TOWNS and cities up and down the country have organised fan zones for people to watch the football outside, however Basingstoke will not be one of them.  

There have been calls from residents for the council to show the England’s biggest match in decades at the War Memorial Park. 

However, Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council’s Arts and Events Manager Ross Harvie said: “We are keen for people to get behind the England team on Sunday but it is important that this is also done safely.

“Unfortunately we will not be able to show the match on screens at any of our parks as at such short notice, we would not be able to notify local residents and carry out the relevant safety and licensing checks and get these approved by our partners to comply with the current COVID guidance in time. In addition, screens and security staff are in high demand across the country so availability is limited”, he said. 

Meanwhile in Hampshire, Southampton City Council has been condemned by Labour councillors for failing to organise outdoor fanzones.  

The council said: "The city’s Events Safety Advisory Group who review event management plans and advise the council, has worked hard to explore options but has determined that it is not possible to ensure a safe environment for such an event to take place given the time available. This is in line with other cities and towns on the south coast.” 

In London, BoxPark in Croydon has become one of the hottest tickets in town, with fans celebrating in typically raucous style following England’s two nil victory against Denmark.  

Thousands of fans will also be in Trafalgar square with all tickets already snapped up whilst betting firm Paddy Power has set up two ‘Paddy Parks’ in Newcastle and London. 

Closer to home, pub chain Hall & Woodhouse has converted The Portsmouth Arms in Hatch Warren into an outdoor fanzone. 

The advice from Basingstoke and Deane Council is as follows: “We would recommend that people wanting to enjoy the match support their local hospitality businesses showing the game or watch the match in the comfort of their homes, in line with government guidance, to minimise the spread of COVID.” 

Elsewhere, bosses have been urged to be flexible by trade unions on Monday with many a sore expected should England be crowned champions.  

The TUC, which represents most of the UKs trade unions, said: “Bosses should talk to their staff about flexible working arrangements ahead of Monday morning – perhaps allowing them to start later and claim back their time afterwards.”  

There have also been calls for a bank holiday if indeed football does come home, alongside a petition which has more than 300,000 signatures.  

Prime Minister Boris Johnson did not rule out a bank holiday, but Monday is expected to be too short notice. 

He said: “I don’t want to pre-empt the outcome of Sunday’s match. Clearly, we want England to go all the way and win the final, and then we will set out our plans in due course.”