England fans flocked to pubs and fan zones across the region to find out whether the Three Lions are one step closer to 'bringing it home' as the squad take on the Netherlands in the semi-final.
Fans across the North East embraced Euro footy fever on Wednesday evening (July 10) as the squad made their bid to face Spain in the final of the tournament on Sunday, July 14.
Gareth Southgate's team has faced criticism throughout the tournament after lacklustre games against Serbia, Denmark, Slovenia and Switzerland- where the team got through to the quarter-finals after a clean sweep of penalties which saw Cole Palmer, Jude Bellingham Bukayo Saka, Ivan Toney and Trent Alexander-Arnold all converting.
The day's downpours didn't deter fans from supporting the team as thousands packed out Newcastle's Central Park Fan Zone to cheer on the squad- some of whom had been in the park since early afternoon.
Elsewhere in the region, The Library in Durham was jam-packed, with some punters having to brave the rain and watch outside.
An early goal from the Netherlands's Xavi Simons left fans despondent, as the team were 1-0 down just 6 minutes into the match, but a penalty awarded to England gave fans a glimmer of hope.
As cool as you like, Harry Kane stepped up to the plate and delivered England a much-needed equaliser 18 minutes into the match.
Fans went wild across the region as victory once again came into sight. One fan in Durham said: "Thank god, we needed to respond quickly and equalise. More to come from Harry."
Over in Newcastle's Fan Zone, the reaction was equally enthusiastic, with fans jumping and screaming with joy.
The atmosphere was electric. Edward, who was watching in Durham commented "This is the best we've seen England play all tournament".
Frustration began to mount by halftime after two shots from Phil Foden failed to make the goal. Fans in Durham were heard shouting expletives, although there were positives with some fans saying they had "never seen England play so well".
One fan went as far as to say that it was "the best 45 minutes England had played all tournament."
Jubilation quickly turned to immediate disappointment as a goal in the second half from Saka was ruled out.
A goal from Ollie Watkins with just two minutes of 90 minutes play left, launched England into the lead, as fans screamed the place down as we all sit and once again dare to believe, it's coming home.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here