Pubs show red card to World Cup

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Pubs all over the country are leading a good-humoured backlash against the World Cup.After many pubs fought to be allowed to open early to show...

Pubs all over the country are leading a good-humoured backlash against the World Cup.

After many pubs fought to be allowed to open early to show England matches, others have taken the opposite view and have declared themselves football-free zones.

InnSpired pub company has issued its tenants with a guide to promotional activity which includes advice on making your pub football-free.

A sample notice suggests: "We kindly request that customers refrain from watching, reading or talking about any subject related to current events in South Korea and Japan. Customers ignoring this request will be shown a yellow card and repeat offenders will be red carded and politely asked to leave."

Other suggestions include making your pub a soap pub by focusing on important episodes of Eastenders or Coronation Street instead of the England games, or featuring wine or cocktails to attract "football widows".

TGI Fridays in Enfield has declared itself a football-free area. Manager Joolz Wright said: "We've decided we're going to need a refuge from all the talk about tactics and endless replays of England's matches."

The restaurant's televisions will be switched off during the tournament and anyone caught discussing football will be penalised and asked to make a donation to charity.

In Oxfordshire, two pubs have gone even further and changed their names for the duration of the tournament.

The Bell in Long Hanborough, another football-free zone, will be known as the Great Escape and is even removing Beck's beer from its bar during the tournament.

But the football-friendly Fitzharris Arms in Abingdon will be known as the Sven Goran Eriks Inn.

Manager Vicky Gough has renamed her dogs Posh and Becks and the pub's windows will be painted with massive St George's flags.

Meanwhile, friends and family of England player Michael Owen will not be able to cheer on the striker from their local pub.

The Crown and Liver pub in Michael Owen's native Ewloe, in Flintshire, applied to open early for England's games. But magistrates in Mold refused to grant an early licence.

A spokesman for Cheshire-based Burtonwood Brewery, which owns the pub, said: "We're disappointed that those people who wanted to watch the match at the pub now won't be able to but we're sure they will be cheering Michael Owen and England on with the rest of the country."

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