Pubs ready for football fest
An extra 11m pints will be sunk this Saturday as more than 6m people flock to the pub to watch England's World Cup campaign get underway against Paraguay.
Much like Sven-Göran Eriksson's squad, licensees, pubcos and brewers have been planning to take full advantage of the tournament for the last two years.
The British Beer & Pub Association estimates that a single England match can generate an increase of between £20m and £30m on the normal turnover of £60m a day.
Massive Pub Company boss Peter Linacre said his company had been preparing for this "landmark" day for years.
"We have everything in place from extra doorstaff to plastic glasses and we will close a couple of our venues for an hour afterwards to ensure a safe environment," he said. "It will be a great day and I hope we can go all the way."
Greene King Pub Company has provided all its managers with extra support to deal with the expected crowds, including Challenge-21 posters, training courses and promotions on soft drinks and food to promote sensible drinking. Spot checks of premises will be carried out to ensure all policies are in place.
"We are doing everything we can to ensure customers enjoy the tournament in a safe, friendly and fun environment," said managing director Mark Angela.
"We have a package of contingency measures in place across the estate where we think more support might be needed."
Cornish brewer St Austell is launching World Cup ale Proper Job on Saturday, while its largest pub, the Central in Newquay, has installed extra screens and is giving away an England shirt signed by the 1966 winning team.
"Staff training is the key to a safe environment," said marketing director Jeremy Mitchell.
"We have put an extra emphasis on asking for ID and not serving drunks. We've installed a refusals button on tills to log refusals."
Licensees, meanwhile, have taken it upon themselves to create a great atmosphere in their pubs.
Tony Bennett of the Otter in Thorpe Marriott, Norwich, said: "We have a sweepstake, big screen in the garden, bottle bars for easy service and are giving away mini-TVs."
Graham Rowson, licensee at the Plungington Tavern in Preston, Lancashire, said his campaign had been planned to the very last detail.
"I've got extra staff on, done all the rota sheets and decorated the pub. We will have a quiz at half time. I expect a 100% increase in sales when England play."
Brewers have promised that they will cope with demand. Carlsberg UK said it predicted an increase in sales of 80,000 barrels equating to £50m.
Scottish & Newcastle UK has spent £50m on its Football Flutter promotion giving customers the chance to win free bets with Ladbrokes when they buy Foster's, Kronenbourg, John Smith's or Strongbow cider.
"We expect a 10% lift in sales across the four week period of the tournament," said spokesman David Jones. "We have more than enough beer to see the country through. It will continue to pour as long as England are still in it."
