ENGLISH football's roller coaster ride plunged to rock bottom on Thursday when England crashed out of Euro 2004 in an agonising penalty shoot out.

Hundreds of England fans dressed in red and white poured into Corsham's Hare and Hounds pub to cheer their team on to victory.

But in a stomach-churning match packed with passion, hope and despair it was England's bitterly disappointed fans who were left holding their heads in their hands.

RAF serviceman Richard Reap, 21, from Berwick-upon-Tweed, who is training at JSU Corsham, claimed England was robbed.

"I am absolutely gutted, I have never felt so low," he said.

The pub's owner Mark Foster was behind the bar for most of the evening, but said despite the result there was a good atmosphere in the pub.

"It's been brilliant to be able to do something that has involved the whole community," he said.

"The England Croatia game was so busy that we decided to put another television screen in the dining part of the pub, and that was packed as well."

One Devizes family who have moved to Portugal have split loyalties.

Karen Bright, who was born and raised in the town, said before the big game that she would be cheering England but added that she was also a Portugal fan.

She and her family put in last September for tickets to the quarter finals which were drawn by lottery.

It was only after England's 4-2 defeat of Croatia last Monday that they realised they would have split allegiances when they watched the match.

Mrs Bright said: "We wanted both teams to win. We have lived so long in Portugal that this is our home."

Mrs Bright and her Australian-born husband Peter have lived in Portugal, where they make wine, for 21 years.

Their children Thomas, 19, Olivia, 16, Victoria, 12 and ten-year-old Eleanor were all born and brought up in Portugal.

The behaviour of English fans was a worry for the family as good relations with their neighbours is very important to them.

Mrs Bright said: "I was very upset when English fans booed the Croatian national anthem."