A report in the Guardian newspaper has revealed that more than £3bn will be spent by football fans in the UK this summer in what could prove to be a huge boost to the economy.
Euro 2024 is the first summer international tournament since the Covid pandemic and UK football fans are expected to fill their boots across the next month. Scotland's first game is set to take place this Friday against Germany while England's first game will take place on Sunday against Serbia.
Although the 2022 World Cup in Qatar was also played outside of Covid regulations, the winter schedule for the tournament, in addition to unorthodox kick-off times, meant that more fans chose to stay at home to watch the action rather than venture out to pubs and bars.
This time around, the tournament is being held in Germany which means the vast majority of matches are taking place at time that suit fans in the UK down to the ground.
Football fans to load up on beer, pizzas and new TVs for Euro 2024
According to the report by the Guardian, half of the UK population are expected to watch at least one Euro 2024 match at their local pub, bar and restaurant. This would be a 115% increase on the World Cup in Qatar and would provide pubs with a much-needed cash boost.
The British Beer and Pubs Association is expecting 300 million pints to be served over the next month – a 20 million increase on the usual amount for June and July in the UK. This will provide pubs with an extra £94m – a figure that could save many from going under.
Meanwhile, retailers are expected to benefit even more with a £2.1bn windfall expected. New televisions are flying off the shelves while several large retailers are selling England and Scotland-branded items at a phenomenal rate.
While these figures are eye-watering, if England and/or Scotland go deep into the competition, then the estimation from the Guardian may well even turn out to be an understatement.