BRIGG FOOTBALL FANS WATCH ENGLAND'S WARRIORS FALL AT THE FINAL HURDLE

There will be a few sore heads in Brigg today among those who drowned their sorrows after watching England's footballers lose the Euro 2020 final to Italy in last night's dramatic penalty shoot-out.

It was required after 90 minutes and extra time had failed to divide these well-matched teams over a marathon two hours which produced a 1-1 scoreline. 

It couldn't have been closer! Sadly, though, there was no England victory to celebrate.
Licensed premises in Brigg offering big screen live TV coverage of this tournament (group and knockout stages) received a very welcome boost in trade after many difficult months, and there was considerable demand for takeaways from locals who stayed at home to watch the fixtures.
It's been good to see youngsters taking to local parks to play 'kick-about' football in recent weeks, including yesterday afternoon on the Millennium Green and the Davy Memorial Playing Field.
It has also been revealed recently that town-based Briggensians FC are to enter a second team in the Scunthorpe & District League on Saturdays.
These examples perhaps suggest rising interest in playing 'The Beautiful Game' at grassroots level in Brigg.
Brigg's Dying Gladiator pub, on Bigby Street, was among the popular venues for big screen coverage of the tournament.
A unique statue, pictured here, was constructed by a former landlord and builder after he had made a 19th century 'Grand Tour' of Italy and the Vatican. We were hoping that the warrior's pained expression would sum up the mood prevailing across Italy this morning after they had lost to Gareth Southgate's side, but instead it reflects how England's supporters are feeling!
The national side's many keen fans in Brigg (and our licensed bars and food outlets) will now be looking forward to the next World Cup tournament and hoping that Gareth's squad can go one better... and win.

PICTURED: The Dying Gladiator statue, an England flag in a Brigg garden over the weekend, and a glass half empty (or half full?) in a local bar.