PUBS in Jersey reported a successful night as their patrons stayed up until sunrise to watch England defeat Mexico 3-2 in the World Cup on Monday morning.
A total of 55 extensions were issued, the Bailiff’s Chambers confirmed, though not all venues ended up staying open for the 2am kick-off.
Ian Kisby of the Bagot Inn reported “a brilliant night” in St Saviour. The pub was “very busy”, he said, taking in three hours’ worth of extra income.
He added that he was now looking forward to welcoming football fans on Saturday for England’s quarter-final match against Norway.
The Pembroke was the only Grouville pub open for the final-16 fixture, with around 50 to 60 people attending.
General manager Martin Vasev said it was an “incredible” night, with his patrons ending their evening by watching the sunrise at the nearby golf course.
“Everybody said, ‘I’m going to remember this day’,” he added.
The crowd, he said, was made up of pub locals who wanted to cheer without worrying about waking up their families.
“Nobody was drunk, everybody was respectful. It was a great night,” said Mr Vasev.
The atmosphere was “tense at the beginning”, he noted, with fans hoping that Mexico would not score first. By the end of the game, he added, it was “crazy”.
Mr Vasev’s wife made pancakes and gave out watermelon slices to keep punters energised, with The Pembroke taking in around £2,000 on drink sales.
“That’s a fantastic night,” said Mr Vasev. “It was well worth opening. We’ve opened consistently for England and Scotland games.
“If we don’t open, people either have to go into town or they have to stay on their couch. I think we created something very special.”
Police officers who dropped by sat down and enjoyed pancakes, he added.
“This is why I do what I do,” said Mr Vasev. “This was so refreshing and incredible. It was awesome.”
Mr Vasev said he was in favour of longer opening hours to encourage Islanders to drink more slowly and focus on socialising.
The Goose restaurant manager Zoe Clark said the pub had “quite a few people in”, making for an unusually good Sunday evening. She thought that some of her customers were taking the next day off work.
States police confirmed there were no football-related arrests overnight, with fans described as “positive” and “good-natured”.
Police chief Robin Smith thanked those who worked through the night, adding: “Sport has a unique ability to bring communities together, and it has been wonderful to see so many Islanders coming together to enjoy the World Cup.
“The vast majority of supporters celebrated responsibly, looked after one another and enjoyed the event in the positive spirit that we know and expect from our community.
“We now look forward to the next game against Norway and, who knows, perhaps beyond.”
