Saturday, June 01, 2002
Brits fired up
Businesses adapt as England succumbs to World Cup fever
By JAMES SWANWICK
Associated Press Writer
LONDON — Vicars are changing the times of church services. Businesses are bracing for thousands of workers to call in sick. Supermarkets and pubs are expecting record beer sales.
It can mean only one thing: The World Cup is here.
England is in the grip of soccer hysteria as the national team prepares for its opening match against Sweden on Sunday in Saitama, Japan.
Even though England won the World Cup only in 1966, the tournament generates more national passion and obsession than any other event.
One fan has replaced his living room carpet with artificial turf. A man in central England painted his home in the national colors of red and white. Another spent 15 hours a day for three weeks carving a replica World Cup trophy the size of a pinhead.
Ivan Waddington, director of the Center for Research Into Sport and Society at the University of Leicester, said England goes “particularly crazy” at World Cup time because of feelings toward “empire and nationalism.”
“In England, there is an added sense of national belonging and the team becomes an emblem for the whole of English society,” Waddington said.
“The national team draws people together, particularly in England, which is historically the home of football. It is the country's national sport, the sport England gave the world, and therefore participation in the World Cup means much more.”
Because of the time difference between Asia and England, most games kick off at breakfast time or late morning. But special arrangements have been made in churches, pubs and offices to accommodate fans.
The Church of England is allowing clergy to change the time of Sunday's services so they don't clash with the England-Sweden game, which kicks off at 10:30 a.m London time.
“Worship comes first, of course, but this comes around only ever four years, so we can afford to be flexible,” said the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. George Carey.
The Rev. John Hartley of St. Luke's in Eccleshill, West Yorkshire, has put his service back to 3 p.m., invited fans to wear England shirts and entitled his sermon “Make Jesus the Center Forward of Your Life.”
Many churches are also erecting big TV screens to allow parishioners to watch World Cup games from the pews.
“God must come first, but football is second,” said the Rev. Harry Ross of St. Luke's in Liverpool. “I will plant my church warden in front of the set and get him to signal if England score a goal during the service. Then I can slip the latest score into the sermon.”
Supermarkets are expecting a 25 percent increase in sales this weekend as shoppers stock up on beer, wine, pizza and hangover tablets as fans throw World Cup parties and celebrate the queen's Jubilee.
Supermarket chain Asda is installing televisions in its restaurants and big screens in the parking lots of some of its larger outlets.
English fans, concerned that strict licensing laws would prevent them from enjoying a pint of beer while watching in pubs in the early mornings, took the matter to court and won. Lord Woolf, the Lord Chief Justice, overruled earlier decisions and set guidelines for the entire country by stating the World Cup was a “special occasion” in which customers were actively participating.
England's second group match against Argentina starts at 12.30 p.m. London time on Friday, June 7. England's work force could grind to a halt as thousands take time off to watch the game. The business community estimates about a third of England's workers will call in sick and tune in instead.
A Web site was launched to provide fans with excuses for missing work during the World Cup. The site even provides fake doctor's certificates.
Some employers are offering flexible work hours and setting up televisions and providing refreshments. Some businesses have simply promised to give workers match days off — as long as they make up the time when the World Cup concludes.
If England does well in the tournament, it could play as many as seven matches. One survey estimated such a scenario could cost the economy more than $4.4 billion in lost productivity.
And what if England plays poorly and is knocked out in the first round?
“If the balloon bursts and England lose, there will huge national depression,” Waddington said. “When the reality hits you, it often hits you very hard.”
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Brits fired up
