Euro 2012: England fans overcome travel problems to turn out in force for Italy quarter-final But after unexpectedly topping the group with an impressive draw against France, followed by wins against Sweden and Ukraine, faith was quickly restored and fans once again dared to dream of Euro 2012 glory. An estimated 6,000 England supporters - the most for a game so far - made the expensive and at times tricky journey to last night's game, ensuring that the England outnumbered their Italian counterparts five to one inside Kiev's 60,000 capacity Olympic Stadium. Some fans flew to destinations in Poland and then boarded overnight trains or coaches to get to the game. Support for the Three Lions was also boosted by tens of thousands of Ukrainian fans, who put aside last week's defeat in the Donbass Arena in Donetsk to magnanimously switch allegiance. This year's tournament is being staged jointly by Poland and Ukraine, but all of England's games have been played in the more easterly of the two countries, creating extra travel headaches for fans. Affordable fights have been hard to come by and hotels in Ukraine ratcheted up their prices, forcing many fans into sticky and overcrowded campsites. But with the England team threatening to deliver its most successful tournament since Euro 1996, little was going to stand in the way of those determined to be there. Within hours of Hodgson's men securing their quarter-final tie against Italy, airlines in the UK had reported a surge in bookings for flights to Ukraine. British Airways were forced to lay on a larger aircraft to cope with demand, while charter companies also provided extra capacity. Many of those who had travelled to Ukraine for the group matches, simply cancelled their flights home and extended their stay. For some this meant awkward calls to work and home to plead for an extra couple of days away. Keith Schofield, 34, a desktop manager, flew in from Singapore for the quarter-final. He said: "When we made it to the quarter-final I looked at the flights and thought 'why not'. My savings have taken a massive dent, my girlfriend is non too happy and work are not exactly delighted but I don't regret it a bit. It has been a tremendous experience and I have met lots of great people. The Ukrainians have been warm and welcoming and it will be something I will look back on and remember all my life. Dave Beverley, 52, from Scunthorpe, has driven a coach with 23 England supporters all the way from the UK. He said: "It has been exhausting and very hard work, but we have all had a truly memorable time. The Ukrainians have been so friendly and all the warnings about hooliganism have been nonsense. The only thing I would complain about is the state of their roads. Other than that it has been fantastic. Andy Wilson, 52, from Preston, said: "It has been a wonderful experience and the Ukrainians have made everyone feel so welcome. I think England fans have made a lot of friends and hopefully they will take away a lot of positive feelings towards the Ukrainians. Ahead of last night's game, the largely good-natured mood of the tournament continued in Kiev's vast fan zone. England supporters chatted and traded banter with fans from all corners of Europe in the hot summer sunshine. Along the mile stretch of Khreshchatyk Street - the city's main thoroughfare - flags of St George bearing the names of teams from across the land, provided a patriotic backdrop in the build up to the game. The so-called Swedish corner that was last week a sea of yellow and blue, was colonised by English invaders, some wearing crusader costumes and others dressed as Beefeaters. As the day drew on, some fans were clearly the worse for wear after taking advantage of the cheap but strong local alcohol on offer. A boisterous group of around 300 drew bemused looks from passing Ukrainians as they belted out tuneless but enthusiastic renditions of the National Anthem alongside football favourites such as Three Lions. Police have praised the England fans for their behaviour throughout the tournament. Assistant Chief Constable Andy Holt, leading a British police delegation monitoring the supporters, said there had been no arrests made among the England following. He said: "There have been occasions when it has got quite lively but we have managed with our Ukrainian colleagues to intervene to prevent it escalating."