FOOTBALL supporters are gearing up for the business end of the Euro 2024 tournament, with Jersey’s pubs anticipating a bumper trade for the quarter-finals later this week.
Portugal v France on Friday and England’s clash with Switzerland the following day look set to be the most popular ties among the last eight, with many Islanders heading to the pub or an open-air fan zone to enjoy the action.
Pub chain Randalls has set up big screens outside several venues, including the Goose and the Sir George Carteret in St Peter, the Boathouse in St Aubin and the Beach Club at St Brelade’s Bay.
Operations director Nigel Godfrey said: “There’ve been some good crowds, and massive ones at the Goose when England have played.”
Greg Mastaj, manager at the Goose, said the 166-inch screen had been popular and he expected to be “very busy” again this Friday and Saturday.
Among the other venues getting ready for a surge in customers is the Lamplighter in St Helier, where landlord Sean Murphy will open for the 10.45am rugby clash between Australia and Wales before attention turns to football later in the day.
Julio Moniz, manager of The Office in St Helier, said England and Portugal games had been the best-attended so far.
“Neither England or Portugal have played especially well so far, but it’s about results and there’s still a chance they could meet in the final,” he said.
All remaining games in the tournament, culminating in the final on Sunday 14 July, will be shown in the open-air fan zone at Howard Davis Park, which will open 45 minutes prior to kick-off for each game.
The fan zone, which attracted more than 1,000 people across the eight last-16 ties, including 570 for England’s dramatic win over Slovakia, is designed for families, and no alcohol is permitted to be brought to the park.
