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Revealed: Inside the tiny Essex village which is home to the biggest England football fans

Little-known Marks Tey searches Google for Three Lions stories more than anywhere else in the UK, including the former home of national team, Lilleshall

WHERE is the home of football in England? It’s Wembley, right... Or St George’s Park, perhaps?

Well, not exactly. In fact, the real spiritual home of the Three Lions is a tiny village in Essex.
According to data from Google, Marks Tey is home to England’s most passionate supporters, as they search for stories regarding the national squad more than anyone else in the United Kingdom.

Little Essex village Marks Tey incredibly tops the pile of England's most avid followers
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Little Essex village Marks Tey incredibly tops the pile of England's most avid followers

The little Essex village — just six miles from Colchester — has a population of just over 2,500 people.
And despite their lack of size, it sees the highest number of Google searches from people trying to find out about the England squad.
They’ve even managed to oust Lilleshall — the former home of England’s training camp during the 1980s and 1990s.

Carnon Downs in Cornwall is the third most fanatical about Roy Hodgson's England team.

Marks Tey tops the pile of England's most avid followers, followed by Lilleshall and Carnon Downs
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Marks Tey tops the pile of England's most avid followers, followed by Lilleshall and Carnon Downs

Amazingly, the Scottish town of Forfar comes 18th on the list of UK towns and villages searching the Three Lions on Google.
Crynant in Wales is 24th, and Crossmaglen in Northern Ireland is 25th.
However they don't come close to Marks Tey in Essex.
So what makes this the unlikely home of English football?
SunSport visited the village to speak to the residents and find out why they think Marks Tey is top of the pile.

SunSport brings you everything you need to know about Marks Tey, Essex
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SunSport brings you everything you need to know about Marks Tey, Essex

Richard Hipkin, 49, owns the local wine shop — and is a true England supporter, having travelled all over the globe to follow his beloved Three Lions.
He said: “I’m amazed it’s Marks Tey.
“It’s not the biggest place in the world, but at the same time it is a football hotbed.”
Hipkin went on to discuss that being a massive football fanatic was always in his blood.

MARKSthree
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Marks Tey is the United Kingdom's hotbed of England football, according to Google's data

He added: “I was born in July 1966 during the World Cup. My dad missed my birth to watch the England v Uruguay quarter final.
“My very first game was at the age of four, dad took me to a Chelsea v Leeds cup final at Wembley — he didn’t even have a ticket but he managed to smuggle me in.
“My 30th birthday I went to Euro 96 where Stuart Pearce scored a famous penalty, I was there for that for my 30th.
“For my 40th I drove to Germany in the World Cup and watched England v Ecuador and my 50th is coming up right in the middle of this tournament.
“Again for my birthday I’ll be there somewhere – but if I’m not doing that, I’m watching the mighty Ipswich Town.”

Marks Tey FC may be enduring a rough season, but their support for England clearly hasn't waned
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Marks Tey FC may be enduring a rough season, but their support for England clearly hasn't waned

Michael Beddoes — who was celebrating his 50th birthday by bringing his kids out for a kick-about — said he was shocked to hear his home had grabbed the No1 spot.
We found him at Marks Tey Football Club — fresh from their 10-1 drubbing at the weekend in the Colchester and East Essex Football League Division Two, a league in which they are bottom.
Colchester United fan Beddoes, said: “Maybe it’s because there is quite a big community of youngsters here.
“I usually use newspapers to read about football but I think it is more of a young persons’ thing now – the internet, tablets and iPhones... They’re on it all the time.”

Michael Beddoes enjoyed a kick-about with his family at Marks Tey FC on his 50th birthday
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Michael Beddoes enjoyed a kick-about with his family at Marks Tey FC on his 50th birthday

Football coach Jack Thorton, 28, shared Beddoes' sentiment regarding the shock nature of his village’s table-topping antics — but remained optimistic regarding the Three Lions’ chances at Euro 2016 in France this summer.
Thornton said: “I think it’s absolutely crazy that we would have such a big hit rate for around here for such a small area.”
“[We could make the semis] if we’re lucky!”

Back in Essex, student Tom Wisdom, 17, added: “There are a lot of football fans in Marks Tey.

Marks Tey man Richard Hipkin is hoping to see his beloved Three Lions during Euro 2016 in France
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Marks Tey man Richard Hipkin is hoping to see his beloved Three Lions during Euro 2016 in France

“I think it’s most ages, everyone uses the internet these days, and it’s young people and old who are interested in football.”
But it’s obviously not just the football fans that have a place in their heart for Roy Hodgson’s troops.
Even the non-football followers of Marks Tey love to follow the Three Lions, such as Natasha Barningham.

The sleepy streets of Marks Tey are secretly home to the England national team's biggest fans
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The sleepy streets of Marks Tey are secretly home to the England national team's biggest fans

Barningham, 24, was quick to point out she was not an avid football fan — but said she does follow the fortunes of the national side.

The shop assistant said: “Well obviously it is quite surprising because we are quite a small little town.
“But many people here are massive football fans so on the other hand it kind of does even itself out.”

Essex village of Marks Tey topped the nation in Google searches for the England national football team
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Essex village of Marks Tey topped the nation in Google searches for the England national football team

She added that the demand for Panini Euro 2016 football stickers have seen her shop stock them — even though it’s not their area of expertise.
Barnigham added: “To be honest we don’t really do the collectibles but we just had so many people asking for them [stickers] we thought why not.
“We have sold so many already, so there are clearly great football fans here.”To round off the day, SunSport headed to the local — and only — pub for a lively rendition of Three Lions.
Make no mistake, Marks Tey is passionate not just in Google searches, but in spirit too.
See the top ten places in the UK searching for the England squad, according to the Google data, below...

Marks Tey top the list, ahead of Lilleshall and Carnon Downs for the UK's biggest England team followers
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Marks Tey top the list, ahead of Lilleshall and Carnon Downs for the UK's biggest England team followers

MAKING THEIR MARKS (TEY)

Marks Tey resident Victor Chapman stunned as 4x4 comes hurtling through the wall of his house in 2008
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Marks Tey resident Victor Chapman stunned as 4x4 comes hurtling through the wall of his house in 2008

THIS IS not the first time the sleepy village of Marks Tey has made the headlines.
Back in 2008, the Essex residency hit the news after a 4x4 smashed through a local man’s house, causing massive damage.
On the incident, home-owner Victor Chapman said: “It was like a bomb.
“The room is where we normally put the grandchildren to let them watch Teletubbies in the morning.”

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