The first chant of "En-ger-land" was belted out in Donetsk as the travelling army of Three Lions fans arrived for their opening game of Euro 2012.
Hundreds gathered at a bar opposite a giant statue of Russian revolutionary Vladimir Lenin before making their way to the 50,000-seater Donbass Arena to watch England take on France. The bar did a roaring trade as fans warmed up their vocals in the glorious sunshine.
A handful of British police officers were on patrol, while their Ukrainian counterparts kept watch from across the road as flags of St George were hung from a marquee.
Some supporters proved their dedication by enduring a sweltering 13-hour overnight train journey from the capital Kiev. Others enjoyed more comfort, with hundreds arriving in the industrial city of Donetsk by charter flights.
The number of travelling England fans will be the lowest at a tournament for many years, with around 3,000 tickets sold through the official supporters' club for the team's opening game. But the lack of demand meant that fans in Donetsk were able to buy spare tickets off other supporters without an inflated price.
Dex Marshall, 52, from Uckfield, East Sussex, said: "No-one is paying more than face value. There are plenty of England fans with extra tickets that they won't be able to get rid of. I know people who haven't come because their wives and partners were worried by the racism and hooligan stories."
Joss Orpin, 23, was among a group from Leicester who arrived in Donetsk at 8am after a marathon train ride from Kiev. He said: "It was really hot and they didn't have any windows in the cabins. They said there was air conditioning but it didn't work."
France go into the match as strong favourites after a 21-game unbeaten run, while England are missing Wayne Rooney through suspension and have suffered a number of injuries to key players.
The weather could also be a factor, with experts predicting maximum temperatures of 30C (86F).
France coach Laurent Blanc has instructed his players to wear ice jackets to cool down at half-time, but England manager Roy Hodgson has said his team will not be doing the same. He said: "We'll deal with the heat as best we can. It does get hot in England from time to time."
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