Six million pints were downed across England’s pubs in the early hours of Monday as fans celebrated the Three Lions’ World Cup victory over Mexico – a night made possible by a last-minute government U-turn that allowed venues to stay open until 5am.
The round-of-16 match in Mexico City kicked off at 1am UK time, leaving supporters facing the prospect of watching from home after the government initially said it would not relax licensing laws further for the tournament. But Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced on Thursday afternoon that pubs could remain open until the final whistle, which was not expected until at least 3am.
“Pubs served six million pints as England beat Mexico after government U-turn allowed 5am opening.”
“Football might be coming home but we’re making sure fans don’t have to,” Starmer said. The decision overturned earlier comments from business minister Kate Dearden, who told the House of Commons that opening hours would not be extended further. Liberal Democrat MP Max Wilkinson had warned that pubs would “miss out on a real opportunity to get money in the till if ministers do not make a blanket extension”.
Emergency legislation was passed through parliament on Friday. Local Government Secretary Steve Reed called it “one of the fastest changes in the law that we’ve seen”, adding that the previous relaxation “hadn’t covered the eventuality of England playing so late in the night”.
Publicans and industry bodies welcomed the move. Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, said: “We all know the best place to watch the match is down the local.” Michael Kill, chief executive of the Night Time Industries Association, described it as “fantastic news” that would be “hugely welcomed by operators”. Greene King confirmed that more than 600 of its venues across England would open for the game, including in Birmingham, Bristol, London, Carlisle, Liverpool and Folkestone.
The extended hours came on top of existing relaxations that allowed pubs to open until 1am for earlier kick-offs, following a six-week public consultation in December. Normally, individual pubs must apply to their local council at least five working days in advance for extended hours.
By Monday morning, the hospitality sector had reaped the rewards. More than six million pints were served during the match, according to City A.M., as fans packed into pubs to cheer England’s victory. The question now is whether the government will take the same approach if the Three Lions go even deeper into the tournament.