LONDON — England’s soccer team is bracing for the thunderous noise and thin air of Mexico’s Azteca stadium on Sunday.Back home, fans had been bracing themselves for a different ordeal: having to watch England play Mexico without a pint in hand at the local pub.Limited time: Save 25% on NBC News subscriptionGet exclusive reporting, live Q&As and ad-free reading.With the World Cup game kicking off at 1 a.m.
Monday in Britain, publicans had raised concerns that they would be prevented from opening for the game under the country’s rigid licensing laws.But after a bubble of public outcry, outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer staged a swift intervention on the issue on Thursday — promising an emergency legal measure to give pubs and bars across England and Wales blanket permission to stay open until 5 a.m.for the match.England fans watch the FIFA World Cup match against DR Congo on Wednesday in Manchester, England.Anthony Devlin / Getty Images“Football might be coming home but we’re making sure fans don’t have to,” Starmer said in a statement.
“Pubs staying open till the final whistle is good news for supporters and good news for the pubs and venues that bring our communities together.”Pubs “will be over the moon about this decision,” the British Beer and Pub Association said in a statement, while the Night Time Industries Association said the move will give a “significant boost to hospitality businesses.” British newspapers on Friday were leading on plans for “England’s big all-nighter,” dubbing it “Mextra time” and a “Mexican rave.”While fans may be happy, the prospect of fans enjoying 12 hours of uninterrupted drinking drew immediate criticism from police chiefs.“We also know from previous tournaments, the knock-out games sadly see an increase in violent incidents, particularly in the night-time economy, and an increase in domestic abuse,” the National Police Chiefs’ Council said Friday.“This is directly linked...