Thousands of football fans packed into Central Park's World Cup Fan Zone roared in triumph as England won their first match against Iran.
There were jubilant scenes inside the massive arena tent set up in Newcastle's Times Square as supporters leapt from their seats when the final whistle blew as the Three Lions opened their campaign with a 6-2 victory.
The 2,000 fans may not have been able to get to the Khalifa International Stadium in Qatar, but the new fan zone certainly wasn't lacking in atmosphere despite it being a Monday afternoon.
READ MORE: England 6-2 Iran highlights as Wilson comes off the bench and Trippier takes captaincy in win
And the crowd of supporters buoyed by the success of Gareth Southgate's men told ChronicleLive that it was 'coming home'. However, many of those who turned out to show their support were all too aware of the issues surrounding the World Cup being held in Qatar.
Catey Young, 33, from South Shields, said: "It's strange being here in November for the World Cup. I feel torn about it being in Qatar because I have a lot of friends who are LGBTQ+ so I feel that I shouldn't be here supporting them, but at the same time, I feel like I should be supporting England. So it is a weird one.
"But the atmosphere has been really good here. I think it's coming home! You have got to believe!"
Robert Taylor, 27, from Newcastle, was also delighted to see England's victory but disagreed with the tournament being held in Qatar.
He said: "It's coming home! It's absolutely time.
"I have seen a lot of people going to Qatar but it's a lot of money and you can't drink there so it's nice to be here.
"I disagree with the World Cup being held in Qatar. But you can't go to someone's country and expect them to change their laws."
Leoni Hall, 30, from Hebburn, agreed and said the issues around the World Cup needed to be highlighted.
"There is nothing we can do about it being held there," she said.
"It is definitely not somewhere I would want to go. I think the pundits have to use their platform to raise awareness."
Newcastle University students Elliot Poku, 21, and pal, Sam Richardson, 21, said the Central Park Fan Zone was "the place to be" but disagreed with Qatar hosting.
"I think it is wrong the way they got to host it, but we have to accept it," Elliott said.
Sam added: "It is the culture over there and we have just got to respect it."
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