THOUSANDS of football fans packed into Worcester's bars and pubs to see England kick off their 2006 World Cup campaign with a 1-0 win over Paraguay.

However, despite the lacklustre performance, particularly in the second half, by the final whistle just after 3.45pm on Saturday, supporters were happy to get the three points.

In The Courtyard, on St Nicholas Street, many fans arrived more than an hour before the game to get the best seats in front of the bar's numerous screens.

There was a party atmosphere with scores of people proudly wearing their England shirts. Some also had large flags of St George draped around them while other wore face paint.

It was just a few minutes into the match that the bar erupted with loud cheers and applause when Paraguay's Carlos Gamarra headed into his own net from David Beckham's free-kick.

But, after such an emphatic start there was notable tension in the pub as the game went on and England struggled to keep possession and create clear-cut chances. Fans were murmuring to each other about how the heat was having an effect on the players.

However, the atmosphere lifted and there was huge sense of relief in The Courtyard when the referee blew the final whistle.

A lot of happy faces emerged into the bright summer sun, no doubt planning another football fix for Thursday's game against Trinidad and Tobago.