DOHA, Qatar -- England fans travelling to watch their country's national team play Spain in the Mediterranean coastal city of Alicante on Friday will do so because that's what they do.
Despite the perennial disappointments which go with following England, the team's support remains staggeringly strong. "The Three Lions" had four times as many fans as did Germany at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, for instance, and England sold more tickets than any other European country for last year's tournament.
Those fans saw more mediocre football in Brazil, as England failed to win a game and exited the competition at the group stage.