Now for Thirsty Thursday! England fans plan half days off work and sickies could soar when Three Lions play Denmark at the Euros - as excitement builds with fans descending on Frankfurt and William preparing to fly in ahead of game

England football fans are preparing to finish work early or do a half-day this Thursday to watch the country's hotly-anticipated Euro 2024 match against Denmark.

With the match kicking off at 5pm at the end of the working day for many staff, some businesses are planning to show the contest on TV in the office for their employees.

But human resources experts have warned companies to brace for rise in absences, sickness and lateness the day after - and a dip in productivity in the workplace.

An estimated 18.5million people watched England's winning start to Euro 2024 on TV against Serbia on Sunday night as Jude Bellingham scored in a 1-0 victory.

However, given the next match against Denmark is on a working day and followed by another, experts fear it could have a huge impact on attendance in the office.

An improvement in the weather could also result in people drinking more alcohol, with 21C (70F) highs and sunshine expected in London by kick-off on Thursday.

Annual leave requests are up on the May daily average by 123 per cent this Thursday and 148 per cent this Friday, according to research by BrightHR. The firm added that absences last Friday - the first day of the tournament - were up 302 per cent on May. 

It comes as England fans are now pouring into Frankfurt, while Prince William will also be flying in to watch the Group C stage match at the Frankfurt Arena. 

St George's flags and Three Lions shirts are now appearing on the city's streets, and more than 50,000 England supporters are expected to have arrived by the time of kick-off - many without tickets, given the stadium has a capacity of just 46,000. 

Alan Price, chief executive at BrightHR, told MailOnline: 'With England football fans gearing up for the match against Denmark this Thursday, businesses can expect a sharp increase in the number of staff finishing work early or taking half-days to catch the action live.'

He said the firm had looked at its absence management software, which monitors more than one million employees in the UK, to predict the possible impact.

Mr Price added: 'Match days like this one can have a huge impact on attendance and productivity in the workplace, with absences, sickness and lateness sometimes doubling after big games.

'Encourage staff to abide by the terms in their contract and only leave early if they have booked the time off in advance.'

The company revealed that during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, there was an increase of 111 per cent in the number of people who called in sick when England played the USA in the group stages on Friday, November 25 when compared to the daily average sickness rate.

This could mean an additional 50,000 people will pull a sickie this Thursday if the trend is repeated for the match.

Among the firms planning to show the game to staff is Peninsula, a company which specialises in HR, employment law and health and safety consultancy services for employers.

Kate Palmer, employment services director at the firm, told MailOnline: 'At Peninsula, we choose to show big games in the office so employees don't miss out on any of the action whilst continuing to do their work.

'This could also be good solution for businesses where remote working is not an option.

'With a 5pm kick-off, some bosses may choose to put on a social option for employees to stay behind and watch the match with colleagues, maybe you order in some pizzas and make an evening of it.'

However she added that firms considering this option should ensure they have the correct licenses in place.

Ms Palmer continued: 'If you are serving drinks, however, remember that social events are an extension of the workplace and inappropriate behaviour that happens at such an event could lead to you having to take disciplinary action the next day.

'Remember employees can use their free time as they wish however if they are not in a fit state to work when they arrive on site then this becomes a problem for employers.

'A gentle reminder that any such misconduct during the Euros will be subject to disciplinary action will often suffice.

'Nobody wants to be the fun police, and many employers are looking forward to the Euros as much as their employees are. Having a sporting events policy in place ahead of major tournaments is the best way to avoid any misunderstanding.'

Also today, England fans with tickets in Frankfurt talked of their excitement ahead of the match.

Ellis Platten, 26, a Leeds United supporter, told MailOnline: 'I can't wait and am so looking forward to the Denmark game. It's a massive game and I know the whole country will be watching back at home. I am very lucky to be here.

'I thought we laboured to victory against Serbia, but you know what? Three points is all that matters. There were lot of plus points against Serbia, Bellingham was brilliant and the defence held out and was solid.

'I think we'll improve as the tournament goes on. It's never wise to peak too early. England will have a lot of supporters in Frankfurt - we're one of the early birds but there'll be thousands more.'

