If there’s one takeaway from the latest Netflix soccer documentary, it’s this: the situation could have been worse—a lot worse.
No one died during the Euro 2020 final at Wembley Stadium in 2021. But that could have happened when 6,000 ticketless fans stormed the event. The fact that no fatalities occurred might have had more to do with sheer luck than anything else. Unruly fan behavior is examined in The Final: Attack on Wembley, and it’s hard not to cringe.
This thoughtful account looks at how the pandemic, alcohol, and passion contributed to zealotry run amok. It was a scary and unforgettable moment in British soccer history. Directors Kwabena Oppong and Robert Miller rely on interviews with fans, security guards, stadium workers, and others as well as footage of the frenzy. As one person said: “We saw things that we’d never, ever seen before.”
The Euro 2020 final was a big deal. England had waited a long time to party like it was 1966. The Brits had reached their first major men’s final in 55 years. Understandably, there was so much excitement because they could finally win a championship, and the national team could do so on home soil. Euro 2020 was delayed a year due to the pandemic, so everyone was eager to celebrate.
The worst of times were over. No more lockdowns. Vaccines had been developed. But the pandemic was still going on. Because of that, safety measures remained. The British government permitted 60,000 fans to attend Wembley Stadium for the Euro 2020 semifinals and finals, about 75 percent of capacity. These would be the largest crowds assembled at a sporting event in the United Kingdom in over 15 months.
Under the best of circumstances, tickets would be in high demand. Under COVID restrictions, prices skyrocketed, especially for the final pitting England vs. Italy. Only a privileged few got access, and those who did paid an unprecedented amount. Tickets priced at 95 euros ($102 in today’s American dollars) reportedly went for as much as 20,000 euros ($21,581) on the resale market.
Wealthy people and celebrities could get in. The common folk could not. That didn’t stop thousands of people from going to Wembley early in the morning to pregame. In America, we’re accustomed to seeing drunks at sporting events. Usually, we avoid or ignore them. Occasionally, there are alcohol-fueled altercations that require the intervention of security.
What happened at Wembley Stadium was something no one anticipated.
Ticketless fans, emboldened, desperate, and intoxicated, didn’t stay outside of the stadium. They wanted in. And many didn’t care what they had to do to get inside. The video of them pushing through barriers, attacking other fans, stepping both over and on people, and running wildly through the complex looks like something from a horror film.
In interviews for the documentary, stadium workers and security officers recall the frightening moments in a way that makes you wonder if they have post-traumatic stress disorder. They talked about the desperation of trying to manage a situation that could have quickly escalated to catastrophic. In sharp contrast, Oppong and Miller interviewed fans who successfully broke into the stadium. They didn’t seem remorseful. For them, the ends justified the means, and that’s the most terrifying thing about The Final: Attack on Wembley.
Amazingly, the final was still played. The show apparently must go on. By far, the saddest part of the documentary was the revelation that what potentially saved a bad situation from becoming a lethal one was England losing to Italy on penalty kicks. The crowd outside and the ticketless, unruly fans inside became subdued and sad.
They went home back to their regular lives on a day that England will never forget. The Euro 2024 takes place in Berlin in July. Hopefully, the environment will be safe.
