Around half the entire British population watched the game, the largest British TV audience ever.
32 million sweat it out with Becks & Co
25th June 2006
Beckham's wife and son watching the game.
The largest British TV audience of all time is believed to have watched England's World Cup win against Ecuador yesterday.
Up to 32million viewers are estimated to have seen David Beckham and Co win their place in the quarter-finals.
If confirmed, the figure will surpass the 31.5million who watched the funeral of Princess Diana in 1997.
But as usual, the England team made it agony for their fans with an unconvincing performance in the blistering heat of Stuttgart.
Increasing female interest in football and the Sunday afternoon kick-off are believed to be behind the rise in total viewers. They saw England's captain score the only goal of the match with a trademark 'Bend it like Beckham' free kick after 59 minutes.
It means he is the first England player to score in three World Cups, to the great delight of his three-year-old son Romeo, who was in the crowd with brother Brooklyn and mother Victoria. And for once, even the notoriously-straight-faced Posh managed a grin.
Four minutes after scoring, Beckham was sick on the pitch and he eventually came off just before full time, but a temporary stomach upset rather than anything more serious is thought to have been his only problem.
It was not until the final whistle that the estimated 42,000 England fans in the stadium allowed themselves to think of victory. Ecuador had just 2,000 supporters among the 51,500 crowd.
South Americans have ended England's World Cup dreams on three of the last four occasions they qualified. It was Argentina who prevailed in 1986 and 1998, and Brazil at the last tournament in 2002.
But England cannot now face South American opposition until the semi-final. They are expected to face Brazil at that stage, provided they manage to overcome Portugal in Saturday's quarterfinal.
Among those cheering the national side to victory at the stadium yesterday were 23 schoolchildren who were able to go to the game despite being caught up in an alleged ticket scam.
The pupils, from Mayville High School in Portsmouth, were amongst 350 youngsters across the country who paid up to £400 for a trip to Germany last weekend, organised by the tour operator Activ4.
After an intervention by Tony Blair all the children involved were offered tickets to alternative games, with one lucky group getting to see England beat Ecuador.
Mayville deputy head Martin Castle said after the game: "It has been absolutely incredible. We were sat dead in line with that free kick and could watch it in the whole way. People were recognis-ing the boys as the kids who didn't get their tickets and having their photographs taken with them.
"This was something very special - they will never forget this day."
Back at home doubting English gamblers had bet a fortune on Ecuador winning, with odds of 7-1 tempting one punter to wager £3,000. There was true faith in the national side elsewhere, however.
The Rev Neill Archer cancelled his normal Sunday family service yesterday and showed the England match on a big screen at Malmesbury Abbey, Wiltshire.
Mr Archer, a Leicester City fan, said: "This is to provide a safe and family-friendly big match atmosphere, without alcohol, smoking or bad language.
"We have apologised to those in our congregation who hate football, but this event is a good way of showing that the abbey is an accessible and relevant place."
dailymail.co.uk
) BALL!
