Britain is encouraging councils to allow pubs to open earlier so fans can grab a pint before watching England play Spain in the Women’s World Cup final in Australia, a government minister said on Thursday. Sunday’s match will be the first time since England’s men defeated West Germany to lift the soccer World Cup in 1966 that a senior England team has reached the final of a major world tournament.
Pubs can usually start serving alcohol from 11:00 local time, when the game starts, but many will require special permission from local councils to start even earlier. The British Beer and Pub Association, which represents more than 20,000 pubs, has asked for permission for pubs to serve beer from 1000 on Sunday.
“The whole nation is ready to support the Lionesses this Sunday in what is England’s biggest game since 1966,” said Michael Gove, Britain’s leveling, housing and communities minister. “I have asked councils to do all they can to help get pubs open earlier on Sunday so people can meet up and enjoy a drink before this special occasion kicks off.”
The event is set to boost the industry, with trade body UK Hospitality estimating an additional 41 million pounds ($52 million) in sales. “Demand from fans has been exceptional, bookings filled up quickly, and there is no doubt that the day will be a huge boost for the industry,” UK hospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls said.
($1 = 0.7849 pounds)
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is automatically generated from a syndicated feed.)
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