Frankfurters ride wave of euphoria

FRANKFURT, June 9 (Reuters) Frankfurt's World Cup party kicked off in spectacular style today when tens of thousands of soccer fans watched Germany's opening game on a giant double-sided screen floating in the middle of the River Main.

The Fan Fest zone, which took in both banks of the river, was crammed with an estimated 40,000 all enjoying the football, beer and sunshine in a friendly atmosphere. England fans joined in ahead of their team's match here tomorrow.

Prime vantage spots were snapped up hours before the kickoff against Costa Rica, and people climbed trees and lamp-posts and perched on the roofs of riverside apartments.

Helicopters buzzed overhead and enormous river barges added to the unusual setting as they passed down the river.

While the majority of fans wore German shirts, many with their faces painted yellow, black and red, England fans were also prominent with thousands in Germany's fifth biggest city for tomorrow's match against Paraguay.

The Germans did not have to wait long for a reason to throw their beer into the air, Philipp Lahm's stunning goal sending the fans into raptures. Costa Rica's equaliser was greeted with general disbelief and a few cheers from England fans.

Mirolslav Klose's goal calmed the nerves, however, and Germany eventually ran out 4-2 winners in a match played in Munich to spark scenes of celebration.

''It's amazing, this is really special,'' said Marcelo Awada, dressed head to toe in the yellow and green of Brazil.

''I was in South Korea (in 2002) but this is something else.

There is so much passion for football here in Germany.'' Ralf Perrman, from Darmstadt, lifted his young son high above his shoulders to see the action.

''Congratulations to the city for organising this,'' he said.

''It's a great start, everything was perfect, although maybe the screen could have been even bigger.'' Two English policeman were particularly popular, receiving wild applause from German fans as they strolled amongst the crowd, posing for photographs and sharing jokes.

Under an agreement between the two governments, 79 English police officers will work in Germany during the tournament.

''If I could bottle this feeling and sell it on ebay I would be a millionaire,'' said Police Constable Robbie Pritchard of Merseyside Police.

''The relationship between the German police and English police is fantastic. We are working as ambassadors, helping to make sure everyone is safe and has a good time.'' Each of the host cities has a Fan Fest area, allowing thousands of fans to watch the matches on giant screens.

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