The Knockout

---

By Alex Homer in Bristol & Tomos Morgan in SwanseaBBC

It was a jubilant night for England fans as they qualified for The Knockout stage of the World Cup - while crestfallen Welsh fans' hopes of victory were dashed.

The two home nations battled it out to place in The Top 16 - with England reigning victorious with a 3-0 win.

Bbc News has been following fans across England and Wales watching The Game .

Among them were hundreds of people gathered at a football Fan Zone at Bristol's Ashton Gate stadium.

Steady Hands were The Order of the evening for The Bar staff at The Venue , who were tasked with delivering trays of two-pint glasses to tables of supporters.

Seconds after a burst of the England manager's appreciation Song - " Southgate you're the one" - from The Crowd , the stadium erupted in cheers as Marcus Rashford whipped in England's first Goal with a free kick.

And the supporters had barely begun a chorus of Football's Coming Home before Phil Foden arrived at the back post to slot The Second Goal - Cue fans standing on their seats and beer flying in the air.

In minutes The Mood had switched from slightly tense to party time as the Goal -hungry crowd roared on the Three Lions .

Ollie Cleghorn (pictured left) won The Score prediction bragging rights from brother Toby (pictured middle) for correcting guessing the eventual 3-0, and he was busy planning celebrations after The Final whistle, which He Said might risk a missed first lecture tomorrow.

The Other victor tonight was Abella Webb, aged four, who took home The Crown for best headgear at The Venue , narrowly pipping to The Post her nine-year-old brother Chanse, and toy snowman Carrot.

Their father Tyron, who works in a gas engineering Family Business with wife Laura, initially revised his 2-0 to England prediction down to 1-0 after seeing The Team 's first-half showing.

But He Said The Family had " loved The Game ".

" It's about what they [England] do next now, " said Bristol City fan Mr Webb, aged 35.

It might be Tuesday but it feels like the start of an impromptu Night Out for a good few here.

The Don 't Take Me Home chant, which came into being when Wales beat Brussels in a 2014 qualifier, is being sung by England fans tonight.

" Please don't Take Me home, I just don't want to go to work, " supporters sang across the Fan Zone .

Wales had a taller order to fill.

The Team did not just need to win The Match to qualify for The Next stage of the World Cup , but also for USA and Iran to Draw In order for them to be rescued from the bottom of The Table .

From optimism and hope, to disappointment but appreciation, Swansea was awash with the Full Range of human emotion tonight.

Nobody wanted this game tonight to be as it was: a must win against the old enemy, but alas that was how the fixture panned out for Wales after a bitterly disappointing loss to Iran on Friday.

The excitement before The Match lasted a lot longer than predicted, even after The Second Goal went in.

Hymns and Arias rang out across Wales's largest Fan Zone in Swansea.

" Don't Take Me home" blared out, as well as " Yma o Hyd" The Iconic protest Song also doing the rounds.

But after Goal three, it became rather flat, as fans realised that the World Cup Fairy Tale had come to an end.

Derek, in his 50s, said he told a group of younger fans behind him to savour this moment.

It's the First Time he has seen Wales at a World Cup , and urged everyone in Wales tonight to make The Most of it as they may never see it happen again.

His Best Friend , John, a red wall stalwart for years, told fans to " think of what we have achieved".

" It may not have gone The Way we expected, but I will also support our nation, " he added, grabbing the Welsh emblem on his shirt.

Many also commented on legend Gareth Bale , who was subbed at half time. A nod perhaps to the fact that his, and Wales's, exit may now spell The End of the country's golden generation of football.

While it remains uncertain where England will finish in Group B, their potential opponents are already known.

The Winner of The Group will play Group A table-toppers Senegal in The Last 16, while the runner-up will play the Netherlands .

Source of news: bbc.com