England may have had a disappointing result against France on Sunday, but pubs across the country were still toasting the start of Euro 2004 as the country downed between 21 and 25 million pints of beer or larger.
The European football championships could generate a £200m increase in turnover for the nation's 60,000 pubs, according to the British Beer and Pub Association. It reckoned a single England match can generate an increase of between £20m and £30m on normal sector turnover of £60m a day, and boost beer sales by between four and six million pints. Weekend matches can draw even bigger crowds and can push daily turnovers above the £100m mark.
During the 2000 European Championships, beer sales across the country increased by 4% on the year, representing additional sales of £250 per pub per week.
The Centre for Economics and Business Research predicts that Euro 2004 will provide a £1b boost to the UK economy, with £116m being spent per game in pubs, clubs and off-licences.