THE Euro 2020 tournament has had one Oswestry pub well in the grip of football fever in the past month – and it is expecting a grand celebration on Sunday for the final.

Oswestrians will be bringing their England shirts out for one more match this summer as the nation prepares for its biggest match in 55 years – the Euro 2020 final against Italy.

And to mark the occasion, many will be making the short journey into town to watch the spectacle at the Boars Head, in Willow Street, which has become a hub for local supporters in recent weeks.

Landlady Helen Nightingale has also been bowled over by the excitement in the town, and said the pub is almost booked up to capacity ahead of the match this weekend.

She said: “We’re almost fully booked already – I think there may be two or three tables left, but we’re packed inside and out.

“We’re looking for a good day, and a busy day from our perspective. For those with us on the day we’re hoping for the result they want.”

Excitement has grown among football fans as the nation topped its group and has remained unbeaten all tournament to reach the final stage.

Standing between them and their first piece of silverware since 1966 however, is an Italian side which remains unbeaten in 33 matches.

That statistic has not dented the optimism of some supporters who will be heading out to watch Sunday’s game, including Paul Rocks.

He said: “We’ll be coming here and meeting up with some people who we’re watching the game with.

“We’ve been out for most of the matches so far this tournament. The atmosphere has been very good in the pubs when the games have been on.

“I think it will be a positive result for us – we feel confident.”

Fellow England supporter, Peter Farmer, shared the optimistic feel ahead of the fixture, adding: “I think we’re going to win.

“I knew we’d beat Germany when we faced them earlier in the tournament, and I feel the same ahead of this match.

“We’ve got the best team in the tournament and the players we have on the bench are fantastic as well, simple as that.”

Optimism among local fans has become more apparent in the past fortnight, explained Helen, who has noticed an increased level of interest in the competition as England progressed through each round on their road to the final.

She added: “For the first few games, we actually seemed busier for the Welsh games than the English matches.

“I think the first England game was on a day when we had gorgeous weather, and we had a fair crowd here, but I thought we’d have had more in here.

“As the tournament has progressed, we have been very, very busy.

“The semi-final match here was fantastic on Wednesday – the atmosphere was absolutely electric.

“There has been a bit of a buzz around the town and there has been no trouble which is brilliant.

“When we’ve been closing the doors at the end of the night, you can hear people on the streets shouting ‘come on England’ and ‘it’s coming home’.”