Paul Sandford has built a grandstand in his beer garden.
A real one. Steel scaffolding, tiered seating, room for 400 people, and it took a firm of scaffolders more than a week to put together.
The Railway Tavern in Dereham, Norfolk, now has what Paul calls a World Cup super grandstand. It cost him north of £6,000.
The seating holds around 400, and there’s space for more to gather around the edges, which tips the total closer to 700 once everyone packs in.
The pub has thrown in a VIP area with waitress service.
The whole setup has an American theme, which is a bold choice for a venue built around watching England.
Already fully booked
“I’ve had interest from all over the country,” Paul said.
“Loads of people want to come and watch the games here. We’re already fully booked up.”
He’s not playing it cool. “This is going to be the ultimate place to watch England this summer. It will be a festival of football.”
And, in case anyone doubted the commitment: “The atmosphere will be unbelievable. We are counting the days down until it comes alive.”
Part of the takings will go to Dereham Cancer Care, a cause the pub supports.
Meanwhile, in Sutton Coldfield
Not every pub is opening its arms quite so wide.
The Station, in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, has gone the other way and banned sportswear in the run-up to the tournament.
Smart-casual only. No hats. No hoodies.
The rules kick in on Fridays and Saturdays after 9pm, with last entry at 11pm and the doors shut by 1am.
“As a few of you are already aware, we’ve had a few changes to how we operate recently, and we just wanted to communicate them to everyone,” a spokesperson said.
The timing did not go unnoticed.
Regulars split, some welcoming the tidy-up, others warning it will send fans down the road in their England shirts.
Alex Field was one of the doubtful ones.
“There’s a World Cup around the corner and a Champions League Aston Villa season upcoming and they’re banning sportswear on Saturday, it’s baffling,” he said.
“I do believe customers will go elsewhere if they can’t wear England gear and shorts.”
He’s staying, mostly. “I will continue to drink there but it may just be a move away from there before Villa fixtures on a Saturday as me and my friends like wearing our colours.
So it’s more a feeling of disappointment than animosity toward the venue.”
Why it matters
Tournament summers have turned the local pub into a battleground for the matchday crowd, and the playbook is splitting in two.
Build something nobody else has, or set a tone and hope the right punters turn up.
Paul has spent £6,000 betting on the first one. The Station is betting on the second.
One has a grandstand. The other has a dress code.
With the World Cup opening this summer, every landlord in the country is making some version of the same gamble.
Paul is counting down the days.
Whether 400 fans, a Norfolk sky and an American-themed VIP section deliver the festival he’s promised is the only question left.
