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English and Welsh fans chant and drink outside a pub as they gather ahead of the England -Wales game Thursday, on June 14, 2016 in Lille, France. Football fans from around Europe have descended on France for the UEFA Euro 2016 football tournament.Carl Court/Getty Images

Simon Shakeshaft can rhyme off every failed attempt by Wales to reach the finals of a major soccer tournament during his lifetime.

"The heartache I have experienced; 1977, 1982, 1984, 1986, 1993 and of course 2003 was the last time we got close. It's just been one heartbreaking moment after another," said Shakeshaft, a 51-year old retired physiotherapist and long-suffering Wales fan who has a collection of 350 team jerseys in his home.

So when Wales qualified for Euro 2016, its first major final in 58 years, and then won its first game last Saturday over Slovakia, Shakeshaft could barely contain himself. Now the team faces England on Thursday and a win would put Wales into the knock-out round.

"To qualify was just unreal and I still sometimes pinch myself that we're there," he said. Beating England "would be massive."

To say the least.

Wales is an often overlooked part of the United Kingdom, a place first overrun by English kings in the 13th century and where the Welsh language and culture are vigorously protected.

Wales hasn't beaten England in soccer in 32 years and in more than 100 years of trying, the Welsh have come out on top just 14 times in 101 games.

This year is different. Wales boasts a team loaded with Premier League regulars and superstar Gareth Bale – the most expensive player in the world who was sold to Real Madrid by Tottenham Hotspur for £86-million (or $156-million) in 2013.

Bale hasn't minced words about facing England, calling them "the enemy" and suggesting the English side lacks "passion and pride." England's players have shrugged off the challenge but they face a near must-win situation on Thursday, having tied Russia. A loss to Wales could put England out of the tournament.

The importance of the match isn't lost on anyone in Wales. The government has lit up almost every castle, statue and landmark in bright red. Fan zones have been set up in Cardiff and Swansea. Pubs have been so packed that beer sales are up 41 per cent year over year and are expected to climb 31 per cent on Thursday if the Welsh win. Classes at most schools will be cancelled once the teams kick off at 2 p.m. local time and most businesses expect to effectively shut down.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime event," said John Kendall, head teacher at Risca Community Comprehensive School in South Wales.

Kendall said the school's 400 students have turned the game into a school spirit activity. Students will be able to watch the game on TV, wear Welsh gear instead of their uniforms and they'll be encouraged to bring a donation for a local children's charity.

Some parents objected to cutting class to watch sports, but Kendall said most supported the school's decision.

"There has been a lot of debate about it," he said. "Of course our main purpose is to educate people and to get the best possible result to give them the best start in life, but there is another side to school which is about culture, community spirit, supporting things like the local team. And I think schools owe it to their communities to embrace that."

Even non-soccer fans like Jennifer Cooper have become caught up in the excitement.

"I'm a rugby girl but I've joined in. I'm supporting Wales," said Cooper, an assistant manager at the Fox & Hounds pub in Whitchurch, near Cardiff, which has a special connection to the Bale family.

"It's their local pub, it's where he's grown up. We just leave him be and that's exactly what he wants," said Cooper.

The pub was packed last Saturday for Wales' first game and Cooper expects it to be overflowing Thursday. "It was that kind of atmosphere when everyone screams you want to scream, whether you are a football fan or not," she said.

So will Wales win? "Oh, definitely," she said without hesitation.

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