Richard Garfield reports on his Sunday morning trip to a Basingstoke bar licensed to serve early for England's opening World Cup match

BEER isn't normally on my Sunday breakfast menu, but when my boss told me to go to a Basingstoke bar that would be serving alcohol for England's World Cup opener, I found myself duty-bound to oblige - all in the name of patriotism, of course!

So it was that my colleague, Clint Lambert, and I found ourselves ordering beer just before 10.30am on Sunday - a time when many people are still sleeping off the excesses of the night before.

Drake's bar at the Top of the Town was clearly a popular choice for supporters eager to cheer on England in their clash against Sweden.

With spirits high, there was an air of confidence among the punters. Some even went as far as predicting a 2-1 victory in our favour.

Even the bouncers were chirpy as we squeezed into the packed venue.

Beer at the ready, it didn't take us long to get into the spirit of the match.

There was only one problem - Australian Clint felt sorry for the team he assumed would be the underdogs and decided to shout for Sweden.

However, I needn't have worried as the local supporters were a good-natured crowd, and the first part of the match was watched almost in silence.

But a rapturous roar shook the pub when Sol Campbell opened the scoring for England on 24 minutes with a powerful header.

The punters were delighted with the early lead but also tense, eager for another goal.

Unfortunately, Niclas Alexandersson equalised on 59 minutes after Danny Mills made a bit of a blunder - never mind, we all make mistakes!

The England players might have lost momentum, but not the crowd in Drake's, who intermittently chanted "Come on England," albeit sometimes with a hint of despair.

On a weekend that saw many Golden Jubilee celebrations in the area, the fans' chanting was interspersed with Vindaloo - football's second national anthem, perhaps?

And, yes, there were a few vocal explosions as England lost chances and let the Swedes take control.

The TV commentary team said the England manager was looking worried - so were we, but we didn't give up hoping for a second goal.

It wasn't meant to be, however, and we had to settle for a draw.

After the match, Drake's manager Danny Kendall declared the day a success and said it had been the right decision to open early.

He said: "It was an excellent day, despite the final score. Everyone thought it was fantastic.

"We are looking forward to Friday when England play Argentina and then the following Wednesday, when we have a 7am licence for England versus Nigeria."