England v Switzerland: Football fans across Black Country will be cheering local hero Jude Bellingham
Football fans and those who follow Jude Bellingham are getting excited at the build up to the England quarter final Euro 24 game which kicks off at 5pm.
Born in Stourbridge, pubs and restaurants in the town are expected to be very busy for the England game against Switzerland, with may willing the 21-year-old on to score another vital goal as he did against Slovakia.
They include new venue Stourbridge Social on the Mill Race Lane trading estate which only opened its doors yesterday – it features a massive television screen and is open all afternoon today.
At Asda in Halesowen, staff are getting behind Jude and the team by decorating the store with England flags and running special promotions around the game including creating a Jude Bellingham pizza.
Store manager Paul Delemere said: "We’re rallying behind England and especially Jude Bellingham who was brought up just a few miles from here.
"Given that Jude is from Stourbridge, our local community is buzzing with excitement, cheering him on and hoping he brings football home.
“Our colleagues here are super-excited to see Jude perform and make us all proud. We've got decorations up, special promotions, and a lot of team spirit. It's all about supporting our local hero and the national team."
At Stourbridge FC, where Bellingham started his career in the junior ranks, fans are expected to pack the bar from early afternoon and vie for the best place in front of the big screens.
Chairman Andy Pountney said: "A lot of eyes will be on Jude tonight and the influence he has had on the team in the tournament so far is immense even though he and the team have probably not been at their best – we are hoping they will go all the way."
