Government to work with boards on World Cup match pub hours – Neil Gray

The Scottish Government will work with licensing boards to make sure football fans can “enjoy the celebration” during Scotland’s World Cup games next year, a minister has said.

Timings for the World Cup matches were revealed on Saturday evening.

The men’s national team will have their first fixture against Haiti on June 14, with kick-off at 2am UK time.

There will be late-night finishes for Scotland’s other group-stage matches, which both begin at 11pm.

It means that Scotland fans currently face the prospect of pubs closing before the final whistle blows.

Health Secretary Neil Gray was asked if pub licences would be extended for the matches as he appeared on BBC Scotland’s Sunday Show.

He said: “We want to make sure we are giving everybody the opportunity in order to be able to enjoy and celebrate that.

“I want to be able to do that with my kids.

“In Scotland, clearly, the licensing decisions are made by local authorities.

“But, of course, we are going to be working with them to try to make sure that people are able to enjoy the celebration as Scotland get out of the group of death with Brazil, Morocco and Haiti.”

Mr Gray, a football fan, said he was “ever hopeful” that Scotland would clear the group stage for the first time.

Earlier, the Scottish Beer and Pub Association called for opening hours to be extended for the games.

Senior policy manager Paul Togneri said: “This is a once-in-a-generation moment for Scotland fans and should be a major boost for Scotland’s pubs, but with kick-offs at 11pm and 2am that opportunity is at risk.

“Each match should give an estimated £3 million boost to Scotland’s pubs but we need licensing boards to show flexibility and allow pubs to open their doors, that’s why we’re calling for temporary licensing statements for the whole of the tournament.

“People will rightly want to come together and celebrate, like they did a few weeks ago when we qualified. Let’s make sure they can do that in a safe, regulated environment, and give our pubs a chance to benefit from this incredible occasion.

“No pubs, no party.”