Could we get a Bank Holiday to commiserate England’s defeat? Boris Johnson ‘will decide soon’ on whether to call a four-day weekend in August
- The prime minister is supposedly announcing the August holiday’s status today
- Mr. Johnson originally promised an August Bank Holiday if England won Sunday
- England lost its first ever Euros final match during the final penalty kick
- Edward Argar refused to comment on the status of the bank holiday
- The leisure days will reportedly not coincide with July 19 ‘Freedom Day’
- Find out the latest Euro 2020 news including fixtures, live action and results here
Boris Johnson‘s plans for an August Bank Holiday to celebrate an historic English victory are still on the table today, despite the national team’s heartbreaking loss to Italy in the final minutes of the European Championship.
As Brits looked forward to the Three Lions clinching their first football title since the 1966 World Cup, Mr. Johnson joined the jubilation by promising a four-day weekend this summer.
More than 30 million people watched on television Sunday as 19-year-old Bukayo Saka missed the final penalty at Wembley Stadium, handing the Euro title to Italy.
Health Minister Edward Argar refused to comment on whether the Bank Holiday would still be called in a television interview Monday morning.
He told Sky News it is a ‘decision for my boss.’
Health Minister Edward Argar refused to comment on whether the Bank Holiday would still be called in a television interview Monday morning, telling Sky News it is a ‘decision for my boss’
Mr. Johnson is expected to weigh in soon, but it’s unlikely that the extra leisure days would coincide with the prime minister’s July 19 ‘Freedom Day’ when pandemic restrictions are lifted, according to The Times.
Mr. Argar said the country was still ‘on target’ to meet requirements for lifting restrictions by their deadline.
England’s coach, Gareth Southgate, will still be honoured for leading his team to its first ever European Championship final.
Mr. Johnson is expected to weigh in today on whether the August Bank Holiday planned in honour of England’s victory will go on despite their devastating defeat
Southgate was guaranteed a knighthood if England took home the title.
‘That was a heartbreaking result to end #Euro2020 but Gareth Southgate and his squad played like heroes. They have done the nation proud and deserve great credit,’ the prime minister tweeted after the match.
He also told angry fans they should be ‘ashamed of themselves’ after many hurled racial insults at young Mr. Saka, who is black, on social media post-match.
Mr. Johnson called the defeat a ‘heartbreaking result’ but praised England’s coach and players as ‘heroes’
He also condemned racist attacks hurled against Bukayo Saka, 19, who missed the final penalty kick of the match
Prince William also praised the team from the Kensington Royal Twitter account, encouraging the players to ‘hold your heads high, and be so proud of yourselves.’
He also congratulated the Italians on ‘a great victory.’
Mr. Johnson and the Duke of Cambridge were joined by their wives and 65,000 fans at Wembley Stadium who cheered when Luke Shaw scored a goal just minutes into the match.
The Duke of Cambridge, who also attended the final, praised both the English players and Italy’s team
Outside of Wembley passionate fans breached security and entered the stadium without tickets, and police struggled to control crowds in central London
Italian fans celebrated in Rome after their team’s last-minute win, when keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma saved Saka’s crucial penalty kick
Over an hour into the rain-soaked game Italy managed to tie the score, sending the game into the devastating penalty round.
Mr. Saka’s failed penalty kick calls back to Mr. Southgate’s own time playing for England, when he missed a penalty in a Euros semi-final match 25 years earlier.
Outside of Wembley passionate fans breached security and entered the stadium without tickets, and police struggled to control crowds in central London.