PUBS in Edinburgh are hoping to serve early morning drinks to Hibs and Hearts fans before the Scottish Cup Final on May 19.
The capital licensing board confirmed nine operators had applied for extended trading hours on cup final day, mostly for the right to open at 9am.
The Edinburgh teams are preparing to meet in the Scottish Cup Final for the first time since 1896 and it’s expected to be a huge money-spinner for the trade. The match will be followed later by the Champions League final between Chelsea and Bayern Munich, raising hopes that it will be a bumper day for football-led pubs.
But hopes of a big turnout of rugby fans were dashed when Edinburgh was defeated by Ulster in the semi-final of the Heineken Cup last weekend, meaning there will be no Scottish representation in the final, also being held on May 19.
“We’ve had nine applications so far,” a spokesman for the board said. “The majority are going for 9am openings for fans before they head west.
“A couple are going for later openings but nothing has been decided yet.”
• Sainsbury’s has been refused a liquor licence for a new Local store it’s planning for the capital’s Cowgate area, partly because of the board’s new overprovsion policy.
