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Pub licensing hours extended if home nations reach Euros semis
With the UEFA European Football Championship set to kick off next month, it has been announced that pubs will be allowed to serve alcohol later if England or Scotland reach the semi-finals.
Sporting occasions can be major money-spinners for pubs, with the opening weekend of this year’s Six Nations giving a staggering 42% sales boost to sales at Star Pubs as fans flocked to venues watch their team and buy drinks, whether to celebrate or console themselves.
The first game of the football tournament, between Group A teams Germany and Scotland, is due to take place on 14 June, while England’s is on 16 June against Serbia.
A 12 week public consultation launched back in November 2023 examined whether or not it would be a good idea to permit premised licensed to serve alcohol until 11pm normally to open for an extra two hours on certain match days.
Home Secretary James Cleverly announced: “We have listened to the public through our consultation and will be extending pub licensing hours should England or Scotland reach the semi-finals or final of Euro 2024.”
The semi-finals are due to take place on Tuesday 9 and Wednesday 10 July, with the final in Berlin on Sunday 14 July.
The extension means that pubs will be able to pour pints until 1am, a measure which Cleverly claimed that “this boost to the hospitality sector will allow friends, families and communities to come together for longer to watch their nation hopefully bring it home”.
Among those to praise the measure was Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, who called it “great news” and said: “By creating this easement and cutting red tape, doing business will be that much easier.”
McClarkin also expressed hope for an Anglo-Scottish final: “Let’s hope that England and Scotland make it not just through to the semi-finals but meet in the final itself, with pub-goers able to cheer the teams on with a beer later into the night thanks to these new measures.”
How likely it is that pub-goers will actually be able to enjoy the extension is another matter.
At present, England’s odds of reaching a semi-final are somewhat better than Scotland’s according to most bookies, with PaddyPower placing the former’s chances at 8/11, and those of the latter at 13/1. As for reaching the final, the betting site puts England at 17/10 and Scotland at 40/1.
Sports tournaments are generally good for the on-trade, but it is dependent on the timing – for example, the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar took place just before Christmas, which was good news for pubs, but did come at the expense of bars and restaurants.
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