When I woke up on Monday morning, I expected to witness a nervous England get a modest win over a resilient Iran.
What I did not anticipate was a crowd of mostly young men singing Atomic Kitten songs and being serenaded by Barry from EastEnders alongside Olly Murs.
Incredible videos of the wild scenes inside Boxpark Wembley during England's World Cup 2022 opener have gone viral on social media, were shared by the team's official pages and were even shown on the live BBC coverage.
While it's common to see elated supporters jumping up and down while launching pints in the air during the explosive knockout matches, I did not think it would be raining beer on a Monday lunchtime in the group stages.
In the words of Neil Diamond, let's go back to "where it began", emerging out of Wembley Park station on a dreary day to see the imposing Wembley arch.
In the summer of 2021 there were thousands of jubilant England supporters making their way to the national stadium for the Euros, but on Monday it was just a few die-hard fans who were up for a party.
When me and my friends got inside at 11am the venue was already packed and the pints were certainly flowing - with many having sacrificed a valuable day of annual leave.
Things took a weird turn even before the match had kicked off, as a number of fans got up on stage for a retro shirt contest.
The well-deserved winner was a bloke wearing a signed match-worn Peter Crouch shirt from 2006 - and he even did the robot up on stage.
Then came the surprise entertainment, starting with the crowd swaying to some Atomic Kitten bangers.
My late 90s/early noughties pop knowledge is immaculate and I instantly recognised that THE Natasha Hamilton from the hit girl band was standing before us.
There were lads with tears in their eyes as they swayed from side to side singing along to The Tide is High, Eternal Flame and of course the Gareth Southgate version of Whole Again.
I'd already got my money's worth for the £20 ticket, which also included a £10 food voucher, so what happened next blew us all away.
The hero that is Shaun Williamson, better known for being Barry Evans from EastEnders, started belting out the tunes.
Shaun, who now gets bookings for Barrioke, had grown men weeping with his rendition of So Strong, including his famous line "we're gonna do it anyway".
But the most surreal moment came at the end of his set when, out of nowhere, he dragged Olly Murs onto the stage for a duet of Sweet Caroline.
They could have charged Glastonbury prices for this mini-concert - and by the time it was over it took a moment to remember we'd actually come to watch a football match.
The room was buzzing, God Save The King was deafening and even a lengthy stoppage at the start of the game didn't calm things down.
Just as a few nerves started to creep it, Jude Bellingham's header sent the whole place into raptures.
On Boxpark's website, it says: "Please refrain from throwing things in the air, especially things made out of plastic, your shoes or your hopes and dreams. They hurt."
Within seconds, it was raining £6 pints and spotless white England shirts had turned a completely different colour.
The fairly tame Monday World Cup viewing I had foolishly expected was blown away - and the celebrations for Bukayo Saka's goal were just as extreme.
The floodgates opened on and off the pitch, with goals flying in from all angles and plastic cups being flung left, right and centre.
Fans began taking their shirts off to swing above their heads at full time while songs such as Don't Look Back in Anger and One Kiss rang out.
Jamie Wall, who has seen his fair share of England celebrations over the years, was one of those who was in and amongst the action.
The die-hard Manchester United fans told me: "We didn't know how lit the crowd was going to be for a Monday lunchtime game against Iran but Barry from EastEnders whipped up a frenzy before Buyako, Jude and Marcus did the job.
"The rest of the day was madness - my jumper will never be the same again."
While William Donaghy, Aston Villa home and away supporter, said: "I arrived with much trepidation over unruly football hooligans, but I was pleasantly surprised by the atmosphere.
"Fortunately, when the first goal went in I was getting a delicious pizza so I was nowhere near as soaked in beer as everyone else I was with was."
At the end of the match, the undaunted staff started the mammoth task of cleaning the mess - and thankfully most had been wearing ponchos.
It was nice for fans of clubs who aren't used to any noise, your Man Citys and Arsenals of the world, to finally feel the same buzz most of us do while watching a match.
If Monday was anything to go by, the atmosphere in Boxpark against the USA tonight will be biblical - but bring a waterproof.
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