FIRST Minister John Swinney has proposed that the day after the Scottish national football team’s opening World Cup match be designated a bank holiday Monday – and now all eyes are on local licensing boards to see what they will do about licensing hours on the Sunday night of the game itself.
As much as Scottish football fans are delighted to actually have a stake in the 2026 World Cup, it is an unfortunate fact of geography that this year’s hosts – the US, Canada and Mexico – are an Atlantic Ocean’s worth of timezones behind the UK.
As such, Scotland’s opening game against Haiti, being played in Boston on Sunday 14 June, will kick-off at 2am UK time, with post-match celebration or commiseration expected shortly before 4am.
While some well-established sports bars already have a track record of securing early hours licensing to broadcast one-off sporting events from around the world, for the majority of venues, keeping the bar open til sunrise on a Monday will not be possible unless local boards make special provision for the occasion.
Commenting on the First Minister’s Bank Holiday proposal, Paul Togneri of the Scottish Beer & Pub Association welcomed it as ‘a fantastic way to celebrate a historic moment for our national team’.
But Togneri qualified the SBPA’s enthusiasm for the idea: “We need local licensing boards to show flexibility and allow late opening so supporters can watch the match in their local pub to get the benefits of this proposed bank holiday.
“These venues provide a safe, communal space for fans and play a vital role in the social and economic fabric of our communities. Let’s make sure Scotland can enjoy this moment to the fullest.”
He added: “Pubs have always been at the heart of these occasions, bringing fans together, and it will be extra special being able to cheer on Steve Clarke and the team this summer in North America.”
Revealing his Bank Holiday plan at an event in Glasgow, First Minister Swinney stressed: “This year, we want to make the most of this huge opportunity for Scotland and ensure as many people as possible have the opportunity to celebrate the team’s success.
“Not only is this an historic sporting event, it’s also a chance for Scotland to be on the world stage, to attract business development, create tourism interest within the country and to make cultural and sporting connections.
“That is why I am taking steps to ensure the Monday after our opening game should be national bank holiday, so that – no matter the outcome of the match – we can all come together to share the occasion.”
While the power to set bank holidays is devolved by the Scotland Act 1998, allowing the First Minister to advise the Privy Council on proclamations for Scotland, which can then be designated by Royal Proclamation by His Majesty the King, some commentators have noted that businesses are under no actual legal obligation to give their employees a day off on designated bank holidays.
