Bus stops used as climbing frames, fighting in the streets, the arches of Wembley stormed and England humbled with a flare up its a*** for good measure.
Which ever way you slice it, July 11 2021 is a day eternally etched into the country’s collective memory and now the Americans will be able to see why due to a new Netflix documentary focusing on the more sordid aspects of the day.
The American streaming giant has announced the release of ‘The Final: Attack on Wembley’ due to be released this month ahead of the national team’s next jaunt at Euro 2024.
The documentary will follow the build up to the match which saw bedlam across the country and widespread instances of mob-like football hooliganism.
It will also include footage of the invasion of the Euro final by fans without tickets which resulted in brawls between fans inside the ground and people filmed openly snorting drugs on Wembley Way.
Ahead of the release of the documentary, MailOnline has taken a look back at some of the key events of the day which started with hope and ended in ignominy marred by 86 arrests and ‘unprecedented levels of criminal and anti-social behaviour’.
Supporters fill Wembley as they arrive at the stadium ahead of the Euro 2020 final in July 2021
July 11 2021 is a day eternally etched into the collective memory of football fans
But what started as a day of hope ended as a day of ignominy with the nation shamed by the actions of hooligans
The build up to the game saw mass disruption and hooliganism from fans
The day would end with England losing the final and riot police descending on London
8am – Fans pile into pubs and begin drinking
Despite the game not starting for another 12 hours, thousands of England fans are seen piling into pubs across the country from as early as 8am.
Many of them have come directly from nights out, so feverish is the anticipation for England’s first final since 1966.
On Wembley Way, thousands more gather and crack open some cans as they wait for the gates to open ahead of the match.
11am – Bedlam begins on the streets of Britain
With the game looming (nine hours away) there are signs that for some fans this might not be entirely about the football.
Despite the early start, many of the fans are already heavily inebriated and are seen lighting flares, climbing on bus stops and throwing flares and rockets at one another in Trafalgar Square.
The Metropolitan Police had previously urged fans not to come to London unless they have match tickets or somewhere booked to watch the game but crowds continue to gather and soon serious disruption begins.
In Piccadilly Circus, one fan was spotted leaping from the Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain into a crowd of excited supporters and outside the Wembley Stadium others were spotted climbing onto traffic lights and poles.
Across the country, England fans crowded into pubs in anticipation of the game
In many venues, the atmosphere was excitable and well mannered
However, on the streets it was less so with disorder rampant in Central London
England fan climb onto a pole as they arrive outside the Wembley Stadium in London and gear up for the Euro final
A man throws an object as football fans gather in Leicester Square ahead of England’s Euros final against Italy
An England fan strips naked as Three Lions fans party outside Wembley Stadium ahead of the Euros final
Hundreds of fans, some of whom were seen letting off flares, arrive to Piccadilly Circus ahead of the match at Wembley today
A man jumps from the Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain in Piccadilly Circus ahead of the UEFA EURO 2020 final football match
In the thick of the action, two men are seen inserting lit flares into their rectums to the cheers of the mob
4pm – Serious disorder begins and flares are shoved where they shouldn’t
Drunken supporters throng into Leicester Square and at several major railway stations, to revel in one of Britain’s biggest sporting occasions in decades.
The British Transport Police reports ‘multiple cases’ of flares being set off inside London stations and Leicester Square station is soon closed to prevent further people from arriving.
Undeterred, fans continue to travel into Central London en-masse and begin celebrating a little more wildly.
Traffic cones are thrown into the road and traffic comes to a standstill in Central London as thousands of fans spill out across the area.
In the thick of the action, two men are seen inserting lit flares into their rectums to the cheers of the mob.
It is still four hours until kick off.
Speaking after his naked bottom (and worse) is plastered all over the internet, one of the men 25-year-old Charlie Perry told the Sun that he ‘regrets nothing.’
Regaling the nation with his story, Mr Perry bragged he had drank 20 cans of Strongbow and ‘banged a load of powder’ before the incident and later snuck into Wembley for the final.
He said: ‘It was the biggest day of my life. There were no rules that day. All I know is that I loved it all. I was off my face and I loved every minute.’
