Bermondsey’s Kirby Estate is fluttering with England flags hours ahead of the side’s pivotal clash against Wales this evening.
This tournament, London’s most football-mad estate battled wind and soaring bunting prices – but they’ve still put on a heart-warming red-and-white display for the Three Lions.
Chris Dowse, 44, a Kirby Dad and one of the three brains behind the operation said: “To be fair, when we were getting the flags up it was perfect weather.
“But we’ve been on flag watch since because, with this weather, we’ve feared the worst.
“But we’ve got our repair team on-site. The only thing we haven’t mastered is the art of making sure the flags stay down rather than getting wrapped around themselves. But at the moment they’re looking alright!”
The impromptu project began during Euro 2012, when a couple of neighbours draped flags outside their homes.
Things snowballed and before Chris knew it, he was down the pound shop, cradling stacks of St. George’s flags.
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“The prices of flags have tripled since then! We used to be able to get 175 flags for £60. This time it was £60 for a little bit of bunting,” Chris said.
Today, the Kirby has over 400 flags and a mural dedicated to Fran Kirby, the England lioness who brought football home during the Women’s Euros.
New additions to the display include flagpoles mounted by the children’s play area and lighting draped around the flats.
There is also a rainbow flag above the Fran Kirby mural, a stark contrast to the World Cup’s Qatari organisers’ attitudes, who warned of punishments if players wore LGBT-pride attire during matches.
“We try to do things differently every year and the lights and rainbow flag are a finishing touch,” said Chris.
The multi-cultural estate is home to Colombians, Canadians, Brazilians, Spaniards, Moroccans, French, Algerians and Portuguese, many of whom have draped their countries’ national flags outside their homes.
Asked about England’s chances tonight ahead of the side’s match against Wales, Chris said: “After Iran, I thought we were gonna win it. The USA game brought us back down to earth a bit, but I think people underestimate how good a side they are.”
To knock England out of the tournament, Wales must win by four goals and either Iran or USA must win.
“If we score quick, they’ll pipe down,” said Chris.
