England fans roar for Lionesses in Zurich as they bid to defeat Dutch 'secret weapon'

Lionesses fans have promised to roar at the top of their lungs to help England into the Euro finals and disarm the Dutch 'secret weapon'. England will take on the Netherlands at 5pm BST in Zurich before Wales clash with France 53 miles away in St Gallen at 8pm tonight.

Both matches are all-or-nothing games for the home nations, with the Welsh and English teams needing a win to stay in the tournament. But as supporters in orange jerseys boasted that they are the Netherlands 'secret weapon', a sea of red, white and blue fans told them: "We'll be louder."

Emily Walker, 34, from Southampton told the Mirror: "We're 100 per cent going to be louder, it was already loud at the last match but we're going to give it everything to be louder than the Netherlands fans, I'll make sure we are. "I'm excited and nervous after our last game, but now I just can't wait for kick off."

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A 30,000-strong barmy army of fans are banking on the Lionesses to keep their title as reigning champions after buying tickets for the final in Basel. And today they began arriving by train, plane, coach and car to give England a much-needed boost in this do-or-die game.

Jennifer McKenzie, 48, and her partner Susie Bewell, 53, had driven 800 miles in their campervan all the way from Hitchin, Hertfordshire, to Zurich to scream for England in the stands.

Jennifer said: "It was really important for us to come out because we’re the title holders. We were there cheering them on at Wembley and for most of the other games at the 2022 Euros, so we felt it was our duty as England fans to follow them here and be as loud as we can."

England fans wore the St George's flag across their shoulders or painted across their faces and nails as they took over Zurich city centre chanting 'come on England'. Queues for the Lionesses HQ fan base in the Kraftwerk pub stretched around the street as fans desperately tried to pile in for a pre-match pint.

Having arrived in Zurich with his four-year-old daughter Ashley, Richard Dunbar told the Mirror he wanted her to grow up with role models like the Lionesses.

Richard, 41, from Bradford, West Yorkshire, said: "The atmosphere here in Zurich is brilliant, being among the other fans from the other nations it’s really great that we can be jovial and together but come 5pm Lionesses will be on form, we will roar to victory and it will be the first of many until we get to the final and lift that trophy."