Scotland National Team success sparks boost in country’s crisis hit pub trade

dailyrecord.co.uk:

The success of the national football team has brought a timely boost to the country’s crisis hit bars and pub trade.Owners are reporting a significant increase in trade on the nights Scotland games in the European qualifiers are being televised.Paul Waterson, Honorary President of the Scottish Licensed Trade Association, said many fans chose to go out and watch the teams 3-0 victory in Cyprus on Friday night in their local rather than on television at home.He’s expecting a similar boost to trade on Tuesday when Scotland take on England at Hampden in a friendly.Paul said the fact that Scotland will also qualify for Euro 2024 - if Norway draw with Georgia that same night - could encourage even more people out to join in the celebrations in the nearest boozer.He added: “The hospitality industry in Scotland needs all the help it can and the success of the Scotland team could not have come at a better time.“It has created a feelgood factor which people want to be part of.“The best place to watch a football game, if you are not at the match, is in a pub or a bar.”The national side’s qualification campaign has been a roaring success so far.Wins against Spain and Norway - alongside Friday’s easy defeat of Cyprus - has brought Steve Clark’s side within touching distance of qualification.Paul said the past three years has brought the licensed trade to its knees due to a combination of Brexit, Covid and the cost of living crisis.He added: “Staff are also working hard to make sure that people coming to the pub for the Scotland games can enjoy the atmosphere and make a night of it by putting on food and activities like quizzes beforehand.“Unfortunately people got out of the habit coming to pubs during covid and we have never really