More than 30,000 England fans packed the Boston Stadium in Foxborough on Wednesday, but their voices fell silent as a resolute Ghana defence held the Three Lions to a goalless draw in their second World Cup group match. The head of UK Football Policing, Chief Constable Mark Roberts, hailed the supporters' behaviour as “excellent” and “a repeat of the picture in Dallas” – with the match passing without a single incident or arrest of British nationals. Local police were equally complimentary, with Foxborough Police Chief Grace calling their conduct “exemplary”.
The result was a stark contrast to England’s opening performance against Croatia, which had been so overpowering. Against Ghana, ranked 65th in the world, Thomas Tuchel’s side struggled to land a decisive blow. Harry Kane squandered a golden chance late on, blazing the ball over the crossbar. “He would normally score 99 times out of 100 in that situation,” Tuchel said.
“England held 0-0 by Ghana; 30,000 fans praised for behaviour with no arrests.”
As the rain came down over the 63,000-strong crowd, frustrated England fans chanted: “Do you know how much we’ve spent?” – a reference to the cost of their transatlantic journey. The players sought comfort from their families on the final whistle. Jordan Pickford was kissed by his wife, Megan, who attended alongside their seven-year-old son. Bukayo Saka embraced his fiancée, Tolami Benson, who wore a custom England outfit. Jude Bellingham’s girlfriend Ashlyn Castro, John Stones’s wife Olivia, and Ellie Watkins – wife of striker Ollie Watkins – were also in the family area.
While England sit top of Group L, Scotland – third in Group C after their matches against Haiti and Morocco – are on course to meet the Three Lions in the last 16 in Mexico City on July 6, though that could change depending on results in their final group matches against Panama and Brazil respectively. For now, England’s supporters have won praise both at home and abroad. “There really has been a great atmosphere throughout the city, which has been very welcoming,” Roberts added. “Officers here in Boston and Foxborough have been fantastic to work with, firm but fair, and have really contributed to everyone having a memorable experience.”