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The tradition of hurling a pint of beer skyward when the national team scores has become as quintessentially English as fish and chips or the 3 pm blackout. But what lies behind this peculiar celebration?

At precisely 7:05 pm on July 11, 2018, the air across England grew heavy with moisture — but not due to another Atlantic front threatening to wash out a British summer.

Instead, Kieran Trippier had just curled in a free-kick to give England the lead against Croatia in the 2018 World Cup semi-final. Among the 26.6 million viewers watching, countless fans joined in a new national craze: the art of beer tossing.

I was in Central London’s Flat Iron Square that evening, arguably the birthplace of this phenomenon. The usually relaxed dining and drinking venue had transformed into a roaring World Cup amphitheatre, and the atmosphere was truly electric.

The setup was perfect — plenty of space, food stalls, good transport links, multiple bars, and big screens, including a giant outdoor one that gave your pint the perfect launch trajectory.

But why would anyone willingly throw away a full pint? Especially in London, where the price steadily edges past £5 and creeps closer to £10?

Here’s my theory...

The day before England faced Panama in their second group match of the 2018 World Cup, Britain was hit by a heatwave. Average temperatures reached record highs.

Technology, too, had advanced at a remarkable pace. High-definition screens had moved from living rooms to fan parks, allowing crowds to watch matches on massive outdoor displays with crystal-clear commentary — a world away from the pixelated experience of EA Sports FIFA ’98 Road To The World Cup.

Event organisers quickly seized the opportunity. Without realising it, they had discovered a lucrative business model: fans would pay to enter, buy drinks, throw them into the air in excitement, and immediately head back for another round.

Plastic cups, long a staple of large gatherings, became essential to this new ritual. For obvious safety reasons, they were indispensable for mass-viewing events of football matches.

Still with me? There are a few more contributing factors.

Social media played a pivotal role. Images and videos of jubilant fans throwing their pints during Russia 2018 spread rapidly across the internet. They flooded news outlets, Twitter, Instagram, and WhatsApp groups. Even the England team’s official channels shared them, and players in Russia were shown the clips.

Fans across the nation, gathered in similar fan parks, wanted to replicate the experience. So, when England scored during the 2018 World Cup, many watching in crowded venues thought, “Harry Kane might actually see this.” Moments later, they were drenched in Heineken.

To summarise the formula: sweltering weather, high-definition giant screens, the safety of plastic cups, and the viral power of social media — all stirred together. But the final ingredient was euphoria.

Before England’s 2018 World Cup run, there hadn’t been many moments worthy of launching a pint skyward in sheer joy. Perhaps Daniel Sturridge’s last-minute winner against Wales at Euro 2016 — though Gareth Bale’s team ultimately had the last laugh. Or Raheem Sterling’s almost-goal at Brazil 2014, which replays showed had hit the side netting. There was little to celebrate at Euro 2012 or the 2010 South Africa World Cup. In 2008, England didn’t even qualify, and Germany 2006 ended in disappointment. You’d have to go back to a pre-social media age to find a summer tournament moment worth sacrificing your beer for.

Few sensations compare to the thrill of celebrating a vital England goal, knowing millions across the country are doing the same. Surrounded by friends, family, and total strangers, it’s easy to lose control. When euphoria hits, you grab hold of anything nearby — except your drink. The pint must go. And in the summer of 2018, it did — soaring high, propelled by pride.

That Hyde Park celebration of Trippier’s goal remains legendary. Never before, and perhaps never again, will so much beer be airborne in one place, at one time.

By the time of the semi-final, fans were arriving at viewing areas wearing disposable ponchos, anticipating the inevitable shower of lager. Watching the footage of Trippier’s goal celebrations now feels almost surreal — as if staged. But it was entirely genuine. The sight of hundreds of plastic cups spiralling through the air became the new normal. Cameras were trained on the crowd, ready to capture that precise moment. It was wild, chaotic, and utterly joyous — a new footballing tradition had been born.

No other fanbase celebrates quite like England’s. Strange as it sounds, beer tossing has become an officially recognised part of the Three Lions experience.

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