Scottish Euros success could see £2.8m pub boost

The Scottish Beer & Pub Association (SBPA) has predicted that Scotland’s pubs will be in for a £2.8m boost if the national team manage to qualify for the next round of the UEFA Euro 2020 tournament.

The trade body also expect the Tartan Army to buy 360,000 pints during the last group stage game of the Euros today (22 June) against Croatia. 

If Scotland beats Croatia, the team stands a good chance of progressing to the knockout stages of the tournament for the first time in the club's history.

The SBPA estimates that beer sales during the match will be almost 90,000 pints fewer than if the game was being shown without restrictions.

This, the trade association says, will result in a loss of revenue to pubs in Scotland of nearly £350,000 during the match alone, which would have been vital to the sector’s recovery.

£2.8m boost to trade

Overall, the trade association estimates some 700,000 pints will be sold on Tuesday in Scotland.

If Scotland does qualify, an estimated additional 720,000 pints are expected to be sold for the next round of games, delivering a £2.8m boost to the trade. 

“Despite the boost to pubs in Scotland reaching the knockout stages could have, the current restrictions are still impacting the Euros experience at the pub," says Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the SPBA.

“No standing and limits on group sizes, as well as social distancing and curfew restrictions, are greatly reducing the number of people going to enjoy the game at the pub.

“It’s time for the restrictions on our freedoms to be replaced by the protection of the vaccination and for life to get back to normal.

The Scottish government should remove all restrictions as soon as possible. Lifting restrictions in time for the knockout stages of the tournament, if Scotland make it through, would allow fans to enjoy the occasion properly.”

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