THOUSANDS of people across the region were up and running before breakfast to cheer England to a place in the World Cup's knockout stages.

Schoolchildren turned up early to watch the match in classrooms with their friends while workers had permission to start work later and saw the game in canteens and pubs.

Children at St John the Evangelist School, in Billingham, Teesside, began arriving through the school gates at 7am, draped in St George flags and England shirts, while deputy headteacher Margaret Hodgson got into the spirit by donning a Union Flag wig.

Jordan Potts, aged ten, was pleased with the 0-0 result, but said he had been hoping for a win.

He said: "We are through to the next stage and that is really good, but it would have been nice to have won the game.

"I was a bit nervous when Argentina scored."

At Hummersknott School, in Darlington, County Durham, pupils and staff crowded into the canteen for a World Cup breakfast before the match.

Some of the boys wore David Beckham wigs in tribute to the England captain while the girls joined in the fun by tying St George flags around their waists.

The school timetable had been rearranged to ensure no one missed a lesson if they wanted to watch the game.

Headteacher David Henderson said: "Luckily there were no exams scheduled so we just shuffled the lessons about a bit."

Elsewhere, the Little Chef restaurant on the northbound carriageway of the A1 at Scotch Corner, North Yorkshire, became a magnet for football fans. Although the restaurant was no busier than normal, no one wanted to leave until the final whistle.

"There was a good, friendly atmosphere with the usual oohs and aahs at crucial moments,'' said assistant manager Lynn McKee.

Nearby, Richmond School had a big screen in the main dining hall with pupils allowed to watch the game until the bell rang at 9am.

At Wensleydale School, in Leyburn, North Yorkshire, a big screen was put up in the school hall, and at Hilton Primary School, Fenham in Newcastle, lessons were postponed until after the final whistle.

Around Newcastle, fans roared England on to the next stage over a liquid breakfast in packed pubs. The biggest cheer from the drinkers came when the news came through that Argentina had crashed out in the group stage.

At the headquarters of Northumbrian Water, work came to a standstill as 250 people crowded around a giant TV screen.

Only a handful of unlucky employees at the company's office in Pity Me, Durham drew the short straw and had to work through the match.

Spokesman Alistair Baker said: "We were happy to give our staff a break from work because we knew how important the game was to everyone.