York pubs planning stay open until the early hours of the morning for England’s next World Cup match have spoken about how they expect it to go.
Publicans said they were expecting plenty of fans to take advantage of one-off rule changes allowing later openings for the match against Mexico at 1am on Monday, July 6.
They added they were not phased by the prospect of more revellers being out drinking until as late as 5am and said they were ready to tackle any rowdy behaviour.
Matt Boxall, City of York Council’s public protection lead, said fans were encouraged to enjoy the game responsibly and cheer on England from one of the city’s many pubs and bars.
It comes after the Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced on Thursday that emergency legislation would be tabled to allow pubs in England to open until 5am for the game.
The time difference and resulting late start in matches screened in the UK meant any pubs or venues had to apply for a temporary events notice to stay open later.
Bernie Fisher, landlord of the Clifton Hotel in Water Lane, said the late opening was very unusual for their pub.
The landlord told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “We’re planning on carrying on through the night to show the game if there’s enough people, if not we won’t continue.
“You never know what it’s going to be like with it going on into the morning and people having to get up for work the next day, but people have told us they’re coming.
“It’s exceptional, I don’t think I’ve ever been open this late before.
“We’ll absolutely have to monitor behaviour, it won’t be good if we’ve got people getting drunk all day then going and watching the match at 1am.
“I’m not concerned about my regulars, that’s mostly who comes here, but we’ll be objective and if we have to then we can say- I think you’ve had enough.”
Georgia, assistant manager at Gibson’s in Micklegate, said they already had a couple of bookings for the game and were expecting more.
She said: “We’ve got capacity to seat about 100 people and we’re hoping we can fill that.
“It’ll be different but I think there will be a lot of people out wanting to watch the World Cup.
“We’ll probably have security on the door, we could have everyone out but then again they’ll have work on Monday, some will watch it at home but others will want the pub atmosphere.”
Emily White, a member of the bar staff at The Leeman Rose in Stamford Street East, said the pub did not know what to expect.
The staff member said: “There’s been a few people asking about the match, but this is mainly a locals pub, I doubt it’ll be packed.
“The World Cup’s been really good for us so far, it’s boosted trade and it’s been good to see people come in and have a good time.
“We’ll manage it the same as any other night if there’s any trouble, the doors will be shut after 11pm and no one will be allowed in though to stop any stragglers from town coming in.”
Marston’s Operations Director Jared Sedgwick said people should book spots early to avoid disappointment as the company plans to open more than 400 of its pubs later including in York.
Council head of public protection Mr Boxall said they welcomed Government moves to allow pubs, bars and other licensed venues to stay open later.
The official said: “Throughout the tournament we have been working with a range of partners including licensed premises and the police to ensure everyone is able to enjoy the world cup safely.”
North Yorkshire Police have said its officers will be visible in towns, cities and along key routes throughout the tournament.
