UK's struggling pubs pin their hopes on England reaching World Cup final with £275m in beer up for grabs

Thomas Tuchel’s England team is set to prove a World Cup winner for the nation’s pubs.

After all the build-up, the footballing phenomenon finally kicks off on Thursday - and fans are hoping for success on the pitch to lift the country's gloom.

Pubs are set to serve a bumper 55 million extra pints - if captain Harry Kane and England make it to the World Cup final, that is. For each pub across the country, that translates to the average venue selling an additional 1,240 pints, or an extra 14 kegs across the tournament.

With many watering holes struggling to survive, the £275million of additional takings will be toasted by landlords across the country. The Mirror has been a long champion of the industry’s cause through its Your Pub Needs You campaign. With so many pubs having closed in recent years, owners and tenants are relying on England captain Harry Kane and the squad to score a much needed boost.

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Bosses are hoping fans will head down to their local, despite the kick-off times of 9pm and 10pm for England’s group stage matches. Some of Scotland’s games are even later, with its opener against Haiti at 2am next Sunday.

Many pubs and bars are putting on special events to take advantage of football fever surrounding the World Cup in the US, Mexico and Canada. Some of those with big screens have taken bookings for prime spots, with a number sold out.

Emma McClarkin chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, told the Mirror: “If Thomas Tuchel and the team make it all the way to the final, it will be a huge good mood boost for both pubs and fans this summer.

“Nothing brings people together quite like a big match, and a final would have communities gathering down their local to cheer on the lads and pubs seeing a real lift in sales. We’re all rooting for them and hoping against hope they bring it home. Come on England!”

However, the BBPA also said England and Scotland fans will pay some of the highest beer taxes of any World Cup nation to cheer on the teams. At 54p a pint, the UK’s beer duty is a lot more than group opening rivals Croatia’s 12.6p, Panama’s 13.8p and Ghana’s 44p.

Dawn Slater, who runs the Garricks Head in Urmston, Manchester, said: “It’s going to be massive." She added: "It’s been such a rough year for hospitality and we really look forward to big events like this to bring in the customers. We are running it like a beer festival, including a giant screen in the beer garden.”

A confident Dawn is predicting England will get the final, which would mean she sells an extra 50,000 pints. She added: “I think people will come in a long time before the kick-off, they might well finish work early. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Landlord James Fitzgerald, of Thatched House pub, Hammersmith, London, said: “There’s a lot of talk about the tournament. We’re putting in new TVs for it and moving stuff around. We have been granted the freedom to open until 1pm for the England games and we'll keep kitchen open till then.”

Allen Simpson, chief executive of trade body UKHospitality, said: “The pub is the best place to watch the World Cup, outside of being at the games themselves, and England and Scotland games typically deliver a sales boost of up to 42% on matchdays.

“Pub bookings for the first England game are up 184% year-on-year so I expect our locals to be heaving with fans during this summer of sport. The tournament promises to give pubs a boost at a time when they need it the most.”

Dates and UK times of home nations' group games

England v Croatia - June 19 - 9pm

England v Ghana - June 23 - 9pm

England v Panama - June 27 - 10pm

Scotland v Haiti - June 14 - 2am

Scotland v Morocco - June 19 - 11pm

Scotland v Brazil - June 24 - 11pm

Pub giant Greene King is giving away free pints to celebrate the start of the World Cup. The offer will be available at select Greene King, Flaming Grill, Hungry Horse and Belhaven pubs on June 11, when Mexico takes on South Africa in the tournament’s opening match. To claim, you must book a table in advance and show your confirmation at the bar. Each person in your booking will get a free drink, with options including Guinness, Greene King IPA and Old Speckled Hen.

Meanwhile, Octopus Energy is giving pubs free electricity during the World Cup on evenings when England and Scotland are playing. Boozers will get five hours of free power from 7pm to midnight on game nights through the new ‘Watt a Save’ initiative.

And it’s not just pubs hoping the World Cup will send tills ringing over the next few weeks. Website VoucherCodes.co.uk has estimated footie fans will splurge up to £3.8billion during the World Cup.

Separately, Santander reckons Brits will shell out more than £400 on eating out during the tournament, with over £200 spent on takeaways. That said, three quarters plan to host friends or family at home throughout the five weeks of matches. The bank also estimates fans will spend an average £84 on football shirts, £66 on accessories, and the same on decorations for their home.

Takeaway delivery firms are set to do a roaring trade thanks to the late kick-off times. The Co-op says it will extend the online delivery hours it offers with Uber Eats, Just Eat, Deliveroo and Amazon. On match days, fans can place orders for drinks and snacks up to an hour after the game ends, with some fixtures going as late as 3.30am.