Will pubs be open early for the Women’s World Cup?

It’s going to be tense (Picture: ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images)

England will play in their first ever Women’s World Cup Final tomorrow as they take on Spain – but it’s an early start for supporters in the UK.

The final is being played at the Stadium Australia in Sydney and the kick off is at 11am, with ITV1 coverage starting at 9.25am and BBC1’s starting at 9.45am.

Across the country and beyond, people will be gathering to celebrate and cheer on the Lionesses.

Traditionally, pubs are packed with supporters for sporting finals – but with the early kick-off, will they be open?

Here is what you need to know.

Will pubs open early for the World Cup?

Opening times depends on each pub’s individual licence, but normally, most would open on a Sunday around 11am – which, of course, would be far from ideal as that’s exactly when the match kicks off.

Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove has written to councils asking them to ‘do everything they can to help pubs get open earlier on Sunday’.

Hopes are high that the Lionesses will bring it home (Picture: VCG/VCG via Getty Images)

Conservative MP Damian Green, a member of the culture select committee, told the Telegraph: ‘We wouldn’t think twice about doing it if the men’s team were playing a World Cup final so let’s do it on Sunday.’

Most pubs are legally allowed to start serving alcohol from 11am on a Sunday – while some can’t start until midday – but temporary changes have been made in the past, including for the Euro 2020 Final and the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

The trouble is that such changes – which apply across the country – have to be approved by both the House of Commons and the House of Lords – but they are not sitting due to the summer break.

Individual pubs can apply for ‘Temporary Event Notices’ to serve alcohol earlier, but these take five working days to be issued, and pubs would likely needed to have got the ball rolling by August 11, before England had got through the quarter finals.

However, The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) has warned that starting alcohol sales at 11am – when the match kicks off – could lead to queues and disruption.

Chris Jowsey, chief executive officer of Admiral Taverns, which runs more than 1,600 pubs, said: ‘We urge the prime minister to allow pubs to open at 10am on Sunday to support our Lionesses and bring communities together to cheer on the team.

‘It has been inspiring to watch not only their outstanding achievements on the pitch, but the way it has brought the nation together off the pitch.’

Will Alessia Russo find the back of the net? (Picture: Stephanie Meek – CameraSport via Getty Images)

Councils have been asked ro ‘rush through’ any applications for a temporary change to a pub’s licencing hours, and it’s likely that many pubs will open well before 11am on Sunday – but do check with your local.

Sources say that given the historic occasion, it’s ‘unlikely’ any action would be taken against pubs by police, if theearly opening is being carried out ‘in a sensible way’.

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Hardly worth going to bed tbh.