• Frank Lampard goal wrongly disallowed by Uruguayan referee
• 25million fans across country tune in to watch match
  
• Harry and William send their best wishes ahead of big match
• David Cameron watches match with German chancellor Angela Merkel
  

Millions of England fans had their World Cup dreams shattered this afternoon after their team suffered a crushing – and highly controversial – defeat at the hands of their oldest enemy.Germany won 4-1 after an epic encounter in which a wrongly disallowed goal had prevented England completing a stunning comeback when the score stood at just 2-1.But the match officials’ blunder was rendered almost irrelevant after England’s woeful defending in the second half allowed the Germans to complete an embarrassing rout.

No goal: Lampard’s 39th-minute effort wasn’t given, despite clearly being over the line

England team ambassador David Beckham (R) talks with Referee Jorge Larrionda (C) at half time

Anger: Wayne Rooney argues with linesman Mauricio Espinosa who disallowed the crucial Frank Lampard equaliser

After Germany had taken a 2-0 first half lead, England responded with a goal from Matthew Upson before Frank Lampard’s shot clearly crossed the line but was ruled out by match officials.The shocking blunder by the Uruguayan referee Jorge Larrionda and his assistant brought echoes of Geoff Hurst’s famous winning goal in the 1966 World Cup final against Germany – but that goal was given.TV replays confirmed the ball was at least 18 inches over the line and triggered fury among the millions of England fans.The goal would have pulled England back into the contest but a poor second half performance, in which Germany scored twice more, left England staring into the abyss and a humiliating defeat at the hands of their arch rivalsAbout 25million viewers were glued to their TV sets, with power demand on the National Grid expected to surge to the highest level since England played West Germany in the World Cup semi-final of Italia ’90.Nervous fans had feared a repeat of the 1990 World Cup and Euro 96 semi-finals when England lost to Germany on penalties.

Defeat: The crushing disappointment is clear as football fans in Bristol watch the score go from bad to worse

Down and out: England supporters react after Germany scored their second goal

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England fans in Queens Square, Bristol watching England against Germany in the last 16 knock out stage of the World Cup, held in South Africa

But as the game wore on, and the Germans piled on the agony, England fans’ biggest concern was that Germany did not match England’s famous 5-1 victory in September 2001.Up to 20,000 travelling fans had converged on the ‘City of Roses’ for the most anticipated match of the World Cup so far.England fans at home and in South Africa reacted furiously to the decision to disallow Lampard’s goal, while referee Jorge Larrionda and his assistants left the field at half time to a chorus of boos.Mark McGraw, 46, a ground worker from Eastwood in Nottingham, said: ‘It’s a joke. The linesman was half way up the pitch. They’re trying to get us back for ’66.’Richard Carter, 37, a professional gambler from Shaw in Oldham, said: ‘I’m sitting a hundred yards away and it was definitely in.‘I would like to know what the referee and linesman were looking at. They clearly weren’t watching the game.’Another fan chipped in: ‘We need a Russian linesman.’TV presenter Jonathan Ross was likewise left dumbfounded by the disallowed goal.‘That was so far in even I could see it without my lenses in!!,’ he tweeted.Bookmaker William Hill said it would pay out to their customers who bet on Frank Lampard scoring against Germany.‘Even Sepp Blatter knows Lampard scored so we have already begun paying out to punters who backed him to do so at odds of 10/3. It will cost us a six figure sum,’ said Hill’s spokesman Graham Sharpe.

Dejected England fans watching the World Cup match against Germany in Manchester City Centre’s Fan zone at Castlefield ArenaDistraught England fans left the stadium saying England just weren’t good enough.Darren Garner, 26, a digger driver from Peterborough, said: ‘They just don’t seem to have the heart.’We’re supposed to be Three Lions.’We looked old and useless. They looked young and fresh.’His friend, Damien Masham, 26, a window cleaner, from Peterborough, said: ‘I’m absolutely devastated. They perform at club level but when it comes to internationals they look like a Sunday league side.’We paid a lot of money to come here, you just start to wonder if it’s worth it.

