England draw with Ghana worth £20m extra to British pubs
England’s lacklustre 0-0 draw against Ghana may have lacked fizz but hospitality industry experts estimate it was worth an extra £20m in trade for Britain’s pubs.
Thomas Tuchel’s men were held to a goalless 90 minutes in Boston on Tuesday but the late kick-off and blistering weather proved a boon to boozers up and down the country.
Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, said: “England’s victory against Croatia gave pubs a fantastic boost and long may this continue.
“And last night’s clash against Ghana we saw a similar boost, estimated to be worth upwards of £20m to the trade. This is hugely welcome for venues still battling high taxes and costs and shows how you can’t beat the pub when it comes to watching live sport.”
Pubs make most of bad football
It comes after leading pub chains including JD Wetherspoon and Greene King told Morning Wire that the World Cup could provide a “useful boost” to counteract the “layering of costs” they’ve been burdened with since Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ Budget last year.
Wetherspoon chair Tim Martin said: “Wetherspoon pubs aren’t regarded as sports venues, although many football supporters use our pubs before and after games.
“However, we are showing all World Cup games, so we’re hoping for a useful boost in trade, touch wood.”
England next play against Panama on Saturday night, with the Three Lions’ match kicking off at 10pm BST.
It presents another opportunity for the hospitality industry – which saw a surge in bookings for the match against Ghana – to bank sales before any potential England exit sees demand for pints fall.
Added McClarkin: “Government can further support our pubs and brewers by cutting beer duty to the European average so we can keep a pint affordable for all.”
The World Cup continues until the middle of July.