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4 months ago
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The King has put his shirt on an England victory – as it is revealed England's nail-biting journey to the Euro 2024 final has given the economy a £2.4 billion boost.
As thousands of England fans make a desperate scramble to get to Berlin, everything will come to a standstill back home when the game against Spain kicks off at 8pm tomorrow.
But win or lose, England's adventure in Germany has provided a much-needed shot in the arm for the economy.
Research for Argos carried out by the Centre for Economic and Business Research shows that England making it to their second successive Euros final will end up boosting consumer spending by £2.4 billion.
Fans are expected to splurge £488 million in the four-day build-up to tomorrow's match alone – around a third of which will be spent in pubs and other hospitality venues.
King's support: Charles III and actor Idris Elba proudly hold up England football team shirts while meeting young workers involved with his King's Trust charity
Kane you sign this? England captain Harry delights fans outside the team's hotel in Germany
And on matchday itself, British Beer And Pub Association chief executive Emma McClarkin said pubs could serve an incredible 10 million extra pints as fans gather to watch the match in bars and beer gardens.
She added: 'A huge £48 million in additional trade for pubs and breweries will be generated by fans across the nation.
'As with the semi-finals, pubs will be licensed to stay open until 1am on Sunday night, giving fans even more time to enjoy the game, support our pubs and hopefully celebrate football finally coming home.'
Trade body UK Hospitality said England's performance in the tournament would see the entire sector benefitting from an overall sales increase of £800 million.
And those who intend to stay in to watch will also do their bit to boost the economy, with supermarkets seeing a spike in food and drink sales.
Tesco expects to sell nearly 800,000 packs of sausages and more than 1 million pies this weekend – as well as 4 million packs of beer and cider, while John Lewis predicts the 'biggest barbecue weekend of the year'.
Sales of televisions, decorations and partyware have also contributed to the economic boom, while bookies have seen an increase in customer activity.
'This event is more than just a match – it is a beacon of hope and a much-needed boost for venues,' Michael Kill, chief executive of the Night Time Industries Association, which represents hundreds of pubs and bars, said.
But on the flip side, virtually all supermarkets and many restaurants have decided to close early on Sunday night so that staff can watch the game – but also because they weren't expecting any customers.
The team was given backing with the sight of King Charles and actor Idris Elba posing with England jerseys yesterday after the pair met with young workers involved with his King's Trust charity.
The first of a possible 50,000 fans have begun arriving in the German capital in the hope of seeing England claiming a first trophy on foreign soil, as it emerged that many flights are completely sold out
England fans who made it to Germany have been taking in Berlin's tourist sites, including the Brandenburg Gate
It was also confirmed last night that the Prince of Wales will fly to Germany for the final in his capacity as president of the Football Association.
But as the first of a possible 50,000 fans began arriving in the German capital in the hope of seeing England claiming a first trophy on foreign soil, it emerged that the players' families are struggling to find a route to Berlin, with many flights sold out – even though both BA and Ryanair have added extra flights.
At least one member of the squad's family has decided to drive to Germany because they cannot get a flight, while others have inquired about hiring a private jet – only to be told there are no landing slots available.
All of Ryanair's 21 pre-planned flights from UK airports to Berlin between Thursday and the final have sold out.
EasyJet's 12 flights to Berlin from Birmingham, Bristol, Luton and Gatwick between Friday and the match were also fully booked.
Yesterday, the England fans who made it took in some of Berlin's tourist sites, with supporters queuing in torrential rain at Checkpoint Charlie.
Greg Clarke, 26, and James Lewis, 27, from Clapham, South-West London, donned ponchos in a bid to keep dry.
Mr Lewis, a teacher, said: 'The last three games have been won in such dramatic circumstances I'm willing myself to believe it could be our time to win it.'
Around the corner at Murphy's Irish bar, fans were in ebullient mood. Simon Gillies and son George 'gambled' on England going the distance and booked cheap flights and a cheap hotel room in Berlin before the quarter-final win against Switzerland.
The pair, from Cambridge, work together as scaffolders and the trip is a gift for Mr Gillies Jnr, who turns 22 on matchday.
His father said: 'We can beat Spain. We will beat Spain. That's why we've come out here. I'm positive we're going to win.'
George added: 'It's there for the taking. Spain looked shaky in the second half against France.'
Germany's top-selling newspaper Bild yesterday claimed England 'cheated their way into the final' in an apparent reference to the controversial decision to award Harry Kane a penalty in the semi-final after a VAR review.
A poll on the tabloid's website found 68 per cent of the German public want Spain to win the final, even though they knocked out the hosts.
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