England vs Mexico pub opening replace as Govt sends letter to councils

The government has failed to grant blanket permission for pubs to open for England’s last 16 World Cup game against Mexico, which kicks off at 1am on Monday

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Pubs are racing against the clock to secure permission to open for England’s last 16 World Cup clash after the government failed to provide blanket authorisation. The match kicks off at 1am on Monday – meaning any pub wishing to open must first obtain the required approval from their local authority.

Last evening the national side overcame the Democratic Republic of Congo courtesy of two late strikes from Harry Kane. The pub trade has been battling difficulties, attributed to alterations in employment tax which has created additional challenges for the hospitality sector.

Nevertheless, the World Cup has provided a welcome boost, with UK pubs serving an estimated 6.8 million additional pints of draught beer and cider during the group stage alone. England’s fixtures were responsible for 5.5 million of those, while Scotland’s group-stage campaign contributed a further 1.3 million.

Now they are eager to open for the Mexico encounter, which could potentially be the final match of the tournament as England will take on one of the host nations in their home ground, which is also situated at altitude, with the players having no opportunity to acclimatise.

Throughout the tournament, the Home Office issued a national licensing hours relaxation covering fixtures at more traditional kick-off times: pubs in England and Wales can remain open until 1am for games commencing between 5pm and 9pm, and until 2am for those beginning between 9pm and 10pm, Caterer Licensee reported. However, this allowance doesn’t apply to matches kicking off after 10pm, which means the England v Mexico game falls outside of the automatic extension.

Consequently, individual pubs wanting to stay open will need to apply for a Temporary Event Notice (TEN) from their local authority, potentially allowing them to trade until 3.30am should the match go into extra time and penalties.

Communities Secretary Steve Reed has penned letters to councils encouraging them to approve such applications wherever feasible. However, the final say lies with each licensing authority, and pub owners have been cautioned that approval is not a given.

Publicans are being encouraged to familiarise themselves with the statutory notice requirements before applying, following reports that at least one operator had a TEN application rejected due to falling short of the required five working days’ notice ahead of the event – a stark reminder that councils cannot waive the statutory timeframe, even if a request is otherwise supported.

Venues without a TEN already in place are advised to get in touch with their local licensing team urgently if they plan to serve alcohol beyond their standard licensed hours for the match.

Pressure is mounting on the government to grant England fans a bank holiday on Monday – as the Mexico crunch last 16 game at the World Cup is set to kick off at 10am. Fans are inundating outgoing Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer with requests.

It appears that only one in five employers are considering offering flexible working hours to help fans cope with the late-night fixtures. Last night, England managed a comeback victory against the Democratic Republic of Congo, winning 2-1 thanks to two last-minute goals from captain Harry Kane.

Officials have stated there are currently no plans for an additional bank holiday, asserting that ‘the current pattern of bank and public holidays is well established’. However, this follows Scotland’s decision to grant fans Monday, June 15 off following their match against Haiti in Boston, which had a 2am kick-off time.

Despite some World Cup games being scheduled at inconvenient times, new research suggests that only one in five employers plan to offer flexible working hours. England’s next match, against Mexico, kicks off at 1am on Monday, meaning fans will have had little sleep before heading to work.

England manager Thomas Tuchel humorously had a message for parents after last night’s win: “Write an excuse for school and let them watch the game..”

A survey conducted by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) of 1,100 managers found that only one in five employers plan to offer flexible working hours, such as adjusted start or finish times, to accommodate staff wanting to watch World Cup matches.

The study also revealed that a small number of firms are offering extended breaks, workplace screenings or additional leave options.

Petra Wilton, director of policy at the CMI, commented: “We’re not saying every England win deserves a bank holiday, but if millions of people have stayed up until 3am supporting their team, asking employers to let them start a little later the next morning is simply common sense.

“We’re saying to employers across the country: ‘let them start late’.

“The World Cup is a reminder of why flexible working matters. Great managers recognise that people have lives outside work, and when they offer sensible flexibility, whether that’s around caring responsibilities, medical appointments or even the occasional late-night sporting event, organisations benefit too through higher engagement, improved wellbeing, stronger retention and, ultimately, better performance.”

On X fans were taking to social media to demand the day off. JT stated: “Got to pressure those in number 10 for a Bank Holiday Monday for that England vs Mexico game. Or as a nation we call in sick. “.

David queried: “Why are we not getting a Bank Holiday for the #England game? Scotland were granted one for their early morning games. Are we being made mugs of? #hcafc”.

Formula suggested: “Surely it’s gotta be a bank holiday on Monday, England are playing in a World Cup round of 16 game against Mexico at the Estadio Azteca in a match that starts at 1am UK time, everybody should be able to watch it so let the nation have a break the next day”.