PUBS and bars across Worcester are 'grateful' for the business brought in by England during Euro 2024.
And they are hoping for a bumper evening when England play Denmark tonight.
The Three Lions 1-0 victory against Serbia on Sunday night was the first tournament match England have played since losing 2-1 to France in December 2022.
Mode Sports Bar was one of many venues in the city centre to welcome England fans.
Nathan Tinker, general manager of Mode Sports Bar and Tramps Nightclub, said: “England football always has a significant impact on trade and we are very grateful for it in these incredibly challenging times for hospitality.
“We were busy on Sunday for the first game as we always are for England football.
“It was much busier than a normal Sunday.”
Mr Ticker explained how the timing of England’s matches has been detrimental to venues like Mode: “Sunday night, Thursday evening and then Tuesday night are tough times for people to attend due to having work the next day.
“Friday night or any time on Saturday are the ideal fixture slots for us as people tend to let their hair down a bit more.
Despite the timings of matches, Mr Tinker is expecting to do well over the coming weeks: “We will be busy in Mode for the next two games and then it will really take off for the knockout stages.
“For the last 16 fixture and beyond we will be opening Tramps as the largest fan zone in the city.
“For the World Cup Quarter Final against France, we had over 1,000 people across the complex and we’ll expect the same as hopefully go deep into the tournament here.”
In St Johns, the Brunswick Arms was enjoying the crowds, as the pub operator, Shane Griffin, explained: "The only time we are busy on Sunday night is bank holiday Sundays.
Like Mr Tinker, Mr Griffin is optimistic about the rest of the tournament: "I think we will be busy as we do well for all the major sporting games.
"The key is we plan for events like this and deliver.
"We make sure the atmosphere is just right and everyone is enjoying themselves in a safe and enjoyable manner."
Pubs in the outskirts of the city were enjoying the business as well; the Oak Apple in Red Hill said: "It was extremely busy on Sunday.
"Our team are working extremely hard to provide a fantastic service to our guests."
Victory against Denmark on Thursday evening would guarantee England a place in the knockout stages, and pubs another day with crowded bars.
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