PUBS across Scotland are to lose out to the tune of £345,629 through a drop in the amount of alcohol sold for Friday's England v Scotland clash because of the ongoing Covid-19 restrictions.
The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has predicted that England and Scotland fans will buy 3.4 million pints on Friday when the Three Lions play the Scots in group D of EURO 2020.
But the trade association has warned that the boost to pubs in both nations from beer sales during the match will be severely hampered by ongoing restrictions, including social distancing, no standing and the rule of six.
They say that all restrictions on pubs in England and Scotland must be removed as soon as possible for the sector to "survive and recover".
The trade association says these restrictions will greatly reduce the experience of watching Euro 2020 at the pub and will limit the number of customers pubs can have viewing the match.
Because of this, it estimates that in Scotland beer sales during the match will be almost 90,716 pints lower than if the game was being showed without restrictions.
The trade association says the loss of revenue to pubs in England and Scotland will be £3.2 million on Friday alone, including £354,629 north of the border which they say would have been vital to the sector’s recovery.
Overall, the trade association estimates 14.8 million pints will be sold in England and Scotland on Friday. 3.4 million of these will be sold during the game itself across both nations.
A survey of 1,000 pub goers by the British Beer & Pub Association and KAM Media found that 85% of pub-going football fans believe the current restrictions will negatively impact their experience of watching Euro 2020 at the pub this summer.
Half said they would be more likely to watch Euro 2020 at their pub if all restrictions on pubs are lifted, despite 91% of football fans saying they missed watching matches at the pub during lockdown.* Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, said: “Whether you’re supporting England or Scotland, nothing beats watching the game at the pub.
“Unfortunately, the current restrictions on pubs in both nations mean the experience isn’t going to be the same. No standing and limits on group sizes, as well as social distancing, are going to severely reduce the number of people who can enjoy the game in the pub.
“Because of this, we expect pubs in England and Scotland to sell 850,000 pints less than they would have done without restrictions.
“Given pubs have been closed or faced restrictions for more than a year in both England and Scotland, every little helps and is critical to their recovery and survival.
“Given the delay in England to the lockdown and with rumours suggesting a similar delay could be coming in Scotland, it is a real great shame that fans will not even be able to enjoy the tournament without restrictions in the latter stages."”
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