Newcastle supporter Dean McCarthy, 35, who is in Frankfurt with three friends from the North East, said: 'It's coming home. There is no doubt this time. The boys are really up for it and the whole country is behind them.

'We have seen too much with England years, but it has to end right here in Germany, right now. The bookies have made England favourites but we mustn't overthink about that too much.

'We just have to play our best football and we will be bringing home that trophy. What an incredible feeling that is going to be. It will lift the nation no end and we can all forget about the terrible summer weather in England.'

Manchester United supporter Richie Fabian, 26, told MailOnline: 'We've based ourselves in Frankfurt for the group games. It's the first time England fans will be together in big numbers in one city as everyone was spread around for the game against Serbia.

'Gelsenkirchen was only small and the transport back was terrible. We managed to get a lift back to Frankfurt. It's much bigger. There's more stuff to do and more bars.

Ryan Finch, 32, from Derby, is following England around Euro 2024 with a group of friends.

He said: 'The atmosphere is great in town and hopefully will just build and build towards the Denmark game. Germany has been brilliant so far, we've not seen any trouble and the locals have been brilliant with us, so friendly.

'The beer is good, the atmosphere is good and so far the results have been good. You can't ask for more. I'm not sure how far we'll go in this tournament. I'd love us to go all the way but we were under the cosh during the second half of the Serbia match.

'If we play like that against a really top side, we'll be found out. I'm not certain all the players are fit. But who knows, this squad is really decent and so maybe we can go one better than last time around.'

Matt Jarman, 35, from Newcastle, added: 'You can't really imagine what it will mean to the country if Harry Kane steps off that plane in a month's time with that trophy.

'Every England fan here in Frankfurt is right behind them and we just want to see them go all the way.'

The BBC said its coverage of Sunday's match was watched by an average audience of 10.5million, peaking at 15million.

The game was also streamed 3.5 million times on BBC iPlayer.

England got off to a positive start in Germany when Bellingham scored a header 13 minutes into their Group C opener.

It was a rockier start for Scotland, who were defeated 5-1 by Germany. Scotland will get a chance for redemption against Switzerland tomorrow.

Some Scotland fans have been travelling through Frankfurt to reach Cologne for their next match.

Robbie McCloud, 33, from Aberdeen, told MailOnline: 'Every Scotland fan would probably want to see England get knocked out, and they probably feel the same about us. But we will come this way just have a great time, drink the great German beer and cheer our boys on.

'I heard the England fans singing '10 German bombers' which really is an insult to the Germans here, but you won't find Scottish friends causing any trouble. We're just here to celebrate with Scotland.'

It comes as Rishi Sunak backed Gareth Southgate's call for fans not to sing about German casualties in the Second World War during the Euros, after concerns were raised about chants.

Following England's win over Serbia, there have been reports and videos circulating of fans signing '10 German bombers', defying warnings from German police.

Ahead of the tournament, German police had told fans thinking of singing distasteful chants about the conflict 'don't be a d**k', in an interview with The Telegraph.

The Prime Minister said supporters should instead sing more of The Beatles' Hey Jude, in honour of Bellingham.

Also yesterday, an England fans' group called for an 'urgent and thorough review' of transport arrangements in Gelsenkirchen after chaotic scenes before and after Sunday's match.

England will play their last-16 match in the same city on June 30 if they top their group, and the Free Lions Fan Embassy group said 'dramatically enhanced provisions' would need to be put in place.

The group reported issues with transport from fan zones and the city centre to the stadium, and from the stadium back to the city afterwards.

Some England fans drank two months' worth of beer in two days at a German restaurant which had its busiest weekend since 2006.

Around 40,000 Three Lions fans descended on Gelsenkirchen for the game on Sunday and many celebrated at GE Piazza in the city's German old town.

It became the unofficial headquarters of England fans, where they drank more than 7,500 pints, some even 'pre-loading' local lagers at 9am.

On a standard weekend, the restaurant gets through two kegs. But when fans arrived on Saturday, it churned through 60 kegs in 36 hours.