England fans don waistcoats ahead of semi-final against Croatia

Ahead of the England and Croatia semi-final match on Wednesday, England fans are ready to support their team by paying tribute to coach Gareth Southgate.

London: The mission? To support England’s bid to win a first World Cup since 1966. The method? To wear a waistcoat for Wednesday’s semi-final match against Croatia.

It might sound a stretch, but some England fans want matchday in Moscow dubbed ‘Waistcoat Wednesday’ in tribute to manager Gareth Southgate, who has taken to wearing a waistcoat on the touch-line along with suit trousers and a dress shirt and tie.

Around a dozen England fans traveling to Moscow on Tuesday for the match wore dark blue waistcoats over their T-shirts as they passed through Heathrow airport, witnesses said.

Sales of waistcoats have soared in Britain since the start of the tournament last month, according to one retailer.

“Gareth’s sideline style has meant our waistcoats are really scoring with our customers, with sales doubling since the World Cup began,” said a spokeswoman for retailer Marks & Spencer.

Perhaps it’s inevitable that there’s a hashtag and it’s #WaistcoatWednesday. Nothing else would suit.