Police chiefs are preparing for trouble as they scramble to respond to the Government's last-minute announcement that pubs can stay open until 5am for England's next World Cup match against Mexico. The match kicks off at 1am on Monday, prompting Prime Minister Keir Starmer to extend licensing hours for the fixture.
Former Met Officer Warns of Disorder Risks
Andy Trotter, a former deputy assistant commissioner at the Metropolitan Police, said a combination of "hot nights, alcohol and sporting events" is likely to result in disorder. Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Friday, Mr Trotter said the late licensing change will force forces to bring in more officers to cope.
He said: "My anxiety is with the late change the police are now going to have to gear up across the country on a night normally when into the early hours it'd be a bit quieter than usual. Now they have to change shifts, get more officers out."
"And we all hope this is going to be a great night in all ways. We all hope it's going to be calm and peaceful, but we know the combination of hot nights, alcohol and sporting events can lead to trouble."
He added: "There could well be issues as people come out at 4 or 5 in the morning, bumping into the morning bleary-eyed commuters. So the police have got to be ready for this, but my anxiety is the late notice for police forces means a lot of late shift changes, which is unfortunate."
Government Decision and Industry Reaction
Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the extension on Thursday, saying: "Football might be coming home but we're making sure fans don't have to." He added: "Pubs staying open till the final whistle is good news for supporters and good news for pubs and venues. The whole country will be backing the team. Come on, England!"
Pub closing times had already been extended to 2am for England's matches that kicked off between 9pm and 10pm, but that did not apply to Monday's fixture due to the later kick-off. Individual pubs had to apply to councils if they wanted to stay open later, but the deadline had passed by the time the fixture was confirmed on Wednesday.
Emma McClarkin, CEO of the British Beer and Pub Association, said: "Pubs and fans will be over the moon about this decision, because the best place to watch the match is down the local."
Rise in Football-Related Incidents
Figures released by the football policing unit show 88 suspects had been arrested in England and Wales for football-related incidents as of Monday – more than the 56 from the World Cup in 2022. The UKFPU said 463 football-related incidents have been recorded during the World Cup group stages, which police said is "significantly higher" than the 304 from Euro 2024 and the 291 from the World Cup in Qatar four years ago.
Mark Roberts, the head of the UK's football policing unit (UKFPU), previously voiced concerns over the Government's decision to allow a blanket extension of pub opening hours during the tournament, urging ministers not to "pass the buck on to policing". It is the first time in a decade the relaxation of alcohol licensing hours will apply to the round of 32 and 16, with the police chief saying "common sense tells you that is going to give us more problems".
The UKPFU said as of Monday, 162 incidents had been recorded in licensed premises, alongside 109 domestic incidents.