A young England fan leaves the stadium in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, after the national side beat Slovenia

A young boy holds-up an English flag ahead of England’s first knock-out game of the 2010 World Cup against Germany in Bloemfontein

England fans dressed as Fabio Capello, leave the Nelson Mandela Bay stadium following England’s game against Slovenia in Port Elizabeth

Kevin Miles, of the Football Supporters’ Federation, said Fifa’s ‘convoluted’ ticket transfer system was not very helpful in these circumstances, meaning fans were forced to swap with each other.Meanwhile, British and German police were preparing to present a united front in the city.Uniformed officers from both countries were set to patrol together in the hope of ‘setting the tone’ for the two sets of supporters.Assistant Chief Constable Andy Holt, leading the UK delegation, said he would not be able to stop distasteful chanting such as ‘Nine German Bombers’ and ‘Two World Wars, One World Cup’.But he praised the behaviour of the England fans so far and said he was not predicting any mass disorder.The atmosphere in the university town yesterday was quiet, with little football fever in sight, as most fans had not yet arrived.South African police were out in force, with officers and patrol cars much in evidence.Bloemfontein is the birthplace of Lord of the Rings author JRR Tolkien.

( Daily Mail )

One thought bound England’s army of fans arriving in the sleepy central South African city of Bloemfontein yesterday.It will be shared, too, by the millions watching today’s match at home: Should Fabio Capello’s men triumph over old foes Germany, then the dismal start to the World Cup will be forgotten. Yet failure, too painful to contemplate, will only compound it.As ever, then, the stakes are sky-high between the two great footballing rivals, with many fans expressing the view that no previous England-Germany encounter since 1966, not even the World Cup semi-final 20 years ago, had reached this level of intensity.

Desperate: A sign requesting tickets sits on a bar table on the Waterfront in Bloemfontein, South Africa

Desperate: Fans queue outside the FIFA office in Bloemfontein to try and purchase tickets for Germany v England match

Battle: Wayne Rooney, Peter Crouch and Matthew Upson arrive with the rest of the England team ahead of their clash with Germany

All the signs from the England camp yesterday were that the full-strength team was relishing the do-or-die contest and were confident of victory, come penalties or otherwise.The players flew to tiny Bloemfontein airport from their Rustenburg HQ by private jet late in the afternoon and acknowledged the cheers from England fans and flag-waving locals with wide beams and waves.

Sources say their improved spirit has much to do with the latitude Capello has given them. As with the Slovenia game, the no-alcohol ban was lifted and the players were allowed a single bottle of Castle beer each on the eve of today’s match. Capello’s attitude to the presence of the WAGs, whom he viewed as a distraction, has also softened.Meanwhile the taunts from the German media and comments made by German football legend Franz Beckenbauer, who described England as ‘burnt out’, are said to have served only to galvanise the squad.England fans began arriving on Friday, with more expected to make the journey today, bringing the total to an estimated 20,000.Locals joked that Bloemfontein has not seen so many Englishmen fill its quiet streets since the Boer War.Back in 1900, some 50,000 British troops marched on the city having travelled 300 miles on foot across vast scorched plains to reach it. They were met with no resistance and hoisted the Union Jack as Field Marshal Lord Roberts declared the city officially occupied.Unlike the soldiers, England’s fans are expected, win or lose, to leave within 24 hours. Put politely, the city does not have nearly the same appeal as Cape Town where many have based themselves.And there are genuine fears that it will run dry of beer.All the signs from the England camp yesterday were that the full-strength team was relishing the do-or-die contest and were confident of victory, come penalties or otherwise. The players flew to tiny Bloemfontein airport from their Rustenburg HQ by private jet late in the afternoon and acknowledged the cheers from England fans and flag-waving locals with wide beams and waves.George Mohlakoana, chief executive of the local World Cup organising committee, said he had warned pubs and restaurants that the two sets of supporters – some 10,000 German   fans are also expected – come from beer-drinking cultures and that they would need to stock up.Quite how thirsty they will be may have escaped Mr Mohlakoana, though, judging by a prediction he made yesterday. He said that fans would only ‘probably’ want to start drinking before the match.

