England followers ‘work out motive’ Keir Starmer has prolonged pub hours for Mexico match
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has extended pub opening hours across England and Wales until 5am on Monday (July 6) morning so that England fans can watch the Mexico match from a pub if they want to
Sir Keir Starmer has extended pub opening hours across England and Wales until 5am for the match(Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
The England football team are currently gearing up for their highly anticipated knockout match against Mexico in Round 16 of the FIFA World Cup. England progressed by defeating DR Congo 2–1 in a tense Round of 32 clash, courtesy of two late goals from Harry Kane. The match takes place at the historic Estadio Azteca (Mexico City Stadium) in Mexico City. Thomas Tuchel ’s squad faces a gruelling environment, as the team must contend with a hostile 100,000-strong home crowd and playing at an altitude of over 2,000 metres above sea level.
The match scheduled for its original time slot of 6pm local time on Sunday (July 5), which translates to 1am Monday (July 6) morning for UK viewers.
FIFA briefly considered moving the match forward by six hours to midday local time due to a forecast of severe evening thunderstorms in Mexico City. However, following pushback from both football associations regarding preparation plans, FIFA executed a U-turn and confirmed the original kick-off time stands.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has extended pub opening hours across England and Wales until 5am on Monday morning so that fans can watch the match from a pub if they want to.
After hearing the news, many England fans think they’ve ‘workout out’ the reason why he’s brought in the rule.
“Out til 5am on a school night, you can tell he’s working his notice,” quipped one fan on X.
While another added: “If they win it would immediately bump his popularity by 30%.”
Someone said he was ‘creating his legacy’ with the rule, while another joked he was living up to his “Beer Starmer” nickname.
While the British Beer and Pub Association welcomed the news—predicting up to one million extra pints will be sold—the decision has faced significant pushback.
he National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) strongly criticised the late announcement. They warned that forces are being caught off guard, requiring major emergency roster changes to handle potential alcohol-fuelled disorder and late-night violence.
Not all venues will utilising the full extension. While major chains like Greene King and Marston’s have committed hundreds of pubs to the late hours, many independent venues are choosing to close at their standard times due to staffing constraints.
As news hit that the match would be played at its original time this weekend, some England fans made an ominous prediction about the match.
One wrote on Reddit: “Fully expect there will now be a storm delay just to make the farce even worse.”
While another predicted: “Pubs close at 5am. Delayed game kicks off at 5am.”
Someone else added: “It would be kinda funny if it gets rained off and everyone just skives work to watch it at 9am UK time instead.”
While another fan remarked: “Going to be great fun when I wait up until 1am to watch this only for lightning to cancel it anyway.”
