Shropshire pubs get World Cup boost after early-hours licence plan announced
Shropshire pubs have received a boost after the Government confirmed they could stay open into the early hours should any home nation reach the knockout stages of this summer's football World Cup.
After a consultation was launched in December, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has now agreed to extend opening hours for the knockout rounds of the tournament which is being hosted jointly by the US, Canada and Mexico.
It will mean pubs can apply for a special licence which will allow them to stay open until 1am for most knockout games and 2am for those starting after 10pm.
Some of the knockout games will be played on the west coast of America and Canada, which is eight hours behind the UK, while the final will be in New Jersey, five hours behind.
England and Scotland have already qualified and could be joined by either Wales or Northern Ireland via the playoffs. The Republic of Ireland are also in the playoffs, due to be played next month.
While the move has been broadly welcomed, one Shrewsbury landlord accused the ruling Labour Party of pulling a PR stunt.
Ollie Parry owns The Salopian Bar in Shrewsbury and called the move "short sighted".
"They announce things like this so the public think they are helping out the hospitality sector, but people who work in it know it is a load of rubbish, a PR stunt," he told the Shropshire Star.
"Since the millennium eve, most pubs in the country have long hours, some even 24-hour opening.
"We can open until 4am every day of the week if we like but we choose to shut at midnight.
