Melissa Burgoyne-Cox, 34, has seen two World Cups during her time as a prison officer at one of the UK's largest prisons and says the atmosphere is unbeatable14:46, 15 Jul 2026A prison officer claims she felt safer watching the England football team behind bars than in her local boozer. Melissa Burgoyne-Cox witnessed two global tournaments while working on the wing at one of the UK's largest prisons and has revealed what watching the World Cup in custody is really like.‌England turn their attention to the semi-final against world champions Argentina tonight (Wednesday, July 15), after beating Norway 2-1 in extra time. The 34-year-old prison officer would prefer watching a match in HMP Oakwood to any beer garden this summer – as prisoners are calmer than intoxicated Three Lions fans.‌Melissa, who featured on Channel 4's Banged Up series, says the atmosphere of a sporting event in jail surpasses that of any pub. "I felt safer with 80 prisoners than I did in my local pub," Melissa, a prison officer from Staffordshire, said.‌"Out of all the places I have managed to watch the World Cup, HMP has got to be my favourite. You can't replace the atmosphere. It's a lot more controlled, no chances of it kicking off or any inmates getting drunk and rowdy."Hooch is the only real booze they can make themselves but to brew enough to get a whole wing wasted would be impossible.‌"The smell alone would alert the guards and it would be confiscated immediately. All football shirts are banned inside too, which stops the divide."All the prisoners will be in their cells watching the games. If there are any verbals from inmates celebrating too loudly who are keeping others awake, they are usually over it by the morning."They can't get at each other so that time locked inside the cell gives them a chance to calm down - it rarely continues in the morning."‌She explains that most disputes behind bars arise from disrespect rather than football rivalries. With England’s match against Mexico kicking off at 2am, plenty of prisoners would be waking up five hours later to start work.She explained: "If the cell next door had been up all night celebrating loudly and partying, which kept their neighbour up – there could be issues. By half 7 in the morning, inmates will have workshops and jobs to attend to.‌"It may cause hostility due to the lack of respect for structures and regimes of their fellow inmates."According to Melissa, the majority of prisoners not in segregation will be supporting their nation at the World Cup. With TVs in almost every cell and some enhanced areas featuring 42-inch screens in common rooms, there are plenty of chances for inmates to catch the games.They can access channels like BBC and ITV, which are broadcasting all of the tournament's matches.‌She stated: "There is an aerial hanging out of almost every cell window. In the area I worked in, inmates would have 28-inch TVs in their cells which would usually hold up to two people."Some enhanced areas would feature a 42-inch screen where prisoners would gather to watch the games. If the games are in the social time then up to 100 could congregate around one screen to watch the games."‌Much like the outside world, sports betting is huge behind bars, with inmates wagering luxury canteen items. According to Melissa, prisoners would each contribute an item to create a hamper, with the winner of the bet scooping the lot.The prize would include anything from biscuits to tea bags to chocolate bars.‌She revealed: "A lot of prisoners would also place bets on the outside world. They would make a phone call to a loved one and request them to place a bet on their behalf."If it wins they just have to hope that the money will be saved for them."Melissa departed her position at HMP Oakwood after seven years.Article continues belowShe has since transitioned into content creation, where she pulls back the curtain on what truly goes on behind towering prison walls.