World Cup fans are supporting Britain's pubs - now the Government must continue to do the same

And as England prepare to play Panama on what’s been dubbed Super Saturday, millions of supporters will head to the home of live sport: the local.

There is nothing quite like watching a match, elbow to elbow with fellow fans, groaning in unison at a missed chance and roaring with one voice at a last-minute goal. For the hours before, during and after a game, shared support for the national team and a perfectly poured pint turn strangers into new friends.

Industry experts predict that pubs could serve a bumper 55 million extra pints if the Three Lions go all the way to the final. That would equate to around £275m in takings across the tournament's 39 days.

We estimate London pubs served, on average, an extra 144 pints during the England v Ghana game, totalling around 500,000 pints and worth £2.5m in extra revenue.

The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) further predicts that if England reaches the World Cup Final, pubs could sell an additional 55 million pints, generating a £275 million revenue boost for the sector. Almost 1.5 million extra pints were expected to be poured in Scotland during the Group stages, bringing in an additional £7m in revenue for Scottish pubs.

You would assume, therefore, that the FIFA tournament will be a guaranteed shot in the arm for the nation’s pubs and brewers - especially welcome for a sector that has borne the brunt of rising costs, economic uncertainty and increased regulatory pressures. These uplifts cannot come soon enough.

Yet the average pub makes just 12p profit on a £5 pint and the home nations' World Cup journeys are tinged with a sad - and hidden - irony because fans raising a glass in celebration will also be paying some of the highest rates of beer duty of all competitors in the tournament.

Beer duty on a pint in England currently stands at around 54 pence - significantly higher than the rates paid by rival supporters in our Group L: Croatians pay just 12.6p; Panama 13.8p, and in Ghana the equivalent duty is around 44 pence per pint.

Look to Scotland, where they don't fare much better. Scottish fans pay the second-highest rate of beer duty in their group at 54p a pint. Scotland sits behind Morocco, where the tax on beer is levied at 90p a pint, leagues above Haiti (30p per pint) and Brazil (16.2p per pint).

Put another way, for every three pounds spent in a British pub, one pound goes straight to the taxman. This affects affordability, competitiveness, and the ability to remain open.

A total of 161 pubs closed across Britain in the first three months of this year, an equivalent of almost two a day, and a 26% increase on the same period last year. For many pubs, particularly those in rural and suburban areas, profitability remains fragile even though there is strong demand from punters.

At a time when policymakers are rightly concerned about social isolation and community cohesion, protecting pubs should be recognised as an investment in the social fabric of the country.

I welcomed the government’s much-needed business rates relief for pubs, which showed strong support. However, we need to work together to establish a permanent plan. Sharply rising employment and packaging costs, duty increases and higher energy costs continue to strangle the sector. This, remember, is a sector that contributes more than £18 billion to Treasury coffers every year and supports more than a million jobs throughout the UK.

The government should use the World Cup as an opportunity to recognise the vital contribution pubs make to our economy and communities. Key to securing the future of pubs is a fair business rates reform, a cut in beer duty and VAT, and reducing the regulatory burden.

The government has already recognised the importance of the tournament by extending licensing hours - a decision that will help pubs maximise the opportunity presented by the competition and ensure fans can celebrate responsibly together.

This World Cup has the potential to deliver a significant boost for pubs and brewers, so let’s ensure that the benefit endures beyond this summer and helps not only businesses but also jobs and communities in the long term.

As millions of supporters gather together to cheer on England, we will be reminded of just why pubs matter.

As the players take to the pitch, memories will be created that will last long after the final whistle. But if ministers want Britain's pubs to remain the home of live sport for future generations, they must continue to invest their full support.

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Emma McClarkin OBE is the CEO of British Beer and Pub Association.

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