Brian Robson, 63, had followed the Three Lions for decades before he tragically died from cancer just weeks before the tournament. He had a ticket for the final in the US because he was a 'top capper', a dedicated England fans' club member12:34, 16 Jul 2026He was one of England's most loyal fans throughout his life - and remained with them 'in spirit' even after his death, right up to the World Cup semi-final.‌Brian Robson, 63, had followed the Three Lions for decades before he tragically died from cancer just weeks before the tournament. He had a ticket for the final in the US because he was a 'top capper', one of the most dedicated members of the England fans' club.‌He also had tickets for the World Cup finals which he attended in Russia in 2018 and Qatar in 2022, and he travelled the world following the national side. His passion took him from his hometown of Ashington in Northumberland to Serbia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, San Marino, Albania, Lithuania, Portugal, and Czechia.‌He became a much-loved figure with the England fans' team, helping organise games against supporters' sides from across the globe. And his own England fan club has carried his flag - and photo - to all of our games in the US.His close friend Garford Beck, 64, of London, said: "We wanted him here with us and carried his flag and photo everywhere." Mark Trigg, 52, a chef from Derby, added: "He is not forgotten."‌Brian's proud son Lewis, 28, of Ashington, Northumberland, said: "He was expecting to be in the US and had his ticket for the final in case England got there. He was a super fan, in the top percentile, so he received the best ticket deal."We saw the England v France game during our holiday in Portugal at Euro 2004, when Rooney was a young player. I was seven years old. He went to Germany in 2006, attended Euro 2012, Russia in 2018, Qatar in 2022, as well as the two most recent European championships.‌"It hurts": England fans reflect on England's World Cup semi-final knock out in Miami"He traveled to parts of the world which he would never normally have seen, like Serbia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Azerbijan and San Marino. He had to put in the miles to get the tickets, he saw England in the Euro final and had tickets for the World Cup finals in Russia and Qatar.‌"It is all the more remarkable given where we live: he would fly from Newcastle, sometimes via Dublin or Palma, and then take a bus or a train."It was not just about 90 minutes of football; what made it special for Dad were the friendships and connections he made while he was there. I would ask: 'Why are you going back there dad?' He would say: 'Because we had a great time last year'. It was about the moments outside the stadium."Article continues belowBrian, a factory worker, was often spotted on TV coverage of England with his Ashington flag.Ashington born and bred, he followed his beloved Newcastle United up and down the land, with his father Brian snr, now 90, whose family lived just two streets away from the famous Charlton brothers Jack and Sir Bobby.