PARISHIONERS at a popular church where England's World Cup captain David Beckham once attended a wedding will be cheering on the team during Friday's quarter-final match after a football mad priest brought morning mass forward to 6.30am.
Father David Lupton, of St James the Less in Burnley Road, Rawtenstall, brought the service forward by two and a half hours to allow people to watch England's crucial clash against Brazil at 7.30am.
And more than 30 members of his flock are expected to put the hymn book away early to cheer on Sven's men.
Many of them will be particularly interested in Beckham and other Manchester United players who turned out in force when local girl Julie Killelea married defender Phil Neville at the church two years ago.
Father Lupton, a life-long Manchester City fan, officiated at the ceremony, which was featured in OK! magazine and on a special ITV show.
Hundreds of local people turned out for a glimpse of the celebrity guests.
The mass on Friday is at 6.30am, rather than 9am.
Father Lupton, who has been parish priest at the church for eight years, said: "With this early mass the England fans will be there in great numbers. I did it because everyone is into football these days.
"We have never done anything like this in the past but then we don't often get to the quarter-finals!"
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