way outside Wembley from as early as 9am on July 11, with many drinking heavily, while some drug use was also reported.
The report marked the start of the storming of the gates at 5.25pm when 100 men charged an outer perimeter. One man was knocked over and trampled, going into a seizure after he escaped the crush. Police and stewards were punched, with the security team at the stadium coming under "intense pressure" an hour later.
At Gate G, one woman was knocked over and trampled on, while a man carrying a small child was knocked down. Meanwhile there was a 'systematic targeting' of disabled supporters.
LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 11: England fans knock down the barriers outside of the stadium during the UEFA Euro 2020 Championship Final between Italy and England at Wembley Stadium on July 11, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Chloe Knott - Danehouse/Getty Images)One father reported that a ticketless fan impersonated a steward in an attempt to hijack his disabled son's ticket. They only realised what was happening as they got to the door.
The ticket-checking cordons were also overwhelmed, with many fans entering the stadium legitimately to find their seats had been taken. In total, 19 police officers were injured during the operation, with 49 arrests made.
An astonishing 2,000 people were able to gain access to Wembley despite not having tickets for the match, in 17 mass breaches of security. It is believed there was a 6,000-strong crowd outside the gates that were waiting to charge the stadium if England won.
Further shameful scenes outside of the stadium before kick-off showed an England fan lighting a flare in his bum. Officials described the attempts to breach the gates as being “constant for six hours”, with the crowds persisting even when the final had got underway.
Thousands of fans attempt to get through the gate (NurPhoto/PA Images)One fan wrote: "People were taking cocaine in front of us and smoking drugs behind us. My sons cried for most of the game, scared by the events surrounding us."
While Casey slammed those who "lost control of their own behaviour", she was highly critical of the authorities. "There are always lessons to be learned. No one was fully prepared for what happened that day and it can’t be allowed to happen again. The prevailing view in the aftermath was that the scenes at Wembley had been ugly and disgraceful,” Casey wrote.
“Many of those present said … what they witnessed or experienced was more serious and, in some instances, extremely dangerous. Multiple stakeholders told the review that the frequency of matches meant a habit had formed of viewing these problems as discrete tactical issues."
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More than 40 arrests were made on what was later branded a day of "national shame" (May James/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)In the end, serious casualties were somehow avoided, with the FA's chief executive apologising for the day's events. But he also insisted that no stadium would have been able to cope with the surge of disorder.
“I am truly sorry for the terrible experiences that many of you suffered,” Mark Bullingham said. “A day that should have been so special became horrible for many at the moment they arrived on Olympic Way. That hurts us deeply.
“We fully accept the findings and recommendations of the review. Rather than planning for the biggest ever football match at the modern Wembley as we did, collectively we should have viewed the event as one of national significance.
"No stadium would have coped with that pressure from such an aggressive crowd trying to get in. Given the circumstances many of our team performed incredibly well under extraordinary pressure. Without them and their actions, as the review makes clear, the situation could have been much worse. I sincerely thank them.”