Hearty England supporters pack rooftop bar for team’s World Cup opener

A group of English soccer fans in Edmonton braved the weather to watch their team take on Croatia on Wednesday.

A dedicated group of English ex-patriots and footie fans kicked off their collective conclave on Wednesday at their proclaimed watch-party home in downtown Edmonton.

In loud and boisterous fashion.

The Edmonton England Supporters have made the Canadian Icehouse, located at Ice District, their official watch-party home for the tourney to catch all of the country’s World Cup matches. It’s the second time the supporters have made the rooftop of the bar a headquarters of sorts: they gathered here for the European association championship, also known as the Euros, two years ago.

“It’s always like this, so don’t be surprised,” fan Chris Clelland told CTV News at the Canadian Icehouse on Wednesday as England took on Croatia. “If you want to come out for England, come here. This is the place.”

England’s match with Croatia in Dallas is the first for both sides at this year’s World Cup. Each team plays three group-stage games at the tournament, one against each of their group rivals.

England takes the pitch again on Tuesday against Ghana in Boston and on June 27 against Panama in New York.

The men’s national teams from each country make up Group L, one of 12 groups in this year’s World Cup, which started last Thursday.

Playoff rounds start June 28 with the Round of 32, followed by the Round of 16 that starts on July 4, quarter finals July 9-11, semi finals July 14-15, the third-place game on July 18 and the World Cup Final on July 19.

Canada is hosting the 48-team sporting spectacle, considered the world’s largest, alongside Mexico and the United States, with games on Canadian soil being played in Toronto and Vancouver. Edmonton hosted a World Cup tune-up match between Canada and Uzbekistan on June 1.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Darcy Seaton