England fans will spill up to three million pints of beer every match during the World Cup, as a quarter of supporters admit to celebrating so wildly that they send their food and drink flying. This amount of spilled beer is equivalent to filling 11,600 bathtubs per game.
Superstitions and Rituals Alive and Well
According to research from Stonegate Group, English fans' superstitions and mannerisms are thriving, with rituals helping fuel the electric atmosphere in pubs this summer. Pub-stool punditry will be a staple, with one in three supporters considering themselves football experts. A confident 24% believe they could do a better job of managing England to a major competition final from the comfort of their pub seat.
Penalty decisions (45%), tactics (28%), and substitutions (24%) are among the most debated topics. In a clear demonstration of pub popularity, half of England fans (49%) would rather watch World Cup matches in the pub than inside the stadium (33%).
Passion and Tears
English fans' passion is undeniable, with the average supporter shouting five to six times at the TV per match and 50% questioning refereeing decisions. Through joy or despair, nearly half of supporters (49%) admit to shedding a tear during a match — that's at least 17.6 million tears per match, or 35,200 shot glasses full of English tears per game.
Fans also admitted they are willing to go to extraordinary lengths during tournament season, with 43% confessing they dodged plans to watch England World Cup matches in the pub.
Roar of the Nation Challenge
The research comes ahead of Stonegate Group's 'Roar of the Nation' challenge, in partnership with Heineken, who will also be running competitions through Stonegate's loyalty app MixR. These will take place across venues in England and Scotland, including The Minories in London, The Moot Hall Arms in Leeds, and the Akenside Traders in Newcastle.
The initiative encourages fans to cheer as loudly as they can during England's fixtures, with pubs competing live against venues across the country to be crowned the home of the loudest and most passionate supporters.
Kay Bartlett, Chief Marketing Officer at Stonegate Group, said: "Football tournaments are all about traditions, shared moments and atmosphere. There's nothing quite like watching a huge match and enjoying the experience surrounded by fellow fans in a packed pub. Our Roar of the Nation campaign will allow us to measure pub atmospheres across England and Scotland throughout the World Cup to see where the loudest fans and experiences of the tournament can be enjoyed."
Craig Woolley, Marketing Activation Director at HEINEKEN UK, said: "Nothing beats the buzz of the pub when our home teams are playing. From the first chant to the final whistle, it's where fans come together to share the tension, excitement and pure joy of the big occasion — and we can't wait."
England Fans' Top 10 Match-Day Rituals
- Watching the game with the exact same group of family and friends
- Staying completely silent during the big moments
- Wearing the same lucky shirt and pants for the big games
- Staying off the phone and stopping all messaging during the game
- Going to the same pub for each game
- Following the same specific pre-game routine (food, drink, timing, and prep)
- Eating the same 'lucky meal'
- Touching or kissing the England badge before each game
- Changing rooms or viewing spots at half time if the game is going badly
- Following the exact same route to the pub
Note: A whopping 70% of the population are believed to be England fans, the equivalent of 36,000,000 people. A quarter (24%) is 8.64 million people, and if each spills 150ml of liquid, it's the equivalent of 3.08 million pints. Assuming a bathtub is 150 litres, that's 11,600 bathtubs. The 49% of fans who cry during games equates to 17.6 million people. Assuming each cried one tear (0.05ml) and a shot glass is 25ml, that means their tears would fill approximately 35,200 shot glasses.