Police form a line in front of the Wembley as thousands of fans descend upon the scene
A new report into the fan trouble at the Euro 2020 final has found 6,000 more supporters were ready to storm Wembley had England beaten Italy in the penalty shootout
A mass of England fans outside the stadium pushed at the ticket barriers ahead of the match
Ticketless fans got into altercations with others as they barged into the stadium
6pm – The battle for Wembley begins
After drinking outside the stadium all day and ingesting every substance under the sun, some England fans break away from the main group and attempt to break into Wembley.
Targeting the disabled entrances, dozens of fans are seen storming into the stadium, overwhelming the security guards and trampling ticketed supporters underfoot.
Naturally, those who have actually paid for their tickets don’t take too kindly to this and soon scuffles break out inside the stadium itself.
In front of horrified children and tourists, England fans brawl with each other in the turnstiles with Harry Maquire’s father caught up in the stampeded and suffering injuries to his ribs.
Ticketless spectators inside the stadium are thrown to the ground and kicked and punched by other fans who outnumber them as chaos reigns.
The Metropolitan Police belatedly confirm there had been a ‘breach of security’ at the stadium and that they were working with stadium officials to ‘identify those without tickets’ .
Eventually order is restored and police make 56 arrests.
Luke Shaw celebrates after scoring during the UEFA EURO 2020 final between Italy and England
Eventually England are dogged down by the Italian’s and concede taking the game to penalties
In the ensuing shootout Bukayo Saka (pictured) misses one of the spot kicks
Across the country, the desolation is total and many fans slink off home to cry into their pillows
In pubs and bars across the country the mood is also bleak following the loss
Also reacting to the shock loss were fans who watched the game from fan zones in London
8pm – Kick off
After 12 hours of drink, drugs and anti-social disorder the football finally begins.
England take an early lead through Luke Shaw but is not to be.
After extra time and with the scores drawn, the Three Lions go out on penalties with Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka missing from 12 yards like manager Gareth Southgate in 1996.
Across the country, the desolation is total and many fans slink off home to cry into their pillows.
For others though, the night is just beginning.
11:30pm – The fighting begins
With taunts of ‘It’s coming ROME’ ringing in their ears a selection of hooligans in Central London begin to target Italian fans and soon violence breaks out.
Shocking videos and images on social media show fans rival brawling in the capital and roaming around in groups looking for targets.
Rowdy supporters draped in the flags of England and Italy shoveeach other in the capital’s West End before a mass fight erupts terrifying the public.
In response, riot police descend on Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square to break up the violence and try and disperse the groups.
Eventually, crowds are dispersed and police are left to pick up the pieces of the shattered capital.
A man lobs a traffic cone into the road following England’s loss to Italy
Hundreds of England near the front of the National Gallery, in Trafalgar Square, during the unrest
Fans are seen in the streets of Soho in confrontation with police after England’s final
A man is detained by officers after thousands of football fans descended upon Trafalgar Square
Police officers monitor England supporters standing on the edge of Trafalgar Square
A man is led away in handcuffs after the wild scenes among football fans in central London following England’s defeat
Riot police try to disperse the crowds as hundreds of football fans gather
A mural honouring England star Marcus Rashford was vandalised less than an hour after last night’s Euro 2020 final defeat
Rashford reacts after hitting the post in their team’s third penalty in a penalty shoot-out
July 12 – England’s black players are racially abused
Manchester residents awake to see a mural honouring England footballer Marcus Rashford has been defaced with graffiti in what Greater Manchester Police called a ‘racially aggravated’ act of vandalism.
The Manchester United star Rashford missed the team’s third kick from the spot after the final went to penalties.
The mural on the wall of the Coffee House Cafe in Withington was defaced with derogatory comments about Rashford and included the words ‘sh**e’ and ‘b*****d’. Further graffiti said ‘f**k Sancho’ – a reference to Rashford’s Three Lions teammate Jadon Sancho, who also missed a penalty.
Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka, who also missed a penalty, is also the subject of racist abuse online from England fans.
England manager Gareth Southgate describes the abuse of Rashford, Sancho and Bukayo Saka as ‘unforgivable’ and Prince William and Boris Johnson also denounce it.
