Regulars at Jordan Pickford’s local Wearside pub prepare to cheer him on during the shock of the Euro 2020 quarter-finals in England – one of thousands of pubs gearing up for a huge sporting weekend while trying to maintain social distancing restrictions.
The Biddick Inn is expected to be crashed as the Three Lions take on Ukraine in Rome on Saturday night, if the phone goes off the hook is anything to be done.
Deputy director Tracy Macintosh says doing good business during the tournament isn’t easy while trying to adhere to government Covid rules.
“The phone never stopped,” she said The independent. “People want to sign up for the game, but we’re not reserving any tables for the drinks.
“We try to organize ourselves so that we can comply with regulations while trying to maintain good business. It turns out to be a bit difficult.
The 43-year-old, who worked at the Washington pub for 15 years, said locals were prepared to cheer on the guard at 8 p.m.
“We will all be rooted for him,” she said. “I know his family very well, they have been coming here for years and years. It’s crazy to watch it on TV.
She says she sees the soccer star from time to time, who is the only goalkeeper in the competition who hasn’t conceded a goal, “but he’s not really a heavy drinker.”
“He likes a J2O,” Tracy says. “He’s beautiful like that. He always breaks his neck to say hello, he died nice.
England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford (center) pictured with Harry Maguire (L) and Harry Kane during a training session at St George’s Park
(AFP / Getty)
In Oldham, David Mowbray tells a similar story of delicate social distancing rules preventing him from attracting as many customers to the Colliers Arms as he would like.
“It’s a bit of a mixed bag because we’re full… but we can’t get in as many people as we would like,” says the owner, who has run the pub for 17 years.
“We had a queue on the road Tuesday [during the England-Germany match] of people waiting to enter, which was good.
“Tuesday night games are a huge bonus for us, because on a typical Tuesday, let’s say we serve 10 to 20 pints an hour – at one point Tuesday night, when we had just opened the doors, in those first two hours we were delivering well over 100 pints per hour, which is really good for a little street pub in Oldham. So yes, increased sales are really needed.
“We’re a big rugby town so hopefully people get caught up in the euphoria, and if this continues after Saturday it can only be good for the Lions team.”
Sinead Murphy, who runs the White Horse, the pub closest to Wembley Stadium in London, suspects that Saturday won’t be as hectic as Tuesday, when England won 2-0 against Germany, but waits nonetheless with looking forward to seeing a busy trade.
“Before the game on Tuesday, the atmosphere was great; it was just nice to feel a certain normalcy really, ”she said.
“Because football is on a Saturday, I think more people will come to watch it in the pub environment, so I really think there will be an increase in sales.”
England fans celebrate in Trafalgar Square after England beat Germany 2-0 on Tuesday
(PENNSYLVANIA)
The Three Crowns in the village of Wisborough Green in West Sussex had only been open for a few weeks when a Covid outbreak, believed to be linked to the euro, forced its new owners to shut down again.
“We just took over this pub and we opened three to four weeks ago, but unfortunately a member of staff tested positive for Covid,” says Nick Pigott, who bought the pub with his childhood friend Rupert Burstow.
“We closed for eight days, so we just reopened today.
“The last game we showed was the England game on Friday and we played by all the rules but we still think that’s when he entered the building.”
He says the pair are hoping for “a little boost” in sales this weekend but “it’s very difficult.”
According to the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA), pubs are expected to lose over £ 5million in sales in the quarter-finals as more than 1.5million fewer pints will be sold due to the continuing restrictions.
The trade association said it hopes England fans buy 6 million pints during the game itself, and expects 19 million to be sold throughout the day – although it says that number would have been closer to 24 million pints if the restrictions had been lifted.
Emma McClarkin, CEO of BBPA, said: “As fans will not be able to attend the next match in Rome due to Covid restrictions, I urge England fans to support the team – and our ads – by watching the match in their local where they can.
Nigel Bunting, director of retail and rental pubs at Shepherd Neame, the nation’s oldest brewer, added: “Opportunities like this generate extra footfall in our pubs as people come together to socialize safely. and celebrate the …
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Source: www.independent.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-07-03 02:08:27
