BRITISH PUBS SHOULD stay open late to screen matches in the upcoming football World Cup finals in Brazil, Prime Minister David Cameron said today.
“I have ordered a rethink on pub opening times for England’s World Cup games – will consult with pub trade, police and councils,” Cameron wrote on his Twitter account.
The British Beer and Pubs Association (BBPA) had asked the interior ministry to push back closing time from 11pm to 1am to take account of the time difference for England’s opening game against Italy on June 14.
It also asked for an extra two hours on July 11 and 12, the weekend of the final.
But the department rejected the request, instead leaving individual pubs to apply for a one-off late licence at a cost of £21 (€26).
A spokesman from Cameron’s Downing Street office said:
It is right that we consult but, subject to that consultation, clearly our intention would be that pubs would be able to be open for the relevant games, reflecting the fact that it is a major national event.
A Home Office spokesman added: “Given the time difference between the UK and Brazil and the fact some matches kick off at 11pm, the consultation will cover late-night matches occurring on the opening weekend, the closing weekend of the World Cup 2014 and for England’s 11pm matches.”
Though Ireland isn’t through to the World Cup, there are bound to be thousands of fans of participating teams wanting to watch different games here.
Should pubs in Ireland stay open during the World Cup? Tell us what you think in the comments.
- © AFP, 2014, with additional reporting by Aoife Barry
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