Fan waves same homemade flag at eight World Cups

A football fan who has taken a large homemade flag to eight FIFA World Cups is "living his best life" after witnessing England beat tournament co-hosts Mexico.

Paul Green, 68, a retired print worker from Upwell, Norfolk, close to the Cambridgeshire border, first took his distinctive Wisbech flag, adorned with the St George's Cross and Norwich City emblems, to the World Cup in Spain in 1982.

Green and his trusty flag, which he estimates has travelled "around 50,000 miles" (80,000km) in 44 years, have been to all five England fixtures at the 2026 competition.

He has spent £9,000 pre-booking tickets for all potential England games. "As long as they keep winning, I will be there," he added.

Optimistically, his flight home is scheduled for two days after the final.

Green paid tribute to an exceptional team performance by England.

"To beat Mexico in their own back yard was just unbelievable and every one of those players were heroes," he said.

The Mexican fans were so passionate about the match, he was apprehensive about what would happen if England won.

"I had no need to worry, as they were so gracious in defeat and they bought us beers, tequila and they partied the night away with us," he added.

Green said he was off to Cancun for a couple of beach days, then on to Miami for Saturday's quarter-final against Norway.

"It's coming home, unless it's not, just believe," he said.

Social media has been awash with comments about Green and his 44-year-old Wisbech flag.

One post said: "Flying the flag for Wisbech, keep it up and bring it home."

Other comments included "everyone's playing spot the [Wisbech] flag tonight" and "keep the flag flying Greeny".

Green said as well as the 2026 World Cup, his flag had travelled with him to Spain in 1982, Italy in 1990, France in 1998, Japan in 2002, Germany in 2006, South Africa in 2010 and Moscow in 2018.

He is taking good care of it.

"After England beat Mexico this week I had to hang my flag up in my hotel room and use a hair dryer on it, it was drenched," he said.

Do you have a story suggestion for Cambridgeshire? Contact us below.

Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.