Since the start of the World Cup your average British boozer has no doubt witnessed a surge in footfall and as the number of pubs in the UK continues to diminish year on year, for those still in business it has been all hands to the pumps as football fans flock to the bar on stuffy summer nights to get that all-important first pint before the game. 

For any landlord, managing the huddling masses in the ever-increasing fever pitch the football season ignites in its loyal supporters is surely a feat that surpasses even that of the beardy waistcoat-wearing England manager himself. 

This week, as the England squad prepared for their semi-final game against Croatia, this newspaper ran what seemed like innumerable pub related stories. From The Pavillion pub in Oxhey Hall charging £10 per head to watch the Three Lions, to the Southern Cross pub on Langley Road changing its name to the “Southgate Cross”, to a poorly-worded Facebook post by the Royal Oak in Watford Heath which upset the locals.

How to preserve your business during periods of high passion and increased volume without upsetting the regulars is always going to force decisions that don’t sit well with everyone. But that’s what running a business requires. And when the excitement is all over and the football really does come home, someone still has to open up the next morning. Cheers.