Mr Mohlakoana insisted no limits would be put on drinking but the authorities would monitor the situation to ensure things did not get out of hand. But he did not expect problems. ‘Everybody is in a World Cup mood which is good, the vibe has been excellent and the crowds well-behaved.’On Friday night the first batch of England supporters to arrive in Bloemfontein were in good humour and spoke of the ‘incredible’ reception they have received from South African fans.Elsewhere in the city in the early hours of yesterday, a group of more exuberant England fans launched an inflatable Spitfire near the Warehouse Bar and Grill. It was the cue for a rendition of the Dambusters theme.The Germans with whom they had been drinking reacted with patient smiles, while a thoroughly bemused waiter asked to be enlightened. ‘It’s too difficult to explain, mate,’ replied one of the England supporters.Bloemfontein, with a population of 370,000 and just 20,000 hotel beds spread across the area of the Mangaung Municipality, is facing a strain on its resources to cope with the influx of supporters.At least they are sure to fill the 45,000-capacity Free State Stadium, dubbed the ‘Free Seat Stadium’ due to the city’s inability to fill the ground for any of its fixtures. The stadium’s pitch, shared by soccer club Bloemfontein Celtic and rugby giants Free State Cheetahs, appeared worn and dry during South Africa’s victory over the French. England were due to train on it yesterday morning but were told instead to use their base at Rustenburg because of fears about its condition.

11 commandments to win – what the Berlin press says

By Allan Hall 
Penalties and the alleged inability of the English team to take them dominated the acres of newsprint devoted to The Game in German newspapers yesterday.But Bild, the country’s biggest tabloid, went one further in its campaign with a front-page blurb declaring: ‘Bild has already kicked the English out; you won’t find a single English word in this newspaper!’Its front page was a picture of German play er Ozil, who scored against Ghana, next to the headline: ‘This is how we take England – 11 commandments for victory!’They include instructions to each individual German player about what to do and finish up with: ‘We only have to reach the penalty stage…’Inside, three pages of English- bashing thinly disguised as sports news begin with the headline: ‘Now our best lads take on the English rowdies.’

Wholesome: Germany’s Miroslav Klose, pictured with wife Sylvia, is contrasted with England’s John Terrry, who was sacked as captain after his alleged extra-marital affair

Nothing is sacred. There is a photograph of Miroslav Klose next to John Terry with the headline: ‘The angler versus the characterless.’‘Miro Klose,’ says the story, ‘loves honour, John Terry the girlfriend of another player. Hobby angler Klose lives without scandal with his wife Sylvia and his twins Luan and Noah, five. Terry (married with two children) went behind the back of national squad teammate Wayne Bridge for a relationship with his girlfriend Vanessa. Characterless! That cost him the captaincy.’But soon it is back to the penalties and Bild readers are treated to a table of previous World Cup penalty shootouts which has Germany at the top… and England 19th and last.If it does come to penalties, the paper said Lampard will ‘hit the post, Gerrard will shoot wide, Barry high, Milner will miss altogether… and Rooney doesn’t have to shoot because we will already be celebrating!’Formula One legend Michael Schumacher sent a message to Die Jungs – the lads – via Bild saying: ‘This time we don’t need any penalties.’Staid broadsheet Die Welt was also at it on the penalty front with ‘England fears a penalty trauma’, while the even more strait-laced FAZ in Frankfurt commented: ‘The beloved enemy awaits – they have apparently been working a lot on penalties.’And the news magazine Der Spiegel said: ‘For British tabloids, a victory against Germany would be a double reason for celebration. After all, it would pave the way to the quarter finals against another “old enemy”, Argentina, who England fought against in the 1982 Falklands War.’