Railway station gets England rebrand for World Cup

A railway station has undergone a patriotic rebranding ahead of England's World Cup semi-final game later.

Commuters pulling in at Holmes Chapel, Cheshire, will see new signage declaring: "It's Coming Holmes Chapel".

The playful rebrand by rail operator Northern comes hours ahead of England's match against Argentina - the result of which will determine whether the Three Lions secure a spot in Sunday's World Cup final.

Northern's Alex Hornby said they wanted to give customers "something to smile about on the way to wherever they're watching the game".

"Come on England," he said, adding: "It's coming Holmes Chapel."

The phrase "It's Coming Home" was an integral hook in David Baddiel, Frank Skinner and The Lightning Seeds' Euro '96 anthem Three Lions.

That competition was hosted by England, the first major tournament held in the country since the 1966 World Cup, and the lyric was a reference to a potential home nation victory returning the glory and celebration of that earlier contest.

England ultimately failed to deliver a trophy in that competition and the phrase has become more about reflecting the hopes of England supporters and the possibilities of bringing a trophy back to the country where association football and the modern game was first codified in the Victorian era.

Northern said the station name would revert back to Holmes Chapel "once the football silverware has been won or lost, whichever comes first".

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