LONDON — Scotland fans famously drank Boston dry.Subscribe to read this story ad-freeGet unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.But while the team’s exploits on the field could not match the success of their supporters, pubs in England — some of which are struggling financially — have been boosted by the boon in beer sales from the team’s run to the World Cup semi finals.
England plays arch rival Argentina in Atlanta on Wednesday, an 8 p.m.kick off back home (3 p.m.
ET) that will likely see fans flock to pubs across the country hoping to see their team make its first World Cup final in 60 years.The profit made from the World Cup accounts for around 15% of the annual sales made by the Bread and Cheese pub in Thundersley, a small village around 40 miles east of London, owner Steve Haslam told NBC News in a telephone interview Tuesday.
He said he expected to make around £7,000 to £9,000 ($9,400 to $12,000) more than the average Wednesday, when England kick off.England fans in London celebrate the team's quarterfinal win over Norway on Saturday.
Thomas Krych / APAnd his pub is not alone.Around 5.5 million extra pints had been sold during group stages alone, according to UK Hospitality, a trade body that represents the country’s hospitality and leisure sector.
Emma McClarkin, the CEO of the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA), said in an email Tuesday that it expected “Wednesday to be the most successful night of the tournament, with more than 6 million extra pints potentially sold,” around a 75% increase on the 8 million pints typically sold on an average July Wednesday.However, figures compiled by her organization and published in May show that 161 pubs across Britain closed between January and March of this year, the equivalent of almost two a day.Overall “margins are getting squeezed because it is a tough time for pubs right now,” said Haslam, the owner of the Bread and Cheese who is also director of Aim Pubs, ...