Football fans descended on pubs across the region to watch England vs Scotland in one of the biggest events since before last March.

Unfortunately, the match didn’t quite live up to the hype, with the teams playing out a drab 0-0 stalemate for the first time between the two teams at Wembley.

However, the match didn’t dampen the atmosphere in Northumberland’s pubs – with many being packed as punters cheers on their teams.

Carla Rowley, manager at the Grapes in Hexham, said: “Last night was brilliant. It was a really nice atmosphere, and we had a mix of young and old. Everyone was in a great mood, and the weather was cooler, so people were calmer.”

Despite having a great atmosphere, current restrictions prevent shouting, singing, and dancing in hospitality venues – but are fans keeping control of their emotions?

According to Carla, they are. She said: “One of the things that is quite hard is that we’re having to be the fun police. When England scored against Croatia last Sunday, we had to drop everything to make sure everyone was in their seats. We didn’t need to do that last night though!”

By England’s next match against the Czech Republic on Tuesday night, it had been hoped that all lockdown restrictions would be lifted. However, that date has now been pushed back by at least four weeks, meaning that fans will have to continue following their team a little more quietly and calmly than they usually would.

Carla said: “The Euros have given us a lift, they’re cheering everyone up a bit and the weather is helping. We’re getting some sense of normality back.

“What was announced on Monday wasn’t what we were hoping for. It was a setback, but we’ve got to make the most of it.”

England are currently 2nd in their group, and despite the disappointment of last night’s result, they look likely to progress to the knockout stage of the competition.

The 0-0 draw will have been a surprise to the Hexham Courant readers – especially those who voted in a poll on our Twitter page. More than 35 per cent expected Harry Kane as the first goal scorer, with Raheem Sterling and Che Adams other possible picks. The closest England went to a goal was early on in the game, when centre back John Stones hit the post.