"I think people want that pub atmosphere" - Pub landlords in Calderdale hoping for boost in trade thanks to this summer's World Cup

The tournament kicks-off on June 11 and runs until July 19, with 104 games taking place in the USA, Canada and Mexico, all being shown on terrestrial TV.

Pubs across the borough will be showing the matches, with England starting their campaign against Croatia on June 17.

Rob Morrison, landlord at The Sun Inn, Lightcliffe, says he has installed new screens for the tournament and will be showing all the games.

"The only thing is the times, who's going to finish work at four or five o'clock, sit around at home and then come to the pub for a half ten kick-off?," said Rob.

"And then they'll have work the next day, so because it's on normal TV, they'll probably think they'll stay at home and watch it.

"We're looking into discounted beers for England games, we've upgraded all the TVs and we're looking at outside, we have an outside bar so we're looking at opening that up depending on the weather and the matches."

Rob added: "We looked after this pub four years ago when England lost to Italy and the first couple of round it was quiet, but when it got to the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final, it picked up.

"I think people want that pub atmosphere when it gets to a semi-final or a final, they don't want to sit at home and cheer on their own."

Linda Green, landlady of The Standard of Freedom and The Murgatroyd in Skircoat Green, and The Duke of York in Stainland, said: "There will be a boost in trade, the only downside is, because of the time of the matches, the first three matches, two start at nine at night and one starts at ten, which is OK for us because we know all our customers and we can control it.

"I think for town centre pubs, it might be a bit tricky.

"If we get through as group winners, the next match is at five o'clock on July 2, which is fantastic.

"However, if we're runners-up, it's at midnight, and we're thinking about doing that as a ticketed thing because I don't want people coming in who aren't locals, at midnight, having got tanked up somewhere else, so that's a bit of a worry.

"The final itself, on July 19, is at a reasonable time but some of the last 16 and quarter-finals are potentially at midnight or two in the morning.

"But it will be a boost, definitely."

Linda says she is trying to tempt customers to come in earlier for some pre-match food and drink.

"So say if it's a nine o'clock kick-off, try and get them in for seven o'clock, and maybe have some pie and peas, something like that," she said.

"We haven't finalised it completely yet but that's the plan, because I don't think people will dwell after the games, I think they'll go fairly quickly.

"I know the government have said they're going to extend opening times but it's not about that - I can open until two in the morning anyway because that's what my licence is.

"It's about whether people will really come out at nine o'clock or ten o'clock to watch a game of football, and are they likely to sit at home on the sofa? If you've got work the next day, it could be quarter past twelve before you leave the pub, so it's not going to be as big as it would have been had it been in Europe.

"And the other bit we can't control is, when the Club World Cup was on in America last summer, they had real problems with the weather, and some games were delayed for over an hour, so would people hang around for that?

"Some of the grounds have got retractable roofs, which they're going to close, but because of the humidity and the heat, it's going to be awkward.

"It will be a boost and we'll get behind it and do what we can but with the timing of some of the games, it's going to be a bit tricky."

Jo Cashon, landlady at the Hare and Hounds in Todmorden, says a few of her regulars have asked if the pub is screening the games.

"We have a projector screen we can put up," she said.

"We've had big matches here before and people have said 'we'll come in if you're shwoing it', and we get it all set up, put offers on food, and then we've had less than half-a-dozen people turn up!

"The White Hart in town do a lot of beer offers and they're classed as a sports bar, so the majority of people would probably go there because they have a lot of screens."

Jo says she isn't sure whether her customers will watch games at the pub rather than at home.

"It probably depends what game it is and what time it's on," she added.

"Some of our regulars, they all get on really well together and, because one of them has a projector screen at home, they'll arrange to go to his sometimes."