Louis Tomlinson hailed a hero after buying a TV and generator from Argos so Glasto crowd could watch the football
1 July 2024, 09:27 | Updated: 1 July 2024, 09:45
Louis Tomlinson has been hailed as the unexpected hero of Glastonbury after he set up his own TV so festival-goers could enjoy England's Euro game on Sunday.
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
Revellers at Worthy Farm faced a dilemma over the weekend after organisers said they wouldn’t be screening the Euro 2024 match because it clashed with planned performances.
However, much to the delight of England fans, former One Direction star Louis Tomlinson took matters into his own hands.
The singer, 32, attempted to watch the game in the festival’s hospitality section but after getting a bad reception instead nipped down to a nearby Argos to purchase his own TV and generator.
He set up the TV in the camping section, and hundreds of people quickly flocked to take advantage of the impromptu screening.
While the signal was “a little bit touch and go at times”, Tomlinson admitted fans had dubbed him the “god of the festival” after the move.
“Luckily we got the win, we pulled it off,” he told the BBC. “[I’m] made up.”
Tomlinson admitted that it was actually the second screen he’d purchased, after the first one got cracked.
He told The Guardian: “I wasn’t going to take credit for it because it looked like we were going to lose in normal time, but now that we’ve equalised, I’m happy to.”
Staff at the festival had expressed concerns that the large crowds could lead to a crush with attendees leaving the Pyramid stage, and some fans reportedly became abusive when they were told the screening had to be ended.
However, they soon found a compromise and the screen was angled away from the area of concern, resulting in cheers from the audience when the safety officer confirmed the screening could continue.
After an exit from the tournament looked almost certain for England on Sunday, Jude Bellingham’s spectacular 95th-minute overhead kick equalised for England before Kane won the last 16 tie with a headed effort in the opening minute of extra-time.
Some travelling England fans were already making their way out of the stadium in Gelsenkirchen but as the game was entering its penultimate minute of added time, Real Madrid’s superstar produced a remarkable overhead kick to level the game.
After leaving it until the 95th minute for their first shot on target, England then had their second, one minute into extra time as Kane popped up at the back post to head Southgate’s men in front.
This was the second goal of the tournament for the England captain and his 65th on the international stage.
England will now face Switzerland in the quarter-finals on 7 July after their 2-0 victory over Italy on Saturday.
