Nation is ready to party if
WORLD Cup fever will grip the nation this weekend with millions of fans cheering England on to clinch a place in the knockout stages of the tournament.
The country is set to grind to a halt at 1pm tomorrow as the Three Lions play Panama in their second group match in Nizhny Novgorod.
More than 21 million fans are expected to watch the drama unfold on the BBC as England play their first ever match against the central American republic, which has a population of just four million.
And Gareth Southgate’s team will kick-off a massive World Cup party if they can beat the opposition, who are appearing in the tournament for the first time.
Hopes of reaching the last 16 soared after captain Harry Kane scored a dramatic injury time winner against Tunisia on Monday.
The 2-1 victory netted the biggest TV audience of the year so far, making it more popular than Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Royal Wedding.
Pubs will be packed to the rafters at Sunday lunchtime, while families across the land prepare to host World Cup barbecues and parties.
It is estimated that the 14 million extra pints downed during the group stages will provide a £42million boost to the economy.
Duty and VAT from the extra beer drunk will net HMRC a windfall of up to £6.3million.
Holiday
British Beer and Pub Association chief executive Brigid Simmonds said: “When it comes to watching England at the World Cup, only being at the game itself can compare with being in the pub.
“Millions of England fans will be going to the pub to cheer on the team with their friends, which is both great for the local pub and great for the England team.
“Let’s hope the England team do us proud.”
However, an industry-wide shortage of carbon dioxide has hit beer supplies. The shortages are understood to have been caused by a longer than usual break in production of ammonia, one of the key sources of food grade CO2, which is used to carbonate drinks and preserve some packed fresh foods.
Supplies of John Smith’s Extra Smooth and kegs of Amstel have already been hit.
Meanwhile, it is not just pubs that are expecting a sales spike.
Shops and supermarkets are also braced for a boost in beer and barbecue sales.
The Group G drama begins today when Belgium take on Tunisia in Moscow at 1pm. After Belgium beat Panama 3-0 in their opening match a win will ensure they qualify for the knockout stage.
If Belgium and England both win this weekend, their match next Thursday becomes a showdown decider to see who tops the group.
Temperatures are expected to soar to 89F (32C) for tomorrow’s England’s match.
Meanwhile, shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry has called for a national bank holiday if England reach the World Cup final.
She said the day after the final should be declared a national day off as it would allow workers to stay at home to recover.
She said: “I can’t pretend that I have the greatest interest in football and I suspect that there’s quite a lot of people like that.
“But I tell you how you could get more interest in football. What about if the government were to suggest, for example, that if one of the nations of the United Kingdom were to get into the finals the next day will be a bank holiday? Why don’t we do that every five years? That would help get people behind which ever team was playing.’’
The World Cup is in fact held every four years.
Ms Thornberry’s suggestion brings the number of new bank holidays proposed by Labour to five.
They also want to introduce days off on St David’s Day (March 1), St Patrick’s Day (March 17), St George’s Day (April 23) and St Andrew’s Day (November 30).
Ms Thornberry spoke out after business experts warned a long World Cup run could cost the UK economy £2.4billion, with 53 per cent of workers planning at least one day off during the tournament.
Claire Porciani, from office supply firm Viking, said: “It’s surprising just how many people plan to take time off for the World Cup.
“We advise letting your manager know as soon as possible if you plan on booking holiday so this can be approved and organised, meaning you can celebrate without worry.’’