Time to recognise Sir Gareth! England fans in Berlin call for Southgate to be knighted as they sink their last beers of the tournament ahead of historic Euro 2024 final with Spain

England fans clamoured to call for Three Lions’ coach Gareth Southgate to be knighted, win or lose in tonight’s epic European Championships final which is expected to draw a TV audience of 25 million.

Some unfurled an England flag with ‘Sir Gareth Southgate’ in scripted on it close to the Brandenburg Gate as others spoke of how the manager was vilified weeks ago, but remained stoic and took his team to the brink of glory.

Southgate, 53, was slammed by fans and even pelted with missiles during an earlier match after lacklustre performances by his Three Lions.

But property developer Monty Wouhra, 55, who with friends unfurled the flag with a knighted Gareth Southgate on it, said: ‘Fair play to the man.

‘He has taken a lot of stick during this tournament and when you look back today, it was really unfair.

Property developer Monty Wouhra, 55, and friends unfurl a flag that reads ‘Sir Gareth’

Southgate (pictured speaking to the media ahead of the final) was slammed by fans and even pelted with missiles during an earlier match after lacklustre performances by his Three Lions

‘Gareth, or “Sir Gareth” as we prefer to call him, has completed what seemed like a mission impossible. He has taken us to another final and whatever happens, he deserves to be knighted.’

Navjot Singh, from Sandwell, added: ‘Gareth in this tournament has brought the country together as one. You only have to look at the diversity of the team and the fans like me here in Berlin to see that.

‘He is an incredibly nice man who has never lost it, even when people were pelting him with beer cups and he was being criticised by a lot of supporters.

‘I really hope we win tonight of course and we bring that trophy home. But even if we don’t, Gareth’s achievements need to be recognised by the King.

‘He seems to be a very modest man and will probably be a bit embarrassed, about the talk of him getting knighted, but it’s the humblest people like him that deserve it.’

Sanjeev Khosla added: ‘I love what he has done for England. He has not had it easy, but he has shown what being English and having a stiff upper lip is all about.’

Another England fan James Funge flew into Berlin from Sydney on a journey which took him 29 hours, and said: ‘It is a no brainer… Sir Gareth and it sounds so good.

‘This bloke has had to put up with so much over the years and has still taken us to two Euro finals and a World Cup semi-final.’

Gareth Southgate (left), who fans are calling on to be knighted, walks out to inspect the pitch in Berlin with Harry Kane (right)

A group of England fans pose with a flag showing their support for Southgate’s side ahead of the final tonight

Two women in England football shirts cheer for the camera as they gear up for the final in Berlin

A man stands in front of Berlin’s iconic Brandenburg Gate with his England flag

Supporters wear matching red and white football hats in Berlin today. One man shows off his St George’s Cross sunglasses while holding a pint

The 52-year-old quantity surveyor who moved to Australia from Shropshire 27 years agio, added: ‘He is our most successful manager after Sir Alf Ramsay who helped us win the World Cup in 1966 when I wasn’t even around.

‘It was really painful watching England on TV at home in Sydney in the earlier games, but it has all come good now and he has been at the helm and pulled the team together as well as one over the fans.

‘We know The King and Prince William have been following England, so lets hope they see fit to give him that gong.’

Mr Funge, who paid around £3500 for his match ticket on the black market and which had a face value of £250, added: ‘I work hard and my company has about 80 employees. When I left Australia on Friday, I told them where I was going and told them to take it easy while I was away!

‘It wasn’t an easy trip for me and the plane technical problems at Istanbul so I had to change planes and picked up a delay there and today I’m feeling really jetlagged.

‘But I had to be here, and I have to be able to tell people that I was there when England won a major tournament and an England captain lifted a trophy.

‘It’s been a long time since 1966. We have just been waiting for this moment.

‘If it happens, the pictures of Harry Kane lifting the trophy and the team running around the stadium are going to live forever and be iconic, just like Bobby Moore when he was holding the World Cup at Wembley all those years ago.’

The UEFA Euro 2024 trophy awaits the winning team ahead of tonight’s final

England fans hold a replica UEFA Euro 2020 trophy in the hopes their team will bring it home

Fans are hoping for a picture of England captain Harry Kane lifting the trophy tonight – reminiscent of Bobby Moore (pictured) holding up the FIFA World Cup trophy in 1966

King Charles III (right) poses with an England shirt alongside actor Idris Elba (left), who is seemingly a fan of Bukayo Saka

A rollercoaster of emotions: Prince William, the President of the Football Association, looks concerned for the England squad (left) before he celebrates Bukayo Saka’s goal against Switzerland (right)

A fan of The Three Lions poses with his pints ahead of the final between England and Spain tonight

A man cheers in an England shirt as he readies himself for the much-anticipated match

More than 50,000 fans are expected to be in Berlin by the kickoff time of 9 pm locally. The majority of them have travelled without tickets and just to be part of the Berlin party.

Ticket prices soared today and touts at tourist spot Checkpoint Charlie were demanding upwards of £2500 for remaining tickets.

Andrew Howell, 22, from Nottingham, said: ‘I’m here with three friends and we don’t have tickets. So we will watch the match in the fan zone. 

‘We drove here on Friday and have been drinking and singing with the fans the whole time.

‘I am so tired I might even fall asleep while watching it in the fans zone. But I hope England, play like they are on fire tonight and that the tiredness will just disappear.

‘I haven’t slept more than two hours a night because there are four of us in the van and we have just graduated so don’t have jobs yet or really much money. But it is all worth it believe me.’

England manager Gareth Southgate cheers after England defeated the Netherlands on July 10

German police officers watch on as England fans gather outside an Irish pub in Berlin

England fans have decorated the pub with England flags as excitement for the final grows

The Euro 2024 final between Spain and England will take place at the Olympiastadion (pictured) in Berlin today

Gareth Southgate (left) wraps an arm around skipper Harry Kane ahead of the Euro 2024 final in Germany

Bikram, a Sikh fan from Birmingham, said he was visiting a temple in Berlin to pray for success tonight.

He added: ‘We need every bit of help, support and luck and I feel I have to go to a local Gurdwara today.’